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Surviving a Half Dome fall

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     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

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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 …

Vernal fall victims still not found

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It was July 19 when 3 young people from th3 Central Valley went over Vernal Fall. Only one body has been recovered from the 317 ft drop. The Rangers search every Thursday from 7 am until noon. The lower Mist Trail is closed during that period. Historically, about 20% of people who drown at Yosemite are never found. One man is still missing from the drowning at a Hetch Hetchy this summer. Here is the photo of the 2 missing hikers. If you see anything suspicious in the river let authorities know. Hike safely.  Click to enarge.

Last Saturday I gave a talk at the Oakland Museum of California. As past of the John Muir exhibition, I spoke of Muir and Half Dome. He was the 9th person up to the top. George Anderson showed him how to get up the rope an John did the rest – alone.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” ― John Muir

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

Half Dome fall thoughts

Half Dome – Yosemite Musing

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    Ryan Leeder of Los Gatos (west of San Jose), 23 yrs old, is the one who fell over the face of Half Dome on Monday. Circumstances are unknown at this point. We can assume that he got too close to the edge and slipped over. We may never know as the park tends to downplay deaths. It is very plausible to think that since the rock near the northwest face is very gravely he may have stumbled and fell. If one were to walk over to the edge and slip – that could explain it.  When I go near the edge, I lay down 10 feet way and crawl. It’s fun to look down at 2,000 feet. I often see climbers coming up. BUT – YOU assess the risk and deal appropriately.

    About 60,000 people do this hike safely a year. Please do not think poorly of this hike because occasionally there are issues. Did you know that until 2007 NOBODY fell off the cables when they were up for summer use! Really. And …

Another Half Dome death

Half Dome – Yosemite Musing

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Half Dome fall?

      There are unconfirmed reports of a person falling off Half Dome Monday evening about 6:30 pm. Climbers on the face reported seeing a man drop down the face. A helicopter was heard going up about 4 am. Sub Dome and the cables were closed for a while Tuesday am while YOSAR investigated. A male body was reportedly found in the talus slopes on the Mirror Lake side of Half Dome known as the Death Slabs. It’s unknown if the person was a climber, a hiker who fell off the top or perhaps a suicide. More as it’s known. 

Car over the edge

     As you drive to Yosemite on Highway 120 you will cross over Lake Don Pedro. Soon you will need to drive up Grizzly Gulch via the Old or the New Priest Grade and into the Big Oak Flat Metroplex.  The Old Priest Grade takes you almost straight up at 25 mph max as your engine grabs for any power it can. Your hamster wheel will be spinning at full rpm. …

More Waterfall crazies

Half Dome – Yosemite Musing

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     Since we have been talking about Yosemite’s waterfalls lately, here’s one for you. Zambia’s Victoria Falls is the largest in the world (length) and  it is a couple tads higher than our Vernal Fall. It is 5,604 ftwide and has a height of 108 ft, forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. During our autumn, flow is down so people with small brains go out to the edge and look down. Watch this.  Maybe we can start this at our favorite National Park.

On a brighter note, the US Air Force Band of the Golden West is performing in Oakhurst at the Oakhurst Community Park on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7 pm.

And on-site report back from Yosemite by blog reader Maureen sez that Vernal and Nevada falls  look  like the end of May in a low-water year and ponchos were not needed  on the Mist Trail. Carry one anyway in case of seasonal afternoon thunderstorms. The Avalanche Fire smoke does dampen the view from the top of HD and its smoke settles in …

More on saving Half Dome

     Front page story in the SF Chronicle? Gee, what about the Debt Ceiling, Health care, Afghanistan? Iraq? One guy starts a website and suddenly it’s a “Citizen’s Group” calling for more cables?  Come on. This article by Jon Carroll appeared on page E – 10 of the July 13, 2011 San Francisco Chronicle. Tomorrow we move on to other topics.

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There’s something not quite right here. Over my years in Northern California, I have known of or been affiliated with numerous groups that had the word “save” in their names. Usually, the word meant “leave it alone,” as in: Don’t build a road through it, don’t put a golf course next to it, don’t divert water from it, don’t mess with its spawning grounds, or don’t dynamite it so a road can be built.

Environmentalists everywhere are concerned with saving stuff. They are conservationists; they want to conserve things, like mountains and peaches. They are true conservatives, battling with an overreaching government and its allies in private business in an effort to keep the land the way it was. Talk about original intent! Environmentalists are all over it.

But now along comes this organization called SaveHalfDome, …