"Wilderness?"

[Fitz]

I couldn't go on the Annual Spring Trip this year, so my buddy and his son went by themselves. This morning they texted me from the portage. This was a first for me. Text reports from the field! What is the world coming to? I guess you can text from the space station. Mars will be next.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Fitz,

Most of the BW/Q does not currently have cell phone coverage, however, that is one of the current local issues.
ATT planned/is hoping to put up at least 1 and maybe more towers at the borders of the BW, which would greatly increase the coverage. And being that they would be seen from inside, the local "Pro" wilderness group has sued and blocked/limited the height ATT can build. Of course the locals are for the higher tower, and so the contraversy/fighting continue.

Dan

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Behold!
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/righ...l-phone-towers-disguised-trees-191850098.html
we were running around Lake Rosseau and Joseph, they stick up high but look like a giant tree over the treeline - not the worst things, but I still prefer a corner of the world not able to be reached by cell signal.
Resistance is futile...

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Last year in Queitco, we had cell coverage on Pickerell Lake. I think the tower must have been just outside the boundary.

 

[KAT]

The only plus to having blanket cell coverage in the "wilderness" would be not having to rent a sat phone for emergencies as any cell phone would suffice.

I would think alot of young'uns have no interest in the wilderness anyway so even having coverage won't draw them away from their game consoles.

 

[shelldrake]

Bad news in my opinion. I can just imagine a youngster stumbling and twisting an ankle on a portage because he was doing Facebook or something instead of watching the trail! I remember how disappointed I was when a camp that we frequent in the North Maine Woods switched from a radio telephone. It was always cool to call there from civilization and have to deal with the static and long pauses. Now they have internet for gosh sakes!

I guess I have reached the curmudgeonly phase.......

Matt

 

[WoodNCanvas]

One can only imagine the day when you might find the following scenario:

Somewhere in the “wilds” of Algonquin Park….on a backcountry canoe route…two figures are crouched around the glowing campfire….no make that the glowing portable TV….busy on their portable laptops. John the stockbroker is busy trying to catch up on the latest market trends….Bill the teacher is sending in his daily trip report to one of the Internet canoeing based forums he frequents. Half way through his data entry, Bill’s cell phone rings, with a ringtone from Dan Gibson’s Solitudes. Soon Bill is in full conversation ordering a delivery pizza for the next night’s meal….with delivery guaranteed in a day or the pizza is free.

Bill: “That’s right….we’ll be on North Tea Lake….on the first island….yeah the one with the great beach. The deluxe with double cheese. But no anchovies. Tomorrow night at six sharp. See you then.”

John: “Was that Algonquin Outfitters????….are they delivering the pizza????”

Bill: “Yeah. But they said it might be an hour late….depends on how busy that last portage is. Are you having trouble getting a signal for your computer????….I keep losing the dlink signal….might have to try my external antenna….really don’t feel like climbing a tree.”

John: “No I’m fine….almost as fast as at home….nothing like keeping a check on those stocks. And I thought these huge old pines might block out my signal. Or the rocks would. But they’ve done a great job setting up this WiFi throughout the park.”

Bill: “Yeah…good to stay connected. I think they plan on wiring up every other tree by next year.”

John: “That would be fantastic. And it’s great to get away from it all, isn’t it????”
Perhaps a bit far fetched (and certainly written with tongue firmly planted in cheek)….but then one of the problems many camps have today is trying to get kids to disconnect….to not use cell phones or the computer….some camps ban such devices….or limit the times allowed for use….some report the kids bringing more than one cell phone (in case the first gets confiscated)….or even kids texting from one cabin to another.

And then Bill Mason once said the following of wilderness:

Wilderness: a beautiful word to describe a beautiful land. Wilderness though is a white man’s concept. To the Native people, the land was not wild. It was home. It provided shelter, clothed and fed them. And echoing through their souls was a song of the land. The singing isn’t as loud as it used to be. But you can still hear it in the wind….in the silence of the misty morning….in the drip of the water from the tip of a paddle. The song is still here if you know how to listen.

 

[WoodNCanvas]

One can only imagine the day when you might find the following scenario:

Somewhere in the “wilds” of Algonquin Park….on a backcountry canoe route…two figures are crouched around the glowing campfire….no make that the glowing portable TV….busy on their portable laptops. John the stockbroker is busy trying to catch up on the latest market trends….Bill the teacher is sending in his daily trip report to one of the Internet canoeing based forums he frequents. Half way through his data entry, Bill’s cell phone rings, with a ringtone from Dan Gibson’s Solitudes. Soon Bill is in full conversation ordering a delivery pizza for the next night’s meal….with delivery guaranteed in a day or the pizza is free.

