But outdoor activities such as hiking are not the same as the movies. Rated "G" and "PG" are not differentiated here. Parental guidance is still advised for underage persons, though we present our views for general audiences. That is to say that the content of views expressed here is no more controversial than the front-page of a newspaper, generally less so.

Our discussions of hiking techniques are intended for competent adults who are legally responsible for themselves. It is for parents and legal guardians to decide whether or not those techniques can be adapted for children, for other underage persons, or for groups which include such persons.

Most of us who have made many hikes to the top of Harney Peak have witnessed children, perhaps as young as five or six, complete their final strides to the top with great sighs of relief—soon replaced by exclamations of enthusiasm at the view. We somewhat envy them the experience.

However, as long-time residents of the Black Hills area, we are also familiar with the news coverage of lost children in Black Elk Wilderness from time to time. There may be more incidents than we hear of, but in every case, we are led to assume those children were not well trained, well prepared, or well supervised. How those problems are remedied in the future is beyond the scope of this web site. We have created it and present it for adults and not for underage persons.

However, it is not in our interest to discourage underage persons from hiking activities—provided that competent adults advise them. So it is neither our responsibility nor purpose to make this web site unavailable to persons of any age or gender. No one has ever advised us to do so, and we see no reason why anyone would. There is much information here we would have enjoyed knowing when we were young, but we leave it to parents, schools, and scout leaders to make those decisions. We will not.

If parents or other hiking group leaders find our maps, photographs, and discussions helpful in planning events which include children, that is the decision of those adults. We make no claim to any sort of authority in any area of hiking safety and technique. As hikers, we need to think for ourselves and be responsible for ourselves.

We, the managers—fairly well educated, and with thousands of miles of hiking experience in the Black Hills—describe the techniques and procedures that seem to work well for us. Many of them are derived from official publications of agencies overseeing public lands. We are not advocating those techniques for anyone else. We are not advising anyone else to even try them. We are certainly not proposing them as appropriate for children or for groups that include children.

It is for parents and legal guardians to decide what is suitable for underage hikers. The talents, skills, and abilities of adults vary widely. That variance must be at least as great for children. So we have no way at all of knowing what is appropriate for other people's children or for groups which include them.

Our indexed discussions of hiking safety and techniques tend to be sober reflections that occasionally touch upon controversies inherent in such an outdoor activity as hiking. We strive for accuracy in our trail descriptions and data, yet it is always possible that a reader may find an error in what he or she reads. We appreciate responses which point out possible errors.

The creators of this web site are entirely human and therefore continually subject to error. Perhaps with that in mind, we allow ourselves a sense of humor in our photograph captions and in our letters section. That sense of humor tends to keep the reader "on his or her toes" and prepared to question the validity of every notion expressed. We believe that is a healthy and valid attitude to encourage.

We shudder to think that anyone would risk his or her life in the wilderness based upon a few words read upon a web site. If we ourselves read that a trail is two miles long, rather than five, we check the validity of that information against a map or two. If John "Stud" Doe from the local college tells us he, wearing shorts, hiked to Harney Peak in March when there was six inches of snow on the ground, we ignore him. Many foolish feats have "succeeded" the first few times around. But the price of failure is too great. We'll give greater credence to the signs at Sylvan Lake. We've seen blizzards in March.

We urge the reader to question all notions presented here and elsewhere regarding hiking safety. We must all think for ourselves. Safety is not simply a rule or formula to be read and followed, though rules need to be observed. Safety is more even that the "proper attitude" of accepting authority.

In our own experiences we have occasionally turned back short of our anticipated destination simply because the prospect of continuing didn't "feel right." Often enough we have pushed ourselves when the risk seemed manageable. Later we were glad we did. But sometimes true courage requires the guts it takes to be a "quitter." Sometimes the wisest course and most courageous decision is to turn back and return to the trailhead.

To make such a decision for underage persons—or even for other adults—is entirely beyond the intent, scope, and capacity of this web site.

Western lore is known for its tall tales. We include a few upon our bulletin board and in captions for our photos. A sense of humor is an asset to life. So much of truth is more potently and concisely expressed with tongue in cheek. Sometimes we relish our failures for the humor involved. Sometimes we dignify our status as "quitter" with colorful tales. But perhaps, by the grace of a Higher Power, we shall continue to hike as senior citizens long after John "Stud" Doe succumbs to lethargy or to the risk that proved more than a match for his careless bravado.

We'd rather tell our tall tales after we arrive safely home than attempt to present them to emergency rescue personnel who have heard their share and more.

So if on our bulletin board or in our photo captions, we occassionally "kid around," it is to be assumed we are not writing for kids—unless those kids are at the heart of adults who can still find something healthy about splashing through a mud puddle, finding shapes in the clouds, or enjoying a sunset on a Black Hills horizon.