Accident on Tuolumne Peak

[fenderfour]

No, but THIS is idiocy:

 

"Upon reaching the highway I immediately flagged down a car which slowed, looked me over, and drove on"

 

 

That's not idiocy, that's Bullshit. I appreciate the right of the individual to not get involved, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't.

 

To me, an armchair critic is someone who has no real knowledge of the activity and only theorizes about the situations that can occur. Look at the millions of fantasy footbal players out there. Maybe they played some high school ball, but they've never taken a hit from a pro linebacker.

 

Rockfall on the scale that MisterE is talking about is very uncommon and will defintiely wipe you out helmet or not. I would be more worried about the more common softball size rock rattling down the gulley. You know, the kind of rockfall that the helmet can protect you from.

 

But hey, If y'all want to keep up your self-righteous attitudes, I'm sure what I have to say won't stop you.

 

[archenemy]

No, but THIS is idiocy:

 

"Upon reaching the highway I immediately flagged down a car which slowed, looked me over, and drove on"

 

 

That's not idiocy, that's Bullshit. I appreciate the right of the individual to not get involved, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't.

 

To me, an armchair critic is someone who has no real knowledge of the activity and only theorizes about the situations that can occur. Look at the millions of fantasy footbal players out there. Maybe they played some high school ball, but they've never taken a hit from a pro linebacker.

 

Rockfall on the scale that MisterE is talking about is very uncommon and will defintiely wipe you out helmet or not. I would be more worried about the more common softball size rock rattling down the gulley. You know, the kind of rockfall that the helmet can protect you from.

 

But hey, If y'all want to keep up your self-righteous attitudes, I'm sure what I have to say won't stop you.

 

Wait a sec, if that's true, then I guess most of us can't theorize what we'd do if we drove by someone who is injured.

 

And, I would have to assume that you have, indeed, been in a major rockfall.

 

I am not sure if this is what you intended to say with this post, but the logic follows...

[Alpinfox]

for what it's worth, i believe people misread Jim's comment. He was commenting on the Ralston story, i.e. how a mistake was turned into a big media adventure story.

 

And in THIS instance, the guy neither made a mistake (unless you consider soloing 4th class a "mistake", I don't), nor did he turn it into a big media adventure story (he ain't gettin' rich from that summitpost trip report).

[mec]

man, he is missing out on his own get rich quick scheme then. We should all email him and tell him to call up CNN, and get an agent. It's what the US is all about right?

[j_b]

Yep AFox, i agree. quite a freaky story. poor guy.

[Jim]

for what it's worth, i believe people misread Jim's comment. He was commenting on the Ralston story, i.e. how a mistake was turned into a big media adventure story.

And in THIS instance, the guy neither made a mistake (unless you consider soloing 4th class a "mistake", I don't), nor did he turn it into a big media adventure story (he ain't gettin' rich from that summitpost trip report).

 

Points for reading comprehension. The 15 minutes of fame thing is a bit odd in our culture. A relative gave me the Ralson book and I did read it. Seems like it was an endless tale of reckless and poorly planned trips that became "adventures". Though the he did keep his head about him once his arm got stuck.

 

Was it Nanson who said "If it turns out to be an adventure it wasn't planned well". Upon return to his ship from the south pole Admunsen basically said things went as planned, it was a little cold, but no big deal. And then there is Scott. If he survived which one would have a book deal? Or an internet site?

[Gary_Yngve]

Anybody else think that not stopping for a person in obvious need of medical attention should be as unacceptable/illegal as passing by a car wreck with injured people and not stopping? I can hardly see the difference.

 

You have no obligation to stop.

 

You are morally obligated, at the minimum, to call 911 at your earliest opportunity.

 

Not calling 911 when you're aware of someone seriously injured or a major crime being committed may make you civilly / criminally liable?

[foraker]

I thought several states had "Good Samaritan" laws which, while protecting those providing aid from liability, also required people to provide aid in such situations even if the best you can do is take them to a hospital or stop and call 911? I could be wrong about that.

