SummitPost.org

lcarreau wrote:Now,WHY did we arrive to that subject again?

Because perseverance is the essence of mountaineering

MoapaPk wrote:"Do we need oxygen to reach the top?", asked by two women in dress shoes and with handbags, on the trail to Charleston Peak (11918'). I guess the correct answer was "yes."

(OK, this was reported to me by a friend.)

Or maybe, "Yes, but there is a lot of it up there!"

Bruno_Tibet wrote:

Ejnar Fjerdingstad wrote:

Bruno_Tibet wrote:

Ejnar Fjerdingstad wrote:Actually there are many why-questions (at least in science) that can be given a straight answer!

Exactly!

I fully second Ejnar's statement! There are indeed so many important why-questions for which science has given a straight answer! Just consider these few examples:

In the field of physics: Why will a climber fall if he misses his hold?

In the field of climate science: Why do increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere lead to increased average earth temperatures?

In the field of biology: Why have living organisms evolved from a common ancestor, and why will they continue to evolve?

However, one big unsolved question remains in the field of psychology: Why do some people continue to deny the evidence?

I am not denying any of the three, but for question two I wonder why generally people don't say 'greenhouse gases', they say 'CO2', which is neither the most common, nor the strongest greenhouse gas!

Haha, you're so funny! Thanks Ejnar!

Shall I rephrase your statement in a more simple way?
Why does always the only person always only mentioning CO2 always asks why others only always speak about CO2 (while they actually don't, of course)?

But I guess there is also an additional underlying question, as your latest post is probably again referring to water vapour as a greenhouse gas:
Why are some apparently well educated persons unable to understand the difference between a forcing and a feedback?

Cheers,
Bruno

Hey Bruno, you should go to the "Oberland names" thread!

A friend of mine was working in Yellowstone National Park for a summer. He has a whole list of rediculas questions that people asked him. One of my favorites was

"Excuse me sir, where do you guys keep the bears locked up at night? I want to show my kids."

Somepeople just dont get it huh?

On the way back down from numerous summits:

"Is it worth it?"

I'm always polite and say "yes" but seriously people. "No, the view is shitty, may as well turn around now folks!"

logikal wrote:A friend of mine was working in Yellowstone National Park for a summer. He has a whole list of rediculas questions that people asked him. One of my favorites was

"Excuse me sir, where do you guys keep the bears locked up at night? I want to show my kids."

Somepeople just dont get it huh?

Another in the same vein is, "At what elevation do elk become moose?"

There might be an actual question about habitats hiding in there, but I prefer to think not.

"WHY does the sun go on shining?

Why does the sea rush to shore?

Don't they know, it's the end of the world,

'Cause you don't love me any more ..."

Why do people continue this climate warming BS, "The warmest blah blah blah on Record" when the records from tree rings and ice core samples dating waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back, clearly indicate a way different "record"?


TREE RINGS:

right at treeline on the Mount St Helens climb as we're heading down, a rotund family with a single 20oz water bottle each asks, "So what is it, like another 2hrs to the top?" I told them they should probably expect more like 5 or 6.

WHY hasn't anybody joined me for an ice cold brew?

Geez, it's very lonely at this table. Should I move my butt to another?

lcarreau wrote:"WHY does the sun go on shining?

Why does the sea rush to shore?

Don't they know, it's the end of the world,

'Cause you don't love me any more ..."

You know, actually the sun won't go on shining forever, and the question is really quite intelligent (especially if asked by somebody who sincerely wants to know), it could not even be answered correctly before the late 1930s. I remember my kids asking about that along with, "what are clouds made of?", "why does it rain?", and "where do babies come from? etc."

On one particular winter bushwhack to one of the High Peaks in the Adirondacks a member of our party, during a rest stop, turned around and looked at the groups snowshoe tracks and calmly asked- without a trace of whimsey- "who's tracks are those?". Turned out he was convinced that we were following in the tracks of another group- though we had been breaking trail in the pristine snow for hours.

Pretty stupid guy, uh?

My partner and I exchanged a look. The decision to turn back needed no discussion and I have never regretted it. We then took the "stupid" person down and back to the trail head asap.

I have been asked a few very "stupid questions" while hiking. After the above event I have wondered if I should've been paying more attention.

One situation did come to my mind. This was maybe four or five years ago, when I was coming back from a week long hike up North in Finnish Lapland. We were a good two days hike away from the nearest roads or buildings, when we came across a couple in their mid-30's, with a baby, not more than a year old, in a two wheel carriage pulled by the dad.

"Sorry guys, can you spare some light for us to light our stove? We forgot to bring any, and we really need to warm some food for the baby"

Turned out they had been out there for almost three days, without any form of fire. They were completely relying on passers-by to help them out. We gave them two boxes of matches, a lighter, and showed them the quickest route out of the national park, and begged them to go back home.

Haha, this is good stuff.

I've tended do be around generally smart people (thankfully) when I'm in the mountains wherever but I once had a person ask if when I'm backpacking, I bring a knife and kill and skin various animals for food.

Oh, and another one. Last summer I was in Jackson WY and browsing through a tourist pamphlet, and in the back it had stupid questions asked by tourists. And there was one I remember: "What time of the year do the elk turn into moose?"