Re: Philmont trip report(a bit long)

Susan Ganther wrote:

<<As long as one adult is bringing up the rear, and another knows to look
for him or her at predetermined points along the way, the only time you
really need to keep a group together is when you are hiking cross country
or with individuals who lack the skills and judgement to handle hiking at
10 - 30 minute intervals like very young kids or unit commissioners and
such like.>>

Susan,

As you are probably aware, this is contrary to the principles taught in the BSA
Hiking MB book and probably elsewhere in the BSA literature (I'd have to check my
references at homes). I have a strong personal preference for the leader always
knowing where the tailend is. That means staying in periodic visual contact
(every 5-10 minutes). If you're going to split into crews/groups, do it knowingly
and with 2-deep leadership.

If you allow up to an hour of separation, a hiker or group of hikers in the middle
or at the end could take the wrong trail by mistake and easily be several miles
appart before they even realized they were lost. The other group on the right
trail would only then begin to wunder what happened. That distance could easily
double based on the reactions of the two groups.

If there is a serious injury to someone in the rear of the line, I want the entire
group group together within 10-15 minutes to be able to help. I I'm dealing with
a serious emergency, the last thing I want to know is that a portion of my crew is
continuing to hike away.

Hiking only with experience hikers is a plus, but even experience hikers get
injured once in a while or make navigation mistakes. I even made a mistake once
myself. ;) We should always plan on a few mistakes among us humans. I believe in
separation on the trail as required for personal space and pace, but there are
definitive limits.

YIS

Bob Myers, SM Troop 575, Dan Beard Council, Cincinnati, Ohio
rmyers@one.net

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