Post by wooglin on Oct 14, 2010 18:37:45 GMT -5
Understand all that but to put it in real perspective...... the next time you have to stop for any reason think right then - if I had to call someone right now for help, could I adequately describe where I am.
Everyone may be more observant than I am as they are riding along but I suspect I could only adequately describe where I am about 25% of the time (that percentage goes up drastically if I have my bike computer on and had it on zero at the start). Best I could do most times is say between the 2nd and 3rd powerline crossing on Skinny or something like that.
If I am very near or have just passed a trail feature that is very definitive - the wall on the Great Wall, the bridge on the Great Wall, one of the power crossings perhaps, the big rock on Big Rock, the tight climbing switchbacks on Tower - then the answer is yes but do I know how far into the trail those features are if I am going clockwise? what about counterclockwise?
Hard to memorize enough features over 32 miles of trail to know exactly where you are at any given time and then add to it the confusion added by a traumatic accident and I think a lot of people will not be able to answer definitely enough to secure a quick rescue for themselves.
Can't speak for Bryan (though I bet he agrees), I'm not arguing that the location posts shouldn't be there. Just that to suggest riding alone is weird or unusual is flat out wrong. That's what your first parenthetical statement seems to imply -- that people ride alone only when they can't find someone to ride with. Which is silly.
Personally, if I crash out there, and I am immobilized, I guarantee you the location posts won't help me unless I happen to be right beside one, because I'm sure not going to be ticking them off as I ride by. OTOH, when someone finds me, at least they'll be able to route other folks to the spot. That's a good thing.