SOME STUFF THAT WILL REALLY BUM YOU OUT
I was recently reading an article in Outside magazine about a guy named Kevin Fedarko and more importantly about his new book called Off The Wall: Death in Yosemite. This is his second such book ... the first being about various deaths in the Grand Canyon. Sounds a little creepy I know, but it is actually meant to be a book to help people avoid such mishaps in the future and in many instances is kind of funny when you take the personal part out of it. Here are a few excerpts from both books. I hope they don't mess you up too bad.
Grand Canyon
Lane McDaniels, 42
June 12, 1928
River Mile 4, Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon
McDaniels, a construction worker, lost his footing on a scaffold while helping build what qualified, at the time, as the world's highest steel bridge and fell 470 feet into the Colorado River. No safety net had been set up, due to concerns that hot rivets might ignite it. Observers reported that McDaniels's body appeared to "burst and flatten out" on impact.
Trish Astolfo, 37
January 5, 1993
The Abyss, South Rim
Astolfo, reportedly inspired by repeated viewings of Thelma & Louis, tried to driver her Chevy Suburban into the Grand Canyon, but the vehicle high-centered before it cleared the rim. She then opened the door, walked to the edge and leaped off - only to land on a rocky ledge 20 feet below. Injured but still alive, she crawled to a nearby precipice, dropped over its edge and fell 150 feet to her death.
YOSEMITE
William L. Gooch, 22
May 19, 1976
Ledge Trail to Glacier Point
Hiking solo, Gooch scrambled down the Ledge Trail, which was officially closed and posted with a sign reading DANGER! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THIS ABANDONED TRAIL. Shortly after heading out, he detoured off-trail to fill his water bottle and slipped. Witnesses saw him sliding down a wet slab and heard him mutter, "Oh shit!" as he fatally plunged 600 feet.
Jan Davis, 58
October 22, 1999
El Capitan
Davis, a professional stunt woman jumped off El Cap to protest the National Park Service's ban on BASE jumping in the park. Davis failed to deploy her chute in time and crashed into Yosemite Valley in front of 150 onlookers.
Joseph E. Crowe, 25
December 29, 2002
Zodiac route, El Capitan
Crowe was attempting to do a solo winter climb of an 1,800 foot route on El Capitan. During a snowstorm he tried to rappel down, but his rope came up short. He froze to death, just 25 feet from the bottom.
Okay everyone. Hope that didn't bum you out too much. Next post will be extra happy to even things out.
Grand Canyon
Lane McDaniels, 42
June 12, 1928
River Mile 4, Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon
McDaniels, a construction worker, lost his footing on a scaffold while helping build what qualified, at the time, as the world's highest steel bridge and fell 470 feet into the Colorado River. No safety net had been set up, due to concerns that hot rivets might ignite it. Observers reported that McDaniels's body appeared to "burst and flatten out" on impact.
Trish Astolfo, 37
January 5, 1993
The Abyss, South Rim
Astolfo, reportedly inspired by repeated viewings of Thelma & Louis, tried to driver her Chevy Suburban into the Grand Canyon, but the vehicle high-centered before it cleared the rim. She then opened the door, walked to the edge and leaped off - only to land on a rocky ledge 20 feet below. Injured but still alive, she crawled to a nearby precipice, dropped over its edge and fell 150 feet to her death.
YOSEMITE
William L. Gooch, 22
May 19, 1976
Ledge Trail to Glacier Point
Hiking solo, Gooch scrambled down the Ledge Trail, which was officially closed and posted with a sign reading DANGER! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THIS ABANDONED TRAIL. Shortly after heading out, he detoured off-trail to fill his water bottle and slipped. Witnesses saw him sliding down a wet slab and heard him mutter, "Oh shit!" as he fatally plunged 600 feet.
Jan Davis, 58
October 22, 1999
El Capitan
Davis, a professional stunt woman jumped off El Cap to protest the National Park Service's ban on BASE jumping in the park. Davis failed to deploy her chute in time and crashed into Yosemite Valley in front of 150 onlookers.
Joseph E. Crowe, 25
December 29, 2002
Zodiac route, El Capitan
Crowe was attempting to do a solo winter climb of an 1,800 foot route on El Capitan. During a snowstorm he tried to rappel down, but his rope came up short. He froze to death, just 25 feet from the bottom.
Okay everyone. Hope that didn't bum you out too much. Next post will be extra happy to even things out.
posted by Craig at 11:22 AM
1 Comments:
i'm sad.
and kind of afraid to go outside.
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