[philmont] Baldy Porch Talk

Lightening strikes are not unique to the mountains. A few years ago we had a Troop involved in an incident on the Taum Sauk Trail here in Missouri. Storm blew up in the middle of the night and lightening hit a large tree near where a unit was camped. The surge traveled through the roots of the tree and came up through the floor of the tent. Luckily no serious injuries as I recall, but quite a reminder that lightening can and does strike anywhere at anytime.

Craig Winney
St Louis

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Roy Fisher
  To: philmont List Member
  Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 8:23 PM
  Subject: [philmont] Baldy Porch Talk

  One lightning strike could in an instant easily kill every single member
  of an entire Crew. As in, light's out, c'est fini.

  Nothing at Philmont scares me like lightning.

  Last year I felt that the crew wanted to go on when I called a 'lightning
  break' coming down Tooth Ridge. We had a couple of crews pass through us as
  we were scattered out among the scrub oak, and lightning hitting less than
  half a mile (3 seconds) away. I guess we might have been around to do CPR
  if it had been needed - fortunately it wasn't.

  Having had at least 5 close calls - lightning strikes within 50 feet (at
  least two less than 15 feet) of me lightning is one thing I DEFINITELY don't
  mess with. Also fortunately, three of the strikes were in town and I was
  reasonably protected by houses (one hit the chimney of a house when I was by
  the fireplace).

  Climbing Baldy on the same trek we were less than 200 feet from the summit
  when I called the crew to turn around. Fortunately, another advisor on the
  summit heard the same rumble I did and was able to identify it as an
  airplane not thunder. The other advisors claimed to have not heard it. It
  was a tough decision, but it only took about that long to make. I would
  rather miss Baldy for another day than miss the rest of my life forever.

  Happy Trails,

  Roy Fisher

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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 Jul 31 21:14:06 2007