 | |
|
| |
| Monica Dobbs | |
East Brainerd resident Monica Dobbs hikes 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail every winter with friends and craves the quiet days without cell phones, television and work.
Hikers who want to leave their daily lives behind sleep next to strangers in shelters, and many trade their real names for trail names. They sometimes can walk two or three days to find a town or a phone.
While leaving society behind is refreshing, being alone in the woods also can be terrifying.
“It’s an invitation for a disaster,” said Ms. Dobbs, a 28-year-old hairdresser, who plans to take a 9 mm handgun with her on her next trek.
TIPS ON WOODS SAFETY
1. Never hike alone.
2. Don’t leave your street sense at home.
3. Be careful in parking lots and on roads.
4. Hike during the day.
5. Pick trails with a lot of traffic.
6. Do homework before you go. Ask a park ranger or an outdoors store employee about your hiking or camping destinations.
Source: Rock Creek Outfitters
“I think you should be allowed to legally carry a weapon for defense purposes. If someone comes after me, what am I going to do?” she said.
Guns have been restricted from some national parks for more than 100 years, except for hunting areas. However, there is a growing interest in easing the restrictions. U.S. Department of the Interior officials have proposed bringing federal gun restrictions in line with state laws. If approved, the change would allow hikers to carry loaded concealed weapons in some national parks.
Though crime in America’s national parks has decreased in the last 10 years, 384 incidents including killings, rapes, robberies, kidnappings and aggravated assaults occurred in national parks in 2006, according to the National Park Service.
Staff Photo by Meghan Brown -- Chattanooga resident Monica Dobbs, standing near her home, hikes 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail each year and carries a handgun for protection while hiking.
In January a 24-year-old woman, Meredith Emerson, was found bludgeoned to death on a North Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail, and the killer has been linked to other park slayings.
Since 1973, 10 killings and 10 rapes have been reported on or around the 2,176-mile-long Appalachian Trail, which comprises 40 percent national park land, 40 percent national forest land and 20 percent state land, said Brian King, spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
“People say, ‘I am going out into the woods. This couldn’t happen here,’ but yes, yes, it could,” Mr. King said. “It is not isolated from the society we live in.”
Officials at the Department of the Interior announced last week they will consider a proposal allowing individuals to carry concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges if they are permitted to carry them on similar state land.
The proposal, which was written in response to a letter from 51 U.S. senators requesting a rule change, will be open for public comment for 60 days, according to the department.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who was among senators requesting the change in gun restrictions, said park gun laws are inconsistent. Last week’s prooposal would give states the power to decide what gun regulations should exist in all publicly owned parks, whether state or federal, he said.
Gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association, and the Bush administration are pushing for the rule change because in some states such as Montana, loaded concealed weapons are allowed in state parks. Under new regulations, loaded concealed weapons would be allowed in federal parks in those states, Sen. Corker said.
In Tennessee or Georgia, firearms are prohibited except in designated hunting areas, he said.
“It is not a problem in our state, but it is a problem in many states where the laws are in conflict,” Sen. Corker said.
Officials at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park said they were not permitted to comment on the ruling, but they referred to a statement by the National Park Service.
“Current firearms regulations in our parks and refuges were promulgated with the purpose of promoting public safety and resource protection,” the statement read. “As originally intended, the regulations are an effective law enforcement tool that we believe reduces poaching and illegal target shooting.”
Hikers such as Ms. Dobbs said they are glad park officials are discussing the issue, but other groups say a rule change could alter the hiking and backpacking culture that exists at areas such as the Appalachian Trail.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which met over the weekend to discuss the park officials’ proposal, traditionally has opposed handguns on trails, mainly because organization officials believe that even in dangerous situations guns would not be useful, Mr. King said.
“No matter your feelings about gun ownership, there is a pretty good consensus that it is not necessary hiking the trail,” he said.
Dawson Wheeler, owner of Rock/Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga, has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and said he understands hikers’ fears, because there were many moments during his trip when he wished he had a gun.
But carrying a loaded gun on a trail is not practical, he said.
Handguns weighing five to 10 pounds are comparatively heavy, and if they are buried in a backpack out of sight it could take a hiker too long to reach one in an emergency, he said.
“The odds of hurting yourself with a weapon are higher than running into someone in the backcountry that would want to hurt you,” he said. “It is an illusion that there could be a reason to carry a gun.”
Instead of buying a gun, Mr. Wheeler said, hikers should use common sense. Be careful in parking lots and on roads, hike during the day and never go alone, he said.
“Don’t leave your street sense at home,” said Wheeler. “You need to be attuned to the surroundings.”
Ms. Dobbs accepts that there is a slim chance she ever will find herself in trouble with a stranger on the trail, but she isn’t into taking chances, she said.
