High Sierra Topix

Hobbes,
I've been stuck in traffic due to road work on that same stretch. Luckily it was a clear sunny day, but even then there were boulders in strange places on the road side. I literally had a panic attack while driving, arms numb the whole deal. I'll never forget that diamond shaped boulder careening end over end about 10 feet ahead of me.

But what really pissed me off was at the East Entrance, the Parks people were still taking their time at the gates collecting money and handing out maps while the line backed up passed Tioga Lake down towards Ellory. It was an Exodus on Sunday given the grim forecast, I would have rather for safety sake, the Park Rangers just wave traffic though to the much more safe environs of Dana and TM. They must have been getting several reports of the rocks on the roadway.

Just my two cents.

I believe that of all the threads I've read on HST, this one has the best and well thought out entries of any. I wish to commend everyone and their entries --Really -- all of them! I want to add my thought. It's this: every year is different, some quite benign, some really dangerous. This year is the most dangerous of the last 40 years (at least). Please keep this in mind -- EVERYONE.

Hobbes wrote:

EastSideClimb wrote:I drove up 120 from Lee Vining. I came around the corner and counted 15+ beach ball size boulders on the road way and several coming fast off the mountain towards us.

We typically spend our annual family car camping trip down in the June lake loop. (Don't ask - it's a major production with kids, friends, pets, etc.) However, we're constantly going back/forth up to Saddlebag/Tuolumne on a regular basis to fish, day hike, etc.

But, even when it's perfectly clear, I always say a little prayer when we jam through the Blue slide. As we're descending, I usually like to point out to my wife that if the hillside gave way at that moment, we could ride the boulder surf all the way down to the Big Bend/Aspen campgrounds. LOL

Now, put me on skis for the first time, late November '93 with a friend on a 6 day winter trip. We hiked up 120 on the east entry as the 60mph winds wiped all the snow off the road. Gate was closed at the bottom, so kind of a slog. Looking up at that hillside of crap waiting to fall, covered in snow was, well, uncomfortable. I thought a LOT about what i saw above me on the way up, and after the storms we had that time, on the way down. Skied all over above Saddlebag and Tioga for 3 days. got 10" of snow while we were there.

One of my best trips. Didn't die. I think it's more about assessment and execution. Most of the stories we hear about are those that don't really appreciate how easily one can make a bad decision.

rlown wrote: a 6 day winter trip.

You guys are hardcore; I'm a soft 1 season camper. Even so, going up in the summer can still deal out some extremes. Here's a picture of our dog/son on the way back from Parker the day they opened Tioga last year, and here's the same day later in the afternoon @ Dana meadows:



Yes, there were 10 zillion x-country skiers bounding off into the wilderness.

Ditto for this year. Pic 1 - Sonora pass a few days after it re-opened for good. Pic 2 - Lane lake (Leavitt) the next morning.

nice.. and your dog and you all didn't die. because you looked at conditions, and took care. nice dog, btw. not the breed I would expect out there, but I'm sure he's happy you care.

I got tagged by a 70 pound rock in the Blue Slide area in June of 2006. The Toyota and the rock...I retrieved it two days later...still sit in the yard. (Dang...gotta get rid of that truck...)

Luckily, no tragedy resulted, but lessons should be learned from the flash flood up above Whitney Portal on Friday. Reports had hikers, including young children, still attempting to climb on the upper portions of the trail during the storm. Others were caught without sufficient food or clothing. Sounded like complete chaos up there.

Heres the Yosemite Conservancy's cam view of lightning on Half Dome on Sunday.

Hmmmm, doesn't look like a good time to be laying down and peering over the edge at the valley below...

There was yet another death in Yosemite yesterday. I think that brings up the Yosemite total deaths to 15 this year. Climbers say they saw the guy falling 4,000 feet down the face of Half Dome. That will be hard for them to get out of their head. I feel for the victims family. Whatever the circumstances (a freak accident?), I am not surprised. I have been to the top of Half Dome only a few times, but every time I saw someone doing something stupid or careless. I thought it was bad enough people were sitting in the prow window or on that ledge below the prow with their feet dangling over nothing or people sitting on a rocky finger, but I saw one guy do a head-stand on a rock finger over the edge! Thinking about it still freaks me out. It is dangerous enough up there without pushing your luck. There will probably more rules, but for better or worse you can't legislate stupid (or fate or nature for that matter).

I heard that this latest death could have been a suicide. I doubt we'll get any official word on that from the park, I bet they would be loathe to 'encourage' anyone else if you will. One might think suicide's would be rare after taking the effort to hike all the way up there, but Death in Yosemite documents at least one such case. Don't have the book with me at the moment so can't say exactly when, but there has been one off of Half Dome and number of other at different locations. Anyway, always sad for the family regardless of what happened.

the news tonight said it was an accident. Also said 17 for the total this year. Not sure where the numbers are; seems that Yose better advertises dead bears than dead visitors.

Doyle, I can't even look at your pictures.. I cannot get close to an edge anymore. Scary stuff.