An Attitude Toward Risk

It is that time of year when I am in bear country and wrestling with a bit of "ursa-phobia." I have knocked it down by 50%.  Black bears don't bother me anymore.  It's only the grizzlies, so I avoid the Yellowstone to Glacier corridor.

There might be something that is more dangerous: leaning ponderosas.

Imagine what a falling ponderosa would do to your flimsy little camper or tent!  And they do fall.  Currently I am camping on a stony ridge where, presumably, tree roots are underdeveloped.  So this kind of thing happens during windy days:

But something else is happening around here.  Some of these trees were weakened by fire.  At a height of 3 feet above the ground, the tree shreds (!) and falls.

So obviously I try to camp away from sick or leaning trees!  But you have to look at risk in perspective.  It is so dependent on what you are used to.  People live close to smoking volcanoes, on top of earthquake faults, or in tornado alley.  When you drive down a two-lane highway, somebody is coming the opposite direction just a few feet from your vehicle.

Clearly, one has to learn to live with risk.  That means doing what you can to minimize it, but it also means not consciously dwelling on it. 

But I still am not happy about those grizzlies.