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Winds high at Yosemite – Man dies

27-yr old Ryan Hiller was asleep in his tent Cabin when high winds felled an old tree at the park. It was in an employee housing area. The park has not said exactly where this occurred.  The report said he was a DNC employee and a former ranger with search & rescue experience. He often assisted in Half Dome rescues. Further that he was staying at the “stables complex.” I don’t know of any tent cabins in that area.

This is the first death in 2012. 20 in 2011. Yikes.

A winter storm warning is up in the Sierra with snow and blowing conditions. Be careful. Four more months until the cables are up.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Well, the last thing I remember, Doc I started to swerve. And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve. I know I’ll never forget that horrible sight. I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right – You won’t come back from Dead Man’s Curve.” – Jan & Dean 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

BASE Yosemite

Editor’s Note:  My Carpe Diem quest finds me in Belize, borrowing the Radisson Hotel’s wifi. This is Maya country. There is jungle site called Altun Ha that has several old stone structures and a main temple 53 feet high.  We continue to head to the Panama Canal.

BASE = Bridges, Antennae, Structures and Earth. That’s what it stands for. Basically, parachuting off tall things and not out of an airplane. Despite the stunt of 4 people last year captured by National Geographic (in print and video),  it is illegal at Yosemite. Here’s why: 

In 1982 Jimmy Tyler, tried a jump off the face of Half Dome. He did it on a cloudy day with a slight wind. The breeze put him into the wall.

Ion 1988 Mitch Reno did the same and delayed opening his chute and impacted the talus just as his chute was rolling out.

In 1993, when Susan Oatly, jumped off El Cap. She held her head skyward for too long, lost altitude awareness, and backed into the wall in her 15th second of freefall. This jump began the process of insisting people who begin BASE jumping have at least 150 previous parachutes jumps.

The …

2011 Yosemite Deaths

The summer of 2011 was a tough one for Yosemite National Park. The number of deaths was very high at 20. 13 were classed as “traumatic.”  Here’s what went down:

* Man fell off Half Dome
* Teen dies from fall on Mist Trail
* Woman falls off Half Dome cables
* Three people go over Vernal Fall, 2 currently still missing
* Man dies after slipping into Merced at Mist Trail
* 2 men die after slipping off bridge at Hetch Hetchy, 1 currently still missing
* Man goes missing from Upper Yosemite Fall Trail, currently still missing
* Man has heart attack on Upper Yosemite Fall Trail
* Minor dies in car accident
* Man slips at Houskeeping Camp, hitting head on rock, later dies of injuries
* 7 die from natural causes

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Dead Man’s Curve, it’s no place to play. Dead Man’s Curve, you best keep away. Dead Man’s Curve, I can hear ‘em say. Won’t come back from Dead Man’s Curve.” - Jan & Dean 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

 …

Yosemite 2011 Retrospective

The summer of 2011 was a tough one for Yosemite National Park. The number of deaths was very high at 17. So what was up? Why so many? If we look at the causes of death, the high snowmelt and consequent big water in the rivers and waterfalls was a direct connection. Let’s take a look the 17.

* Man stepped or fell off Half Dome

* Teen dies from fall on Mist Trail

* Woman falls off Half Dome cables

* Three people go over Vernal Fall

* Man dies after slipping into

* Merced at Mist Trail

* 2 men die after slipping off bridge at Hetch Hetchy

* Man apparently fell into Yosemite Falls

* Man has heart attack on Yosemite

* Falls Trail

* Man dies in auto accident

* 5 die from natural causes

There are an average of 12 deaths per summer at the park. Between 2006 and 2010, 38 people died in the park and 1,225 more had to be rescued. So is 17deaths that many? Certainly, the high water cannot be ignored, but people slip every day. People make bad decisions, People do dumb things. The park finished 2010 with over …

Half Dome in 2012

Well well well….back at home in bed. Whew. I had a lot planned for Nov that is now cancelled. Today was going to be fun hike at the Pinnacles. Superb weather. So now I lay and wince. I pray I don;t get a cold. Sneezing would be really hard! Mrs Half Dome has done a stellar job nursing me. I am as helpless as a 2 yr old. Plus she works full time. Again, nice to know there are so many nice folks who read the FB and blog page. I’ll get back on track soon – I have a lot of bed time to look forward to. My goal is to be 100% in time for a JUNE HD hike. That;s a hard pull up. Ouch

We spent last night at the Hotel Charlotte in Groveland. Nice folks. Stop by and have dinner or just pet the dog, Goose. We ate din din with Scott Gehrman of Lasting Adventures. I have no appetite and still am in a fog.  The ride home was heaven in our Lexus – the seats were great. I am thinking of sleeping in it!

