This is the forty-fifth of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.
Chapter 45: .45 Galena Pill
"The experienced mountaineer is never without his rifle, even in camp. On going from lodge to lodge to visit his comrades, he takes it with him. On seating himself in a lodge, he lays it beside him, ready to be snatched up: when he goes out he takes it up… as a citizen would his walking staff. His rifle is his constant friend and protector.”
— Washington Irving
In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear, they referred to the projectiles their firearms used as a Galena pill. This was of course due to their tried and true ball ammunition being made from lead. Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide, thus a Galena pill. In the past I harbored a real fascination for firearms of all sorts, with my all-time favorite being the 1911 Colt .45 pistol. This particular firearm was purpose-built as a man stopper, hurtling a huge .45 caliber Galena pill toward the intended target. I have often heard from the men and women that carry this sidearm as a duty weapon that the .45 can stop anything on two legs or four. I was not necessarily interested in the .45 as an either offensive or defensive weapon, rather I was intrigued by the purposeful design and the intricate mechanism of such a perfect, purpose built tool. Rarely does form and function perform so flawlessly together. The Colt 1911 .45 is a piece of art, albeit a deadly piece of art. Well designed tools and pieces of art such as the 1911 Colt .45 fall in the same realm of design perfection as beautiful motorcycles and automobiles, mechanical wristwatches, Swiss Army Knives, and a well built compass. Once you use any of these precision tools, it is very difficult to return to anything inferior in nature. To me the .45 was the perfect size Galena pill.
In regards to the size of a Galena pill, it is possible to have too much firepower. Using a .45 caliber bullet to hunt small game would be too destructive to the animal you’re hoping to use as food. On the other hand, a .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge is not the ideal round for big game hunting in the wide open American West. The bullet itself is too heavy to keep its velocity over great distances, and the sheer size of the almost half inch bullet is greatly affected by gravity. The .45 caliber bullet has been used in rifle form to great effect and with much success in rifles such as the .45-70 which is a great big game hunting rifle and round for use around the world. Same size bullet, way different cartridge or shell. Having the right size Galena pill can be a determining factor in success or failure when in the field.
In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear, Galena pills used were even larger than the .45, oftentimes being a .50 caliber or even a .54 caliber. The original Kentucky style rifles that Lewis and Clark utilized for the Corps of Discovery, which were in essence late 18th century military service rifles, served their purpose very well and kept food in the pan when they could find animals of all sizes to hunt. Many of the mountain men who arrived shortly after Lewis and Clark brought their favorite “Kentuick" rifles in the same calibers, often .50 or .54 caliber. This was a purpose built rifle that the mountain men depended on for their livelihoods and their very lives.
What does all this about Galena pills have to do with outdoor leadership you may ask, especially since guns and gun talk are largely seen as inappropriate in schools and education programs today? First and foremost, we need to be very clear; there is a need and a place for firearms today. Without them throughout history the world would look much different then it does today, and not in a good way. Since we cannot uninvent firearms, every free citizen would do well to learn as much as possible about firearms to ensure they are always used for good purposes. I am not speaking of fanaticism around firearms or gun related issues, as I do believe some things have gotten out of hand today. However, the Second Amendment was very important to our Founding Fathers, and little has changed in that regard today. Second, I thought metaphorically speaking bullet sizes would be a great symbolism to risk management practices at camp and outdoor programs.
Risk management has become a very influential factor in every corner of the United States today. I don’t want to be one of those old men that say “back in my day” we did things very differently, but in the case of risk management this is true. The world has become too safe a place, while at the same time becoming so much more dangerous in so many ways.
Natural consequences that mankind used to accept as absolutes are no longer applicable. Children are no longer allowed to experience adventures and life in a manner that can anyway be perceived as dangerous as a litigating attorney may describe it. The camping and outdoor education industry has used such a large Galena pill that in many cases they have completely obliterated their programs.
To look at this another way, if we use bullet sizes as a representation of the amount of dosage or preventative on a continuum of risk management, having the correct size Galena pill will ensure the best possible outcome. It is a sad fact that too many programs have used too big of a Galena pill to ward off all the ills and pitfalls that may harm a program. If we view our program as a living thing, as it often is, with no dosage or prevention in regards to risk management on the left side of the continuum and too much dosage or prevention on the right side of continuum, our goal as an outdoor leader is to find the perfect size dose or Galena pill to protect our program, while at the same time not destroying it. There will always be a need for some risk management and mitigation, but going straight for the big gun doesn't help anyone, and in the long run it will cause way more harm. As outdoor leaders and professionals we need to design a program that allows form and function to interact as flawlessly as possible. Allowing insurance companies, accrediting agencies, and attorneys to mandate what can or cannot be done at a program or site will surely end with too much dosage and a program that will soon be in need of being put out of its misery.
I often wonder if the mountain men of yesteryear even had the word “safe” in their literal vocabulary. I hardly doubt that the men that answered Ashley’s call to trap and trade in the Rocky Mountains ever asked if it was “safe”.
In the past few years I have heard the word “safe” uttered more than I would ever care to hear. Over the past 5 to 7 years the question I would hear most at parent and informational program meetings was, “is it safe?” The questions used to be “will it be fun, what will my student learn, what will they see or experience?”. Seemingly the whole world now wants to be safe, which is usually just an illusion. There is risk in everything we do, to promise that anything is “safe” is an outright lie. Who wants to be “safe”? Life was meant to be an adventure, with all the wondrous challenges of God’s creation. I know outdoor professionals and guides have always had the protection of their clients and guests at the forefront of their program planning and delivery, while accepting that some tangible risks need to exist to allow for the full learning and development process. In today’s world some people will never step foot out of their air conditioned homes as they are so overwhelmed by the fear of what could happen or the proverbial lack of a safe space. Risk management and mitigation has removed the teeth of most great adventure programs.
The mountain men of yesteryear were hard, rugged men ready to face and accept any challenge in-front of them. Often running towards danger, not away from it. Having an approach like this is what we need in outdoor leaders. The very trait that made mountain men legendary was their willingness to accept and face danger and not to look for something safe; this would be a great example for us as we seek to lead the next generation of professionals. We would do well to emulate their derring-do in today's outdoor programs. Not intending of course to intentionally put any person or thing in harm's way, but rather creating the opportunity and providing the knowledge to always know what size of Galena pill to send downrange.
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