Bill: “That’s right….we’ll be on North Tea Lake….on the first island….yeah the one with the great beach. The deluxe with double cheese. But no anchovies. Tomorrow night at six sharp. See you then.”

John: “Was that Algonquin Outfitters????….are they delivering the pizza????”

Bill: “Yeah. But they said it might be an hour late….depends on how busy that last portage is. Are you having trouble getting a signal for your computer????….I keep losing the dlink signal….might have to try my external antenna….really don’t feel like climbing a tree.”

John: “No I’m fine….almost as fast as at home….nothing like keeping a check on those stocks. And I thought these huge old pines might block out my signal. Or the rocks would. But they’ve done a great job setting up this WiFi throughout the park.”

Bill: “Yeah…good to stay connected. I think they plan on wiring up every other tree by next year.”

John: “That would be fantastic. And it’s great to get away from it all, isn’t it????”

Perhaps a bit far fetched (and certainly written with tongue firmly planted in cheek)….but then one of the problems many camps have today is trying to get kids to disconnect….to not use cell phones or the computer….some camps ban such devices….or limit the times allowed for use….some report the kids bringing more than one cell phone (in case the first gets confiscated)….or even kids texting from one cabin to another.

And then Bill Mason once said the following of wilderness:

Wilderness: a beautiful word to describe a beautiful land. Wilderness though is a white man’s concept. To the Native people, the land was not wild. It was home. It provided shelter, clothed and fed them. And echoing through their souls was a song of the land. The singing isn’t as loud as it used to be. But you can still hear it in the wind….in the silence of the misty morning….in the drip of the water from the tip of a paddle. The song is still here if you know how to listen.

 

[Benson Gray]

The only plus to having blanket cell coverage in the "wilderness" would be not having to rent a sat phone for emergencies as any cell phone would suffice.

I understand that this has been a real problem for the rangers at Katahdin and other wilderness areas. People are often not as prepared for emergencies as they were in the past since they take an ordinary mobile phone and assume that they can just call for help if they have a problem. The cellular coverage is mixed on the mountain so they can't always get a signal if they need one.

Benson

 

[crosscuts]

My family has had a relatively primitive cabin off road on a little lake in California for years. I recall kerosine lamps and tramps up the hill to the outhouse. Now there is electricity, telephone and flush toilets. The cabin next door was owned by an engineer in the early days of Hewlett-Packard and he would rent the cabin to his friends. The boat would arrive with the supplies and sleeping bags. The Father would pack his computer upstairs and that was the last we would see of him until the day the family left. There were boats and canoes and miles of wilderness to explore so the kids had fun but wouldn't it have been nice to have shared it with their Father.

R.C.

 

[frogahern]

Use your common sense. In a working forest like the Maine north woods we always carried a handheld cb radio which the logging trucks used. If someone has medical problems you can rent a satelite phone. It is nice to get away from this crazy world but as we get older we do depend on it, don't we. And don't forget a tire patch kit and a battery powered compresser; and extra gas cans etc. etc. Cheers Mike

 

[KAT]

I understand that this has been a real problem for the rangers at Katahdin and other wilderness areas. People are often not as prepared for emergencies as they were in the past since they take an ordinary mobile phone and assume that they can just call for help if they have a problem. The cellular coverage is mixed on the mountain so they can't always get a signal if they need one.

Benson

I'm hopeful the blanket coverage doesn't happen, I don't wish to see cell towers in the bush. For me, I don't have a cell phone anyway so it doesn't apply.

 

[Howard Caplan]

I agree with all that is being said about cell towers everywhere, falling off a cliff because you're busy texting and not watching, etc.
But, how about the advantages? Several years ago after a Seal River trip in far northern Manitoba, our shuttle boat guy told us about a group on an adjacent river, who were smelling smoke real bad one morning (we actually were watching this fire to the east of us quite a bit). They got very scared and set off their aircraft grade emergency beacon. C-130 Hercules takes off from Winnepeg and at a lot per hour to put this plane in the air, tracked the beacon to 6 campers and 3 canoes in camp along the river. The helicopter from Churchill was in the air quickly and after 2 or three trips got everybody shuttled to Churchill. The locals were outraged and amused. The govt considered charging them for the rescue.
If they had been able to call on the cell phone, they probably would have been reassured that this fire was no threat but the wind brought smoke and that is why they got scared and set off the beacon.
They were in no danger and without direct contact they had no way of knowing that.

 

[KAT]

A rented sat phone would have taken care of that Howard.

 

[Howard Caplan]

Absolutely!