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MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
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Dec 22, 2006 - 05:43pm PT
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When I was in YOSE a few years ago I heard that some El Cap jumpers decided simply to jump and accept the consequences by not running from LE, accepting the confiscation of their canopy and paying the fine. This may be an urban legend (as it were) but it seems like a reasonable approach to the issue.
As for flight ceilings I believe there is a recommendation of something like 2000 AGL (in which case I wasn't in compliance the time I did it). I'll make a call here in a little and find out.
M
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Appliance
Social climber
Yosemite
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Dec 22, 2006 - 05:57pm PT
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From:
Management Policies 2006
The Guide to Managing the National Park System
8.2.2.7 Parachuting
Parachuting (or BASE jumping), whether from an aircraft, structure, or natural feature, is generally prohibited by 36 CFR 2.17(a)(3). However, if determined through a park planning process to be an appropriate activity, it may be allowed pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN USES
(c) Except as specifically provided for in this chapter, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.
"no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport," is the important language here.
It is my understanding:
On USFS and BLM transport by parachute is defined by regulation as "mechanical transport". In NPS areas parachuting is not defined by the regulations, but is generally considered to be "mechanical transport", in line with the NPS's sister agencies. Thus launching from designated wilderness is prohibited. And clearly landing a parachute (hanglider or paraglider, etc.)in designated wilderness is prohibited.
Under the park regs. (36 CFR §1.4 What terms do I need to know?) Aircraft is defined thus:
(a)Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for human flight in the air, including powerless flight.
All the historical BASE launch points in Yosemite are in designated wilderness except Glacier Point. The floor of Yosemite Valley is not wilderness.
BASE jumping in parks is controlled under:
36 CFR §2.17 Aircraft and air delivery.
(a) The following are prohibited:
(1) Operating or using aircraft on lands or waters other than at locations designated pursuant to special regulations.
(2) ...
(3) Delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
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Appliance
Social climber
Yosemite
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Dec 22, 2006 - 06:04pm PT
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From:
Management Policies 2006
The Guide to Managing the National Park System
8.2.2.7 Parachuting
Parachuting (or BASE jumping), whether from an aircraft, structure, or natural feature, is generally prohibited by 36 CFR 2.17(a)(3). However, if determined through a park planning process to be an appropriate activity, it may be allowed pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN USES
(c) Except as specifically provided for in this chapter, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.
"no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport," is the important language here.
It is my understanding:
On USFS and BLM transport by parachute is defined by regulation as "mechanical transport". In NPS areas parachuting is not defined by the regulations, but is generally considered to be "mechanical transport", in line with the NPS's sister agencies. Thus launching from designated wilderness is prohibited. And clearly landing a parachute (hanglider or paraglider, etc.)in designated wilderness is prohibited.
Under the park regs. (36 CFR §1.4 What terms do I need to know?) Aircraft is defined thus:
(a)Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for human flight in the air, including powerless flight.
All the historical BASE launch points in Yosemite are in designated wilderness except Glacier Point. The floor of Yosemite Valley is not wilderness.
BASE jumping in parks is controlled under:
36 CFR §2.17 Aircraft and air delivery.
(a) The following are prohibited:
(1) Operating or using aircraft on lands or waters other than at locations designated pursuant to special regulations.
(2) ...
(3) Delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
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Appliance
Social climber
Yosemite
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Dec 22, 2006 - 06:52pm PT
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From:
Management Policies 2006
The Guide to Managing the National Park System
8.2.2.7 Parachuting
Parachuting (or BASE jumping), whether from an aircraft, structure, or natural feature, is generally prohibited by 36 CFR 2.17(a)(3). However, if determined through a park planning process to be an appropriate activity, it may be allowed pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
From:
The Wilderness Act of 1964
PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN USES
(c) Except as specifically provided for in this chapter, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.
"no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport," is the important language here.
