I think if you're local and you hike, you're the best judge of what the risks are and whether they're worth it. As you say, you could break both the phone and your leg, but how likely is that? Nowhere near enough to not go at all, IMO. My cell phone doesn't work once I leave the city, but I use trails that people are on multiple times every day, so my own worst-case accident scenario is getting stuck outside overnight and having someone find me first thing in the morning. I haven't been to the exact area Ralston was in, but I know that kind of terrain and it's definitely on the "this place can kill you" side. I wouldn't stay out of it entirely, but I'd approach it with caution.
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Ha ha ha, I know.
I think if you're local and you hike, you're the best judge of what the risks are and whether they're worth it. As you say, you could break both the phone and your leg, but how likely is that? Nowhere near enough to not go at all, IMO. My cell phone doesn't work once I leave the city, but I use trails that people are on multiple times every day, so my own worst-case accident scenario is getting stuck outside overnight and having someone find me first thing in the morning. I haven't been to the exact area Ralston was in, but I know that kind of terrain and it's definitely on the "this place can kill you" side. I wouldn't stay out of it entirely, but I'd approach it with caution.