SAFETY TIP - Paul Petzoldt told the story of U.S. Winter Olympic Committee representatives exploring Driggs, Idaho in the 1950's in anticipation of finding a site for the 1960 winter games. Grand Targhee ski area, located just across the state border from Driggs in Alta, Wyoming was noted for getting tremendous amounts of snow in the winter. The story goes that when Olympic representatives stopped at a local drinking establishment and asked how much snow the ski area got in the winter. A local responded, "Snow! This place gets so much snow that we sometimes we can't even get to the ski area."
"How cold does it get?" "Cold! It gets so cold that the temperature stays at 35 below or lower for weeks at end."
"How cold does it get?" "Cold! It gets so cold that the temperature stays at 35 below or lower for weeks at end."
Paul Petzoldt - Wind Rivers, Wyoming - 1970
The story goes that the thought of having the Olympics in that region was dropped because they thought it was probably too cold and they got too much snow that would make it difficult to host such an event. Paul uses it as an example of what he called "windage." Windage is the tendency for people to exaggerate the truth. How big was the fish? How hard was the climb? You know, you've probably been guilty of it occasionally. As an outdoor enthusiast you have to be aware when you are on the receiving end of such windage. Paul's advice was to be very skeptical of the information you get from locals. Be particularly wary of getting any navigation advice from locals. Many locals know the area like the back of their hand but they may not know how to read a map. I once asked a local to point out on the map where we were. The gentleman pondered the map for a while. After a long pause he finally pronounced that it was terribly inaccurate but that we were here, and pointed at a location on the map. The spot turned out to be four miles from our actual location.
Beware of windage and beware that the person you ask for advice my know less than you do.
Hey, maybe Paul's story was windage.
To See Tip #13 click here
To See Tip #15 click here (inactive at this time)
Adapted from The Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Pursuits by Jack Drury and Eric Holmlund published in 2006 by Sagamore Publishing
Beware of windage and beware that the person you ask for advice my know less than you do.
Hey, maybe Paul's story was windage.
To See Tip #13 click here
To See Tip #15 click here (inactive at this time)
Adapted from The Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Pursuits by Jack Drury and Eric Holmlund published in 2006 by Sagamore Publishing
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