It is my understanding that on USFS and BLM transport by parachute is defined by regulation as "mechanical transport". In NPS areas parachuting is not defined by the regulations as mechanical transport, but is generally considered to be, in line with the NPS's sister agencies. Thus launching from designated wilderness is prohibited. And clearly landing a parachute (hanglider or paraglider, etc.)in designated wilderness is prohibited.
Under the NPS regs. (36 CFR §1.4 What terms do I need to know?) aircraft is defined thus:
(a)Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for human flight in the air, including powerless flight.
All the historical BASE launch points in Yosemite are in designated wilderness except Glacier Point. The floor of Yosemite Valley is not wilderness.
BASE jumping in parks is controlled under:
36 CFR §2.17 Aircraft and air delivery.
(a) The following are prohibited:
(1) Operating or using aircraft on lands or waters other than at locations designated pursuant to special regulations.
(2) ...
(3) Delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
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Appliance
Social climber
Yosemite
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Dec 22, 2006 - 06:53pm PT
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Sorry for the multiple post but I am having trouble with the forum application.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Dec 22, 2006 - 09:22pm PT
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The HG in Yosemite is taken care of with this HG club in cooperation with the NPS:
Yosemite Hang Gliding Association
http://www.yhga.org/
As far as I can tell the minimum agl over most National Parks is about 3000' agl for private pilots, with a minimum set at 5000' agl for commercial sight seeing companies, although some National Parks say no over flights at all like the RMNP. Free flight Pilots fly into Teton National Park all the time because they fly off of Jackson Hole, but landing in the Park is a serious no-no:
National Parks Air Tour Management
[Federal Register: October 25, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 207)]
[Rules and Regulations]
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2002/October/Day-25/i27033.htm
All free-flight pilots fall under FAA rules, FAR 103:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=6c6985ef14a81095907964f3a8966713&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title14/14cfrv2_02.tpl
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=6c6985ef14a81095907964f3a8966713&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.16&idno=14
Let's say I was to attempt to do a trans Sierra flight in my Paraglider over Yosemite National Park, and my real intention was to go cross-country and NOT to land in the park. Then picking the right day with good conditions to do so in the Spring with fair weather Cumulas clouds lining up from the West slope of the Sierras to Lee Vining with a cloud base say, maybe 13,000'. And then attempting to do so in flight for some emergency purpose I had to bail to safely land let's say in Toulomne Meadows due to losing lift or some other emergency, I could land, and not be legally in trouble. It has happened with HG pilots over the years, even landing in the valley while trying to go cross-country. In the short term it would definately feel like big trouble. Upon landing I would expect to be surrounded by NPS rangers, probably have my equipment confiscated, but upon investigating the situation they would have to realize that it was an attempted cross-country flight and the landing was an honest emergency. The FAA laws trump NPS laws when it comes to emergencies.
With more experience on my part, it would be a great flight to attempt someday. No one has made a trans Sierra flight on a paraglider yet. Very easy to do in Sailplanes, I would guess it has been done in a HG (although I'm not sure really??), but it definately hasn't been done in a paraglider yet. Flying from the West slope of the Sierras through Yosemite National Park eastward to Lee Vining would be the place to do it with the Hwy and Toulomne Meadows safely below.
Will Gadd could do this flight. Calling Will Gadd. Will are you there???
I would love to do this flight. It would be a dream.
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MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
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Dec 23, 2006 - 10:58pm PT
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Thanks Klimmer and Appliance for your posts.
Klimmer, I liked your plan but lost you when you landed in TM. Why not just keep flying on down through the Valley and out? Wouldn't that be much less hassle?
Oh boy: that would be some great flying!
M
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 23, 2006 - 11:04pm PT
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So here is my question.
If you jump off of the Captain and fly all the way to El Portal ,which is outside the park, by either B.A.S.E. with the squirrel suit or para glider are you still busted as illegal?
