Interesting. I could sympathize with the ranger who didn't want to get out of bed and rescue someone doing something so stupid. I've heard many tales of similar things...people leaving at 3PM from Glacier, without even a jacket, maybe one soda, no lights, cotton t-shirts and flipflops, absolutely no concept of being responsible for one's own actions.
After all, it's a "park" isn't it? Nothing bad would be allowed to happen because it's all been set up safely for us to enjoy.
In May 2007 we came down the cables around 12:30 afer seeing and hearing thunderheads in the distance. As we got to the bottom, it was starting to sprinkle, thunder was prevalant in the distance, and people were heading up the cables, right past the signs warning them not to do so. We all know they'd have expected people to risk their lives to help them if anything had happened. I heard more than one person advising to the tune of "I've been up there before in a storm and didn't get hit by lightning, it's really not that risky".
The next day we watched through binoculars from Glacier point as lightning hit many nearby mountains, and also the tiny specks crawling around the top of Half Dome while it was going on.
We're used to being protected from any harm, and people have come to expect that to be the case wherever they go.
Post Edited (10-08-08 08:05)
Gary
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