[Philmont]: Cell Phones - Reality Check

Since John LeBlanc (doubtless off on a wonderful sojourn somewhere) is
apparently not available to offer his commentary, I beg the List's
indulgence in offering the contrarian view.

The remarks on cell phones can be distilled down to two "positive"
points, briefly "Safety" or "Keeping in Touch with Home".

Re Safety, I am frankly concerned that many contributors are looking at
cell phones as being a panacea in case something goes wrong. But this
is ignoring the reality of cell-phone coverage on the Ranch. A number
of people have already pointed out that there aren't that many places on
the Ranch where you can get a signal, and most of them are on the high
peaks.

What is *not* being discussed are the implications of this simple fact.
  That being, if you do end up with an emergency situation that requires
outside assistance, and you're in the 85?, 90?, 95 percent of the Ranch
that has no coverage, well now you have a choice to make. You can send
a four man group off to the nearest high peak and hope you can get a
signal there, and if so work through the Basecamp staff to detail out
your situation and get help... ...or you can do it the Philmont way,
which is send a four man group off to the nearest Staff camp, which will
have much more secure means of communication with Basecamp, and can also
(if it's a screaming necessity) send a rescue team out 10 - 15 minutes
after you arrive.

If you decided to go the cell-phone route instead, and you got to the
peak AND THERE WAS NO SIGNAL, how many hours have you just lost???

The amount to climb, the amount to return back down, at least - now to
start over with what you should have done in the first place. And
that's assuming the climbing Crew didn't compound the mistake by
continuing on for a yet higher or different peak. Yes, I suppose you
could send TWO teams out - one to a mountain top, and the other to a
Staff camp - but how many Crews have enough people for that luxury?
(maybe if you had another Crew to help....)

Yes, I know that most people are smart enough to go to a Staff camp if
one is close, but if it's a coin toss situation, or if that peak looks
oh so invitingly close compared to that Staff camp 8 miles away....

Anyway, this reality is why Philmont discourages the reliance on cell
phones for "Safety" - it's a false net, or rather a net with some huge
holes in it. Yes, there are some spots where a cell phone will give
instantaneous access to Basecamp - Tooth of Time, Baldy, Phillips, a few
others - but most of the time, it's just giving you a false sense of
security. These are not satellite phones, folks, and there are no plans
to put a cell tower on 'cito peak or anywhere else on the Ranch. If you
want to carry one for "Safety", fully understanding its severe
limitations and more importantly its seductive danger, be my guest - but
I will emphasize again, it's no panacea, and believing otherwise can
potentially make a bad situation a *lot* worse. An earlier post tonight
suggested that if everyone carrying cell phones saved just one life,
it's worth it. A laudable thought - but never forget that that sword
has two edges - and the reverse cut is how many lives would be lost
because of bad decisions made by stressed-out Advisors in emergency
situations, based on foolish trust placed in a sharply limited tool.

BTW, in *most* cases, no matter where you are on the Ranch, a
stripped-down hiking crew (no backpacks) can be at a Staff camp within
four hours. In most places, it's more like 2 hours or less. Something
to consider before tackling that ridgeline with your cell-phone....

Onto "Keeping in Touch". Well, some like to, and some don't, and to a
strong degree I suppose it's a "whatever floats your boats" kind of
situation - so long as you aren't annoying your neighbors who are
specifically trying to escape this very sort of thing. I consider
myself fortunate that I have only once had to listen to someone
bellowing into their cell phone at Philmont, and I can't say I enjoyed
the experience. Then again, I personally find such behavior equally
boorish irrespective of the setting.

Regardless, there *is* something to be said for the wilderness
experience. In reality, Philmont isn't really much of a wilderness
experience - but most of the Scouts DON'T KNOW THAT. For them, a place
with such extreme dangers as bears, mountain lions, back-country staff,
and caffeine-deprived Advisors is as "out there" as it gets. Whipping
out a cell phone to call the wife or check on the office - or even to
give the Scouts a chance to chat with their folks mid-trek - might even
be fun and seemingly benign, but it does impact on that "wilderness
experience". Part of the mental challenge of Philmont for the Scouts at
least is the sense (not fact!) that you've cut ties with civilization,
that you've travelled back to a rougher time. A cell phone destroys
that illusion, and some of the magic - and value - of the experience is
lost. Something (else) to consider.

And to all a good night....

- Dr. Bob

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Tue Apr 29 00:51:13 2003