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Herndie
climber
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Dec 24, 2006 - 12:55am PT
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Werner,
I have tried writing this about five times now. Get this..jumping El Cap for the first time is as fresh on my mind as it was in real life twenty plus years ago. Some things are like that, and damn few. I can't really remember topping out on El Cap the first time that well, and some of my funnest climbing adventures are also lost in a tangle of old neurons. Loss of virginity, stuff like that. It just fades.
Other moments stay fresh. The cold. The sound. The vision. The fear before hand was so intense I wanted to vomit, but when I did it, it all melted away. Time seemed to go on and on. You know what I am talking about.
Holding my son in my arms was definitely the best, though.
I didn't carve my initials in a tree. I didn't drive drunk to get there or leave. I didn't bother anyone. Nobody even knew except me and two friends. We made some noise on the way down for about ten seconds. Winter. No climbers around. All I did was occupy an illegal XYZ coordinate in space.
All I know after all these years is that every dog has his day. I had my share of them and I won't let go of that if I come back in the next world as a bug.
And another thing. The prevailing upper level winds in CA are from the west to the east.
And I had a buddy get his ass busted for jumping Glacier Point.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Dec 24, 2006 - 10:43am PT
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Flying off anywhere other than Glacier Point with a paraglider or HG is illegal,and then of course you have to have permission. They don't allow paragliders YET. They should, there really isn't any excuse for not letting them.
But launching outside the park and flying West to East (yes with the prevailing upper winds) and crossing over the entire park without landing is theoretically possible given good conditions and then land out in Lee Vining at the HS football field which we sometimes do use as an LZ. This flight would be perfectly legal.
But launching anywhere in the Park, and then flying out to land outside the park would still be illegal. And I'm sure they would drive out of the park if you were seen launching and follow and try to bust you when you land out.
The perfectly legal flight would be awesome to do sometime. I'm putting it on my life goals list.
Klimmer
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mdavid
Big Wall climber
CA, CO, TX
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Dec 24, 2006 - 11:04am PT
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It seems that park rangers are more interested in harrassing climbers and base jumpers than they are in keeping the tourons from destroying the place. Seems like the right thing to do would have been to tell them LEO status and explain why if they jump they will be arrested. Of course that would obviate having to sieze property, bring down the hammer and arrest these guys. Isn't the intent really clear from the LEO's actions?
Shouldn't they be chasing the fatties to their deaths for driving on paths and littering?
Would it be illegal to post rangers pictures on the net so fellow climbers could avoid being entrapped and abused by federal officials?
Who slept with Jacks wife anyway? Isn't it time to move on?
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Dec 24, 2006 - 03:50pm PT
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yes its like skateboarding and buildering... protested only by those who can't do it.
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NickD
climber
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Dec 24, 2006 - 07:14pm PT
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I've been involved with BASE jumping since the early '80s, published a BASE magazine in the 90s, and currently keep the Worldwide BASE Fatality List at http://www.basefatalities.info/
When climbing accidents occur you know how the un-informed make assumptions, cast aspersions, and overlook the real causes and context. Well, BASE jumpers suffer that ten-fold. Please keep that in mind as we go along here . . .
BASE jumping (or fixed object jumping as it was called originally) began (as a sport) when a skydiving/photographer named Carl Boenish organized an expedition to Yosemite's El Capitan in 1978 to film four jumpers from Lake Elsinore, California making the leap.
The catalyst for this was a trip Carl made to the Park three years earlier to film some hang glider jumps. The hang glider was launched with a pilot and two skydivers aboard, flew out over the Valley, and the jumpers exited, formed a quick two-way, and then landed in the meadow below.
Rangers charged Carl with filming without a permit, and the jumpers with violating the, "aerial delivery law." This was a law on the books since the '60s (at least) and the original intent was to keep back country hunters from re-supplying themselves via parachute (with grub and ammo) and thus extending their time on the hunt.
