I agree with Dr. Bob to a very large degree. In the event of an emergency
at Philmont, I would however, put a cell phone in the hands of the crew
heading to a staff camp to get help and in the event of their obtaining a
signal, potentially save a few hours.
A VERY RECENT real world example:
This past weekend our troop was on an backpacking trip up and over Old Rag
Mountain near Sperryville, VA. This is the toughest climb in the region
where you gain 2400' in about 2.6 miles. But the really tough part is the
top third where it is a combination of rock climbing and backpacking. You
must take packs off about 15 times and pass them through caves and rock
canyons etc. Here is a reality check. It took a group of 12-14 year old
scouts and 3 leaders 5-1/2 hours to go the 2.6 miles to the summit. It is
hard, but back to the point.
Saturday was very foggy, with a constant mist. Visibility was 200-300 feet
at best. There were 3-4 scout troops taking this hike, several crews
training for Philmont. About 1/4 mile before the start of the very
difficult part, a young (lone) hiker came down the trail saying "the summit
is closed, someone is badly hurt." We continued and about 1/4 mile up ahead
was a big crowd of people, mostly scouts and leaders surrounding and
protecting a middle aged leader laid out on a tarp, obviously very badly
hurt and in deep shock. He had fallen on the very slippery rocks and had
broken either his pelvis or his hip and his arm. This was about 1:00 and
this had clearly happened at least an hour earlier, probably more. Now I am
no Doctor, but I know enough to know this man was badly hurt.
Of course we checked to see if help was on the way and if there was anything
we could do to help. Yes, they had been able to CALL and contact the
Ranger's and were able to give an exact position because one of the leaders
had a GPS. I verified that everything was under control with the SPL and
another advisor before we moved on rather than add to the chaos. The point
is they had modern tools to better solve a serious problem. Yes it was only
about 2 miles to a ranger station, if it was staffed (it would have been
right then). But even with the tools, it too over 9 hours from the time of
the injury and 40 volunteers to get this man to the bottom of the mountain!
The real point is that SOMEONE had a cell phone that worked and SOMEONE had
a GPS. And together they may save a life.
I am guilty of turning on my cell phone on top of Mt. Phillips last year.
And a few of our boys were able to call home after reaching this pinnacle.
Heck, the world has changed and most kids now view mowing the lawn as slave
labor. As long as these devices are not abused, they have a place in the
modern world.
So after this past weekend, I will always (I did anyway) carry a cell phone
on an outing if there is any chance of getting a signal. I will only turn
it on if it is needed, as usual. And my one indulgence is my GPS which I
consider just too much fun to give up. I love plotting my route on a map,
setting waypoints and seeing how close I come. I enjoy getting back to my
computer and uploading my actual "tracks" into my computer and having a
permanent record. It is the one luxury I won't give up, but I don't let the
boys cheat with it or take away from their learning navigation. I actually
try to add another dimension to their knowledge, especially when they get
curious and ask "how does that thing work?"
Finally, someone asked about walkie talkies. Normally I would be very
negative about them but in certain situations, they have a place. Back to
last weekend. Our group did the summit and a small group of first year
scouts did the easy hike to camp. I had totally forgotten how difficult Old
Rag was and we expected to be in camp by mid afternoon. Well the injury,
slippery rocks, young scouts and many blisters later, we were occasionally
able to contact the other group by radio and update our status. We
seriously called them at 2 and told them we would be there in an hour. It
was so foggy that we thought we were at the summit and we were not even
close. We stumbled into camp at 6:45. But because of the radios, the other
group know we were ok rather than wondering where we were for 5 hours.
Chances are they would have hiked down to the ranger station to report a
lost crew!
Sorry to be so long winded, but these tools do have a place. I sure don't
want to be the leader who has to explain to a parent that their child was
denied prompt emergency care because I am a purist and left my cell phone
back at the car.
Alan Hamm
Troop 8
Bethesda, MD
Philmont '74, '02, '04
NT '03
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Bob Klein" <drbob@troop111.org>
To: "Multiple recipients of list philmont" <philmont@troop47.com>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 10:08 PM
Subject: [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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Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
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Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
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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.
-------------------------------------------------------
Received on Tue Apr 29 07:13:56 2003
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