She understands most hikers will resent her for carrying a loaded gun and would feel uncomfortable if they knew it was hidden in a harness across her back. Although she loves the backcountry, she doesn’t believe it is a fairy land, she said.
“I wouldn’t want to carry it if I didn’t need it,” she said. “I really feel like I need it. Just think about how the world is now.”
Text Size:
A FIVE or TEN pound handgun??? And your author considers that "comparatively heavy"?? I guess it would be...if it were a Dirty Harry sized cannon.
A .40 semi-auto fully loaded with 10 rounds weighs less than TWO pounds [I just weighed one] and it is large for a hiker to carry. A smaller, easily concealed 9mm or .380 would be better at just over a pound.
I say good for Ms Dobbs and others like her who take their personal safety seriously and don't depend on others to protect them. The days of the fluttery-eyed damsel in distress helplessly waiting for rescue are over.
Please drop the anti-gun rhetoric, do your homework, and get real. We not only have domestic nutcases wandering around the woods, we now have the imported variety.
I guess the powers that be are worried that campers, if they are armed, would not enjoy the pleasure of being robbed, raped and murdered.
I've been hiking the AT and other trail systems for many years now and I NEVER embarked on a trip without my handgun. Years ago it was a big, heavy .357mag, but I've gone with a Glock semi- auto .40cal, much lighter and very effective. Hale to Monica, who also lives in East Brainerd and is using her head on this one. I would never hike ANYWHERE, rules or not without some means to ward off danger.
I find my handgun to be very useful in any situation. It's called choice, I choose to be ready to defend myself. I've carried my handgun religously and it's never hurt me once. Mr. Wheeler can depend on his "street smarts" only, I complement mine with a Glock.
These are irrational choices and comments. While no environment can be perfectly safe, the Appalachian Trail is as safe as it gets. For the logic of guns on the trail to be accepted, we must then accept their presence in our classrooms, which have proven to be less safe than the trail. No, I'm not advocating that. I'm advocating a little common sense. I'm advocating for an environment that is calming and serene and inappropriate for the same thought patterns you'd practice in a dark alley or the parking lot of a bar on Saturday night.
No, we won't be able to prevent an ignorant, selfish few from carrying needless excess weight, but don't expect such foolishness to be ratified by the rules of the National Park Service.
My .44 magnum and my .454 Casull each weigh 3 pounds. Not that I consider either a ’Trail Gun’ unless I am in bear country, but why would we take advice from someone so ignorant of handguns as to think they weigh five or ten pounds ? Especially as serious hikers tend to be aware of every ounce, this is either a typo, shear ignorance of the topic he is advising upon, or clumsy propaganda.
SolarBear, I am all for a calm and serene environment too, but "we won't be able to prevent an ignorant and selfish few" from taking advantage of such environments to attack the rest of us. When that happens I prefer to calmly instruct them to leave me to my peace and serenity, rather than disturb the tranquility of the forest with my screams of pain.
"While no environment can be perfectly safe, the Appalachian Trail is as safe as it gets."
Tell that to Meredith Emerson.
“It is an illusion that there could be a reason to carry a gun.”
"Be careful in parking lots and on roads, hike during the day and never go alone, he said."
so--other than not going out alone or after dark or in parking lots or roads, its perfectly safe?
Friend you do not make a very good case.
5 to 10 pounds? My handgun weighs less than a pound empty, and only about 1.5 Lbs fully loaded. My gun is not even a small gun typically used for concealed carry which would weigh even less. A 5 to 10 Lb range is completely ridiculous.
Dawson Wheeler, owner of Rock/Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga, appears to know very little about handguns, not to mention that folks who conceal carry typically carry the gun on their person, not buried in a back pack. He is free to remain unarmed. This rule change is not about forcing people to carry guns. Instead, it is about removing current regulations that force the law abiding to be unarmed, making them easy targets hundreds of times every year for rapists, muggers, and other low-life criminals that like to prey on the unarmed in National Parks.
Corrected Safety tips:
TIPS ON WOODS SAFETY
1. Never hike alone: hike with a slow runner - that way if you're attacked you don't have to outrun your assailant, just your hiking buddy.
2. Don’t leave your street sense at home (or your gun).
3. Be careful in parking lots, roads & on lonely hiking trails in the middle of nowhere.
4. Hike during the day, sleep at night (with your gun).
5. Pick trails with a lot of traffic.
6. Do homework before you go. Ask a park ranger or an outdoors store employee about your hiking or camping destinations, then be sure to carry your gun regardless. If you knew you were hiking into trouble, you obviously would not hike there. Better to be safe than sorry.
So y'all want students and teachers packing heat in the classroom, right? That is the inescapable direction your logic leads. I want my America back. At least let some small part of our country be a refuge from the sickness of our cities. Your logic is sick and you want to destroy the cure. It's very sad.