However, while Carl was in the Valley waiting for the hang glider to appear he is staring up at the shear walls of El Capitan, and he recalled a story he had heard as a younger jumper. In 1966 two skydivers named Mike Pelkey and Brian Schubert hiked the backside of El Capitan and jumped using the state of the art gear of that time. The problem was the state of art was pretty sorry. These are basically military surplus parachute systems from the Korean War era and just suitable for the task at hand. Yet both managed to live through it, even though they both hit the wall on the way down and their round parachutes just weren't controllable enough.
Every skydiver heard that story, me included, and the consensus in the jumping community was this was a one-off stunt by two knuckleheads out on a lark. We all laughed and promptly forgot about it. But now, as Carl continued to gaze around the Valley, he realized that with the advances made in gear and technique since 1966 not only was it possible, it might even be repeatable.
The first four "modern" jumps from El Capitan went flawlessly and the group left the park without notice.
A month later (1978) I was jumping at Lake Elsinore when the word was passed that Carl Boenish was going to show a new movie that evening. So after sunset we broke out the beer and settled in to watch. Carl, by that time was the most famous skydiving cinematographer of his day, and anything new from him was not to be missed. (Carl had filmed all the aerial scenes from the MGM movie "The Gypsy Moths" starring Burt Lancaster and also had many other Hollywood credits.) But, it was his short skydiving films that were important to us.
He raised a small movie screen (remember those?) and the in the dark the projector revealed a dozen people hiking up a meandering trail. "Oh, great," I remember saying to no one in particular, "what's this? Somebody's vacation movies?" But as we watched we realized these people were jumpers we knew. And then the scene changed and there stood four jumpers on top of El Cap wearing their parachute rigs. We watched them launch, watched them fly away from the wall in freefall (called tracking) open their ram-air (square) parachutes, and land gently in the meadow below. I dropped my beer.
Oh my god, this was no stunt, this was something any reasonably experienced skydiver could do. There were jumpers walking around after that had already been in the sport twenty years, and they are saying, "Man, I've never even thought of that." And that was the night BASE jumping was born.
That film made it way from drop zone to drop zone and all over the world. The genie was out of the lamp, so to speak, and there was no putting it back in. At the time I had only about two hundred jumps and didn't feel ready for it myself, but I know someday I would be and I couldn't wait. I finally made my first BASE jump from a bridge and it was my 601 parachute jump.
But now the Rangers had a problem. Besides the aerial delivery law, there was no specific law that banned BASE jumping. And we thought if the hang glider pilots could fly on NPS land then so could we.
Our national organization, the United Sates Parachute Association (USPA) became involved and in the 1980, the NPS allowed us to jump by permit for a limited time. Now, its very important to know that at the time we weren't BASE jumpers – we were just skydivers parachuting from cliffs – the sport of BASE was years away from maturing into something unto its own, and this worked well for the Rangers.
They knew they didn’t have a good reason to prevent the jumps outright so they set up a lot of rules for us to follow and of course we busted every one of them, and numerous times. The entire legal season lasted three weeks and it was stopped. We jumped without permits, we jumped at night, we did everything they knew we would do, but now the Rangers had the ammunition to shut it down and they did.
Our problem was, that at the time, skydivers were coming from all over the world, just to make the jump once and then they headed back to their home drop zones with that jump in their log books. But then a few years later we started to realize that while skydiving and fixed object jumping were sister sports – they were really two very different things. By 1983 we started jumping other objects besides cliffs. Bridges, Buildings, and Antenna towers are now being jumped. Carl saw a pattern in the jumps they were making and using a dictionary found the word BASE, now an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth.
A Texan, with Carl at the time, named Phil Smith, was the first one to say it out loud, "BASE jump," he said, "then this would be BASE jumping," and finally, "we are BASE jumpers!" And so it became a separate sport with its own rules, its own special gear, its own history and its own future.
There was a freedom aspect to it all that just overwhelmed us. No longer were we tied down to the drop zone, to the airplanes, to the skydiving politics (yes, like climbers we have that too) and now if you were sitting home on a Wednesday night and there was nothing on TV you could just go downtown and jump.
