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Show ^3 "We're very much concerned about safety," Janey says. "We want everyone viho comes here to have a safe and meaningful visit. But if we wanted to make Yellowstone totally and completely secure, we'd have to seal off all the thermal areas and move the animals outside the boundaries. That would destroy the flavor and purpose of the park." She adds, "There's a certain amount of hazard in experiencing wilderness. If people cross-country ski, they have to know about the hazards of cold vieather and avalanches. If they take pictures of wild animals, they have to knovi that if they get too close, the animals might charge to protect themselves and their young. If they hike in bear country, they should knovi about carrying "bear bells" - vihen the bears hear the ringing, they knovi that people are coming, and they generally stay out of the way. Yellowstone is here to allow people to explore a primitive environment. We must give visitors the option of taking these risks, at the same time informing them fully of any possible dangers so that they can make their decisions intelligently." The summer after the mauling, Marianna Young was back in Yellowstone, once more hiking the wilderness trails. "I've gotten some comments from people vihere I work," Marianna related at that time- "They say I must be crazy to go back on this trail, but it hasn't bothered me yet. Maybe if I saw a bear, it would. I just watch out more novi. I look for trees to climb vihen I'm hiking, wherever I'm hiking. Just in case." |