More Half Dome stuff as I recouperate. Don’t ignore …

Bodie crunch

Fans,

Saturday afternoon I crashed my motorcycle. I was heading into Bodie state park when I did not negotiate a hard left turn. the cycle slipped under me and went down a ravine. I rag-dolled and slid into a boulder then down the ravine. Broke collarbone, 8 ribs and knee. Now at Mammoth Hospital. 2 other guys were with me. Wife drove over from San Jose.  Plan is to ride home Sat.

It was a rental big Harley Electra Glide…850 pounds.  I had full coverage so I only owe them $1,000

OuchBodie…

Lighting at Yosemite

     The weather at the Park is stellar – about a week too late. The cables came down on Tuesday in half a day. The pipes and boards are now safely tucked away in their cave at the top.  They won’t be seen until late May 2012.  The last few days were pretty much of a bummer. Snows, winds and rain put the kibosh on many folks who were trying to squeeze in a hike last weekend.  So for 2012, I implore you to book your accommodations today. All you have to pay is your first night. I have already reserved for 5 trips. Trust me they book up fast. 

     Now a few words about lightning. It’s deadly. In July of 1985, five hikers ascended up Half Dome late in the day and met with tragedy from two ferocious lightning strikes. Their story is documented in the book, Shattered Air.  A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite’s Half Dome, by Bob Madgic (Burford Books). It recounts how the young men, full of enthusiasm and bravado, ignored nature’s warnings and hiked up the famed cable trail right into the vortex of a fierce thunderstorm. They took shelter …

Climber falls off Half Dome

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

About a week ago, on September 19, an Austrian climber fell to his death off the face of Half Dome. Apparently, his rope was cut as he pulled off a block of granite to continue a maneuver. YOSAR was soon on the scene and were able to recover the individual. His partner self rescued and was at the base when YOSAR team members arrived. 

In happier news, on Friday the 16^th, Libby Sauter and Chantel Astorga set the women’s speed record for climbing up 3,000 foot El Capitan. Their time: 10 hours and 40 minutes. 

Rumor has it that we are in for a lottery system to get permits for Half Dome. Nothing official and no elaboration. We’ll see the Environmental Assessment with the alternatives soon. Real soon. Watch this blog for the release news. Budget some time to be sure and comment on it. Remember, one alternative will probably be to take the cables down. Gonna be tough on Mr Half Dome if they do! 

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Everybody needs beauty…places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and …

Surviving a Half Dome fall

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

     On a dismal misty day in June 2009, Gina B. lost her grip on the Half Dome cables and slid outside the west cable about 150 feet. She would have perished if not for a lone upward facing slab about 50 feet above the cables.

Gina's rock 1

She hit the rock at an estimated 30 mph. Thud. It took 5 helicopter tries to get her in the heavy overcast, but she survived and was short-hauled to Awahnee Meadow. Then she was transferred to a waiting air ambulance and transported to Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto. She suffered a fractured skull, broken jaw in 3 places, broken collar bone, a broken rib, a cracked sacrum with 3 spine compression fractures plus bleeding and swelling of the brain, 3 teeth uprooted, large hematomas and lacerations on her skull, behind her ear and on her calf. Whew. But she lived. 

     Two years later, she’s made am miraculous recovery. I’ve communicated with her via email and sent her a copy of my book. Her brain was scrambled a bit and she sees double and had to relearn many basic functions. But …

Almost #18 – jumper foiled at Half Dome

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

Here is a direct feed from  the NPS….whew.

Park dispatch received a call on the evening of September 9th from a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, regarding an at-risk student. The 31-year-old man had been in cell phone contact with UC Berkeley Health Services throughout the afternoon and had reported that he was on top of a mountain and intended to kill himself. He did not provide a specific location, but, based on conversations in the past, the professor presumed that the student was on top of Half Dome. Rangers stationed in Little Yosemite Valley were directed to the top of Half Dome to attempt to locate the man. Special Response Team members, including ranger and crisis negotiator Rob Lewis, were also dispatched. While responders were en route, a hiker stopped one of the rangers to let him know about a friend of his who was threatening suicide on top of Half Dome. A telephone interview was conducted with the hiker, and Lewis used the information obtained to conduct a crisis negotiation with the man via text message. After a lengthy text message exchange, he called 911, said …