Everything was cool for a while, we stayed very low key, and basically no one, but us knew what we were doing. Most BASE jumps occurred at night and we became, in the eyes of the skydiving community, the bad boys of parachuting. So instead of fighting the image we went with it. We flew the Jolly Roger, laughed at people who only jumped from planes, but we paid the price for that. Those of us who were already established skydivers began losing friends and jobs too. I was a skydiving Instructor at the time and I lost two jobs when the drop zone owner found out I also BASE jumped. But Carl Boenish had a good line for that problem, "I lost a lot of friends," he later said, "but I made a lot of new ones."
Carl was killed in 1984 jumping the Troll Wall in Norway. I'll never forget that night the phones rang in the homes of BASE jumpers the world over. We couldn’t believe it. The Father of modern BASE jumping was dead. But, we didn’t stop, we knew Carl was right, just as Mike and Brian were right back in 1966. They were just too far ahead of the times.
Then the year 2000 came and it happened. While the first generation of BASE jumpers, my generation, stayed underground, the advent of internet video, the emergence of gear manufacturers building specific BASE gear, the advent of BASE jumping classes, and the fact that in places all over Europe BASE jumping was not considered illegal the sport exploded. We, the older guys, tried to keep everything chilled, especially here in the USA, shunning publicity at all costs in an effort to preserve what jumping sites we had. But then came the Site Burners. These newer BASE jumpers didn't care about what the last guy did, and worse, they didn’t care what the next guy would do.
Some would actually alert the local TV news and then jump a building we had been quietly jumping for years, thereby ruining the site for future jumpers, but hey they got their mugs on TV. Older climbers must see semi-likewise problems in newer climbers, and I don’t know what you call them, but we just call ours Glory Hounds.
Someone up-board asked about numbers. It's tough to pin down and BASE jumping is, at 27 years old, still in its infancy, but there was time I knew, or at least recognized the name, of every BASE jumper in the world. At that time (early '80s) there were about 150 of us who were going at it hardcore. Today there are thousands of BASE jumpers all over the world and more everyday. Here are some statistics – Bridge Day is an event held in West Virginia every October and for one day we are allowed to jump from the 870-foot New River Bridge. This event has been held every year since 1980. The first few years saw only a handful of jumpers but nowadays the event averages 400 jumpers whop make 800 jumps in a six hour period. In all that time there have been two fatalities. And don’t for moment think that bridge isn't being jumped by small groups at other times too.
We almost lost the event in 1987, or so, as the land below the bridge was purchased by the NPS. They immediately said no more BASE jumping. But the town's people rose up. A town's people who depended on the 250,000 spectators (yes, I said two hundred and fifty thousand) who came every year to watch us. It's what got the town through their winter. Now the NPS was stuck. Their argument was BASE jumping wasn't safe enough to be allowed on National Park land, but here we were, year in and year out, right under their noses, and doing just fine. And there is nothing they can do about it. If anything jumping El Cap in Yosemite is safer than the New River Bridge as it's higher and the landing area is better.
We still jump El Cap of course. But unlike the two recently busted on the wall, we have become very good at doing it and nobody sees us. You don’t see us, the tourists don’t see us, and the Rangers don’t see us 99 percent of the time. We jump all the time on BLM land as that is not prohibited at all. And we will jump in Yosemite legally again some day; it's just a matter of time.
Like a lot of you climbers, I've lost many friends to our sport over the years. But I can take that. It's the price we paid to get where we're at. What I can’t tolerate is the needless deaths of Frank Gambalie and Jan Davis, both of which were caused in-directly by the current policy of the NPS. As to the safety record of BASE in Yosemite when I first jumped it we were keeping count of every one who did, and I was the 667th person to do it in about 1990. Minding that some of those people made multiple jumps, I could only estimate the numbers of jumps made there to date. And I don’t think you believe me if I did give you an estimate. There have been just four BASE fatalities in Yosemite. The first one is back in 1982 when we weren't all that sure what all we were doing. The next three were spread out over time and Jan Davis was the last one in 1999.
