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Letters to the Editor

Initiated Into What?

Ms. Niles throws a lot of ideas around in a seemingly reckless manner ["Initiation Dreams," With The Kids, Feb/March 2008]. It is presumptuous at the very least to claim that the climbers and canyoneers she mocks need to be initiated into some neolithic code of honor to quantify their experience; "your exploits don't mean a thing." Initiated into what? Why must their desire to climb or explore be attached to the psychology of the modern desire to reclaim some lost tribal ritual? And finally, Chris McCandless lived his own life, his own way. Krakauer and our own obsession with youthful tragedy are what's responsible for his choices to be second-guessed by every outdoor writer with a column. - Brian Hessling, Durango, Colo.

Getting the Guns Straight

As I usually find nothing to argue about with your magazine, I find that a certain fact needs to be pointed out. As a 32-year company man with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), we must set the record straight that a 75-mm Howitzer was not what you saw on your common sighting on U.S. 550 ["Silverton, Colorado," Corner Town, Feb/March 2008]. A 105-mm Howitzer was what you witnessed. There is a difference. As the conflicts of Vietnam left a vast amount of ammo for avalanche control, they "used it up." The Department then went to a 106 recoiless, and as they had some nasty little in-bore detonations, the ammo was mothballed by CDOT. Some units still use them. The state of Colorado went to the 105 mm M101a1 towed Howitzer, a similar but grander weapon. The weapon takes a greater support unit but the results are equally impressive.

- Dennis McCoy, via email