SolarBear. I want that America back too. The America that existed when all the schools in NYC had rifle teams and kids carried their rifle to school on the subway. When country boys carried their guns to school and stowed them in their lockers so they could hunt rabbits on the way home. When pilots all had firearms and no one thought anything of it. When people ordered military surplus firearms through the mail and the postman delivered them with no questions. THAT was America when I was a boy. It was so much more safe and peaceful. YOUR Victim Disarmament policy has brought about the "sickness" you seek refuge from. You seek to extend that sickness into the countryside.
By the way--just for the fun of beating a dead horse I went looking for 5 pound handguns among my favorite BIG handguns. Near as I can tell the only one in existance is the S&W 500 at 5.125 pounds.
A 5-10 pound handgun? It's easy to see that he's an expert. You lefty libs should worry about criminals and not some one out hiking the trails. You want your America back? Look em' up and keep them there for their sentence, don't let them out. It's an illusion that there's a reason to carry a gun? What an idiot! It is common sense, law abiding concealed carry folks aren't the ones ripping off 7-11's. Duh.
http://mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandshee...
Long read but good.
http://mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandshee...
If i were out hiking on a trail, I would be carrying a handgun of an appropriate caliber. It would not be conspicuous, just instantly available. Would it be legal? Frankly, this is irrelevant and quite secondary to the need to be safe. I would rather be alive, to face, with my legal representative, any consequences, than the victim of some sociopath who obviously has no regard for any laws. I own guns, and I've trained extensively in their use. I'd prefer to use them for sport, but if necessary, I will use them to defend myself.
I don’t understand why the so called “legality “ of carrying a gun in a National park is even an issue. WHO CARES! Ive been hiking in national parks and wilderness areas for over 30 years and NEVER without my .45, concealed but instantly available. I never have and never will be the least bit interested in what the law has to say about this; nor should anyone else. Laws are only guide lines. Most are relevant and should be obeyed. A few should be ignored or deliberately defied. Carrying a gun “illegally” is one I enjoy defying. I only wish more people would join me in defying restrictive gun laws.
"These are irrational choices and comments. While no environment can be perfectly safe, the Appalachian Trail is as safe as it gets."
Absolutely insane comment!
Appalachia is a land where wild animals are walking with people. The Kentucky area has the largest black bear population in the country. Wildcats, wolves, and even animals with rabies can attack you at any moment. People who prey on hikers also love areas that are so far away from civilization that a scream is a drop in the bucket of sound. No help, no hope. What about robbery? Ever had your food stolen while you are three days out on a trail? What about dropping your pack, having an animal take it, or something that I cannot think of at the moment that leaves you with no food? What about getting lost and having to hunt to live?
Saying that a trail is safe is the ultimate in irresponsible posting. I've lived in those mountains most of my life, and know from personal experience that going into the mountins without some sort of a weapon is foolhardy and deadly.
Kentucky and Tennessee allow open carry except in state parks. I carry openly even in state parks except in those areas that are cultivated for tourists. When in the wild, if you are not carrying in a way that will allow you access in a moments notice, then you may end up as a statistic.
Oh, in areas and parks that do not allow handguns or rifles, a longbow can be the difference between living, and being food for something.
Liberals do not care about individuals: They are collectivists in nature and care only about the "collectivity" of "public safety" - even if you become less safe. The author of this doggeral obviously doesn't know what he's talking about and would rather make you a martyr for his ideology. As an aside if I couldn't carry a gun in the woods I'd at least have a compound bow, bear mace and some camoflage but if there aren't any police around, go ahead and carry a gun you can afford to ditch in a hurry.
10 pound pistol!? My Rugar No.1 Tropical rifle in the 375H&H magnum weights 10 pounds. You can get nice titanium revolvers in the .38 Special that weight about a pound. It has been proven over and over again with the passage of concealed carry laws crime goes down. If the preditors that pray on people in the wilderness know there is a even chance they will get ventilated by lead suppositories, they will not rob, rape, and pillage on the trail. These scumbags are cowards they know the law is miles, and miles, and hours away. Then there are the people who farm Cannibus in these areas, heaven help you if you stumble into one of these patches when the grower is present they shoot first and ask questions later. It is up to the individual to assure his, and his families safety while in the back country.
I, also, have ten pound .375 H&H rifle. I haven't yet seen a good reason for not carrying in parks, state or national. I do, regardless of laws to the contrary. I'd rather be judged by six than carried by six.
I got a good laugh out of the 5-10 pound gun comment. Really got another good chuckle at the buried in the backpack comment that followed. I wonder if Dawson would let his wife or daughter (assuming he is married and has a daughter) treck the trail alone unarmed? I wonder if he would apologize to them as they left for not being their to protect them when they were murdered, raped robbed or other wise assualted? I find it irresponsible to ignore a danger, with high stake outcomes, just because the odds are low. Members of the anti-gun crowd never fail to show their ignorance about guns and the reason rational law abiding people carry them.
