Do You Tempt Fate?

Adventure is by definition risky. It involves taking chances. So, asking adventurous people whether they tempt fate is of course going to bring an affirmative response.

But that’s not really the kind of fate tempting I’m talking about. The kind of fate tempting I’m talking about is deliberately, perhaps foolishly, testing your margins.

An example: I’ve gotten lazy about carrying any kind of repair kit when I mountain bike on my local trails. What’s the worst that can happen? – the farthest point is five miles from the trailhead. Oh, right. Five miles of walking. Or riding on a rim with a flat tire.

I see three basic levels of fate temptation (though there are, naturally, nuances and variations). Level one, the lowest, involves talking smack about fate and violating superstitions. “Wow, we’ve made it almost all the way home without a mechanical/injury/storm.” Level two is where you take or avoid actions that could leave you miserable, like leaving a tent at home during the rainy season. Finally, level three is when you’re willfully foolish or on the verge of negligence. “Avalanche conditions are rated extreme? Sweet, we’ll have the power all to ourselves!”

Let’s see where you fall on the scale. Choose up to three. What’s the worst that can happen?

[polldaddy poll=8339458]

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WIN SMITH SUNGLASSES JUST BY VOTING!

This week, one poll participant will receive Smith Optic’s Serpico sunglasses. We’ll pick the winner via random number generator (and announce it here) – all you have to do to enter is vote and leave a comment so we have your email to contact you. Must have a U.S. or Canadian address. Contest ends Sunday, October 5, at midnight PST.

Congratulations to Yvonne Booth, who wins the Smiths this week!

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