I'll go back to what I said earlier. As non-jumpers (most of you) you can find all kinds of holes in what I'm telling you. I just ask that you remember how non-climbers think of what you do – because like Janis said, "It's all the same thing, man . . ."
NickD
BASE #194
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mdavid
Big Wall climber
CA, CO, TX
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Dec 24, 2006 - 09:41pm PT
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It really seems that we should unite and communicate our concerns to those in power.
I believe that park rangers in yosemite and joshua tree national parks are disproportionally aggressing on the climbing population and creating a hostile environment for our park land use group.
While federal officers may commonly find violations of minor drug posession, illegal camping and BASE jumping activities among this group the enforcement, tactics and effort are inappropriately harsh.
The most reasonable and effective tactic may be to unite by documenting our experiences and appealing to elected officals for intervention. Maybe strategizing on alternative measures such as replacing the rangers focused on a LEO role in the valley with a privately owned security/police force who are more responsive to the needs of citizens. We should challenge the budget which is funding the time spent on this disproportionate harrassment. Another fresh alternative might be diverting funds spent on these efforts toward SAR and environmental repair efforts.
You gotta wonder when it's time to end the age old practice of harrassment by our federal officials in the parks.
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MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
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Dec 24, 2006 - 10:50pm PT
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Hey NickD,
Thank you for that great piece of writing. I've been educated. I'm impressed with the depth of history and emotion in your post.
Thanks for shedding light on what BASE jumping is all about.
Martin
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville
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Dec 24, 2006 - 11:43pm PT
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Nick,
That was a sincere look into a very misunderstood sport.
I've read much that you've written over the years and have a few friends that basejump.
While I've settled into a relatively quiet family lifestyle these days I often wonder where my life would have taken me had I accepted invites to skydive and gain the tools to basejump with my friends.
Climbers are seeing a flood of access issues these days and it doesn't seem to be getting better.
These two sports have many things in common, good and bad. I think many climbers would have been jumpers had they been introduced to it at the right time.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Dec 25, 2006 - 12:24am PT
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NickD... great post thanks so much for the information and more than just information.. If you don't mind I just sent it out to several friends, skydivers thinking about going to BASE. I'm sure it will be very well received. L.P.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Dec 25, 2006 - 01:44am PT
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NickD, Thank You for your excellent post! I know a fair number of BASE jumpers and they don't get a fair shake at all. There really is an interesting 30 year out of synch parallel between the public perception of Climbers and BASE jumpers. Climbing, once a deviant fringe Devil may care dirtbag diversion, has become Madison Avenue mainstream acceptable advertising fodder. BASE jumping is still only at the 007 adventure cinema stage of universal acceptance. Don't worry you guys will get your Wheaties box some day. Or maybe that thought should make you worry more. That said, I think the NPS policy is stale crackers.
Chasing someone to their death by drowning has NO justification!BASE is a beautiful and amazing sport that should be allowed on "this land is your land this land is my land".. Certainly BASE has dangers but so does big walling and ice climbing and endurance horse racing. Statistically, I'd bet, more people get injured bouldering than BASE jumping. Yeah I know that occasionally a BASE jumper will perish in some particularily messy way in full view of a misunderstanding public. Those kinds of unfortunate incidents should in no way infer that BASE jumping be banned any more than the unfortunate incident on Mount Hood should infer that mountain climbing be banned.
The Queen of England once thought that mountain climbing should be banned from the Empire and illegal for her citizens. She percieved that since Everest had proved quite deadly that mountaineering was inherently a fool hearty endeavour of no real value. Well aren't we all fool hearty SOBs.
LET MY PEOPLE JUMP. 321cya
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