"Saying that a trail is safe is the ultimate in irresponsible posting. I've lived in those mountains most of my life, and know from personal experience that going into the mountins without some sort of a weapon is foolhardy and deadly."
How many people die a year on the AT because they were unarmed? Compare it to lightning strikes, shark attacks or any other rare accident. Don't compare it to driving a car, working at your job or the hundred other daily risks we take that should worry us.
The gun fetishists here are not being logical. The Trail is a safe environment and it is used by thousands each day who appreciate the peace they find there. They don't need a piece.
Good article and really good comments.
You anti-gunners don't need to worry. You'll never know I have it. I assure you I don't want to draw it. I won't give a thought to saving you if something happens, because that's the way the law is. And I know I'll be sued all kinds of ways if I ever do have to use it. But I will probably go for something less than 35 ounces, fully loaded.
Hikers should pack more than a little pistol out on the trail. There's bears and cats out on the trail. And, when camping out in a lean-to or tent, you're completely exposed to them as well as any person who would do you harm. The Parks shouldn't let anyone go hiking without a rifle and a pistol. It's a matter of self preservation and safety. Without a firearm, you can't signal any distress. In NY, hunters fire groups of three rounds to signal for help or rescue (semi auto is best for this). Cell phones don't work where there's no cell towers. The idea that we need permission from our government to use OUR land (public lands belong to the people) is crazy. Who gave the government the authority to limit or otherwise deny you the right to self protection. Who does the government think it is? Our mommy? Have the Park services ever sought authorization to limit citizen from protecting themselves or did they just assume it themselves ? What ever happened to 'no governance without the consent of the governed' ? The last i heard, we have a Constitution which recognizes our RIGHT to keep & bear arms. I do also beleive, however, that citizens should get training for firearm handling. Local Police and/or schools or other venues could be good places to get training. In NY, adult ed in public schools provides hunter (hiker?) safety courses.
Handguns while hiking and especially in the classroom? What a great idea. If my cousin had been able to carry hers in the classroom, She'd probably be alive today.
As a kid I bought my Model 1911, 45 cal, semi-automatic handgun from the US Government for $5.00. It was delivered by the USPS (Guess it was the Postal Service then). During hunting season we neighborhood boys put our guns and ammo in my topless jeep and went to school before going hunting. We didn't even put the guns in a locker during the school day. Why didn't we have all of these nut cases back then? Probably because they understood they would have been wasted in short order. Our current society is a result of the bad guys being better armed than the good guys. I'm 67 years old, so you can do the math.
Whoever wrote that is obviously an anti-gun, ill-informed individual. 5-10 pounds for a handgun??? WOW, not too smart. You would be crazy to walk that trail without some reasonable means of protection. But even with a firearm, the most important thing is AWARENESS, always be aware of your surroundings, never, NEVER let your guard down thats where most people screw up armed or unarmed. Also make sure you practice with that firearm, it is really not useful without proper training. So always know what is going on around you, don't get in a sticky situation, if something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Never let an individual approach you that looks like there up to no good, keep a distance. With that said, don't become a statistic or a sheep like most of society today, carry a gun and protect yourself, its YOUR responsibility to protect yourself. Have fun but be safe, an armed society is a polite society. I never go anywhere without a means of protection, even if its to my mailbox, I always have a weapon on me. It's only human to want to protect yourself. enough rambling, have fun out there and don't let the bad guys get you!
SolarBear asks "How many people die a year on the AT because they were unarmed?"
Answer: According to the article, no more than 384 in 2006.
SolarBear says "The Trail is a safe environment and it is used by [people who] don't need a piece."
Hmmm: 10 reported murders and 10 reported rapes on or around 2176 miles of trail. So for every 108.8 miles a murder or rape has occurred. That sounds like an unsafe environment in which innocents by all means need a piece.
From the comments posted in response to the article it seems that there are a lot more people carrying concealed than one might think. So let's ponder. How many innocent people have been shot by all these "fetishly illogical" armed hikers? Zero cited in the article. How many innocent people have been raped/killed/robbed/assaulted/kidnapped on this "safe, peaceful, serene" trail? The article cites 384 in a single year.
Consider the data not the hype. The danger lies in being unarmed, not the reverse. Safety, peace and serenity apparently do not naturally follow being unarmed, alone, in a wilderness area, days from help.
Interesting how those who would not dream of going on the trail for days at a time without a first aid kit and moleskin to use after something goes wrong, use disparaging terms to describe those who would carry preventive measures for even worse tragedy.
Yikes. Just realized how old this thread is!