Hi Teslinhiker,

Your input here is appreciated. While I can't agree with your perspective entirely, I heartily welcome your input here and hope you will continue to participate.

As I said before, I am saddened for the condition your friend and the others have found themselves in. I hope for a successful rescue of those that have not been found yet.

The use of colorful adjectives is done to better emphasize my point, which is that people who desire adventure should realize and anticipate the risks inherent with their planned activities, and adequately prepare for such known risks ahead of time, and not trust in the good will and ability of others so much if some predictable hardship does materialize. I would and have said the same to friends and family in counsel and correction, though there is no question in their mind that I love them dearly. I find the use of adjectives to be more effective with people who don't like to hear that something could or did go wrong. It seems to be more motivational than simply stating the obvious.

As I remind my daughters from time to time, there is a big difference between an accident and a mistake. IMHO, this trip up the mountain was a big mistake, one far too common to warrant a simple statement. If my use of the vernacular helps in some small way to prevent future repetitions of similar mistakes, then I will continue to insert it into my dialogue.

Most people really don't like to hear that they screwed up, especially when it involves the welfare of loved ones. I include myself in that classification. It might seem callous and insensitive, but there's the truth of it. Whatever the facts that remain to be discerned, we already know that one person is dead, and two others might be, for something that never needed to have happened.