[Gary_Yngve]

You definitely are required to call 911 / render aid if you helped cause the incident.

 

Most Good Samaritan laws are designed to protect the bystander from liability. I dunno any that require action (it's a very sticky issue -- are you required to call 911 if you witness a murder? what about two dudes smoking a phatty?) I'm sure laws requiring action have been proposed. Maybe we're remembering Seinfeld?

[archenemy]

I do see not stopping for this guy as serious lack of ethics (prompted by fear).

 

But you drive by accidents on the freeway with injured people. So any law written has to be complicated, cover all grey areas, etc etc.

 

That they passed the Good Samaritan law is a good start, but I could guess that people may also be afraid of being sued, etc...

 

Its sad, very sad.

I did not mean to imply that the GS law was a good start to forcing people to call, sorry for any confusion. I meant it was a good start to encourage people to stop for injured parties. This, if I remember right, came after some folks had the nerve to sue a bystander who helped an injured person (I might only be remembering sensationalistic headlines, but I seem to recall having a coupla discussions around these.) Any lawyers want to set the record straight here?

[JoshK]

I guess I still don't undestand the distinction between it being legally mandatory to stop when you see a car crash with nobody attending to it, versus somebody bleeding all over the place. I don't buy the "he could have been a murderer" bullshit. A guy in a crashed car on the side of the road just as easily could have murdered somebody five seconds earlier. They could have pulled up at a safe distance and asked what was wrong. I'll conceed it shouldn't be illegal since we don't need a law covering everything - that was just my initial disgust talking. However, those people should be ashamed of themselves.

 

Another take on GS laws: They had to implement a GS act here in Boulder, CO (not sure if it has passed or it was just talked about?) to cut down on the instances of people not calling in incredibly drunk people at parties that may have alcohol poisoning. Of course a bunch of drunk people are more worried about the cops showing up and busting the party, issuing drinking tickets, etc. (which is a legit fear with the asshole cops here). So the law/proposal allows somebody to call it in and they basically send the meat wagon, drag the person off, and leave. I'm not so sure how they could cover the tactic of the cops simply coming back five minutes later tho.

[Alpine_Tom]

FWIW, despite all the criticism of him not having a helmet, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference, assuming his description of the accident was accurate.

Maybe he should have had a cell phone, but you'd be stupid to count on a cell phone to save your butt in the mountains.

I've done soloing in 4th class conditions; I bet nearly everyone here has. Mostly you get lucky, or make safe decisions, and the "near-misses" are either unnoticed or chuckled over later. There but for Grace of any one of us.

Edited August 26, 2005 by Alpine_Tom

[Dan_Harris]

Interesting discussion. Cell phone (ATT anyway) didn't work on Tuolumne. I try to call my wife whenever I'm solo to let her know I'm ok. No signal on this peak.

 

Does anyone know if Nat'l Park folks (at any Nat'l park) monitor any of the FRS / GMRS frequencies? I usually carry a radio too. There is a repeater antenna of some kind on Mount Hoffmann 2 miles SW of Tuolumne Peak. I'm guessing it's there because the peak is about the geographic center of the park. Could this have possibly helped get assistance faster?

[Luna]

for what it's worth, i believe people misread Jim's comment. He was commenting on the Ralston story, i.e. how a mistake was turned into a big media adventure story.

And in THIS instance, the guy neither made a mistake (unless you consider soloing 4th class a "mistake", I don't), nor did he turn it into a big media adventure story (he ain't gettin' rich from that summitpost trip report).

 

Points for reading comprehension. The 15 minutes of fame thing is a bit odd in our culture. A relative gave me the Ralson book and I did read it. Seems like it was an endless tale of reckless and poorly planned trips that became "adventures". Though the he did keep his head about him once his arm got stuck.

 

Was it Nanson who said "If it turns out to be an adventure it wasn't planned well". Upon return to his ship from the south pole Admunsen basically said things went as planned, it was a little cold, but no big deal. And then there is Scott. If he survived which one would have a book deal? Or an internet site?

 

It is amazing how every accident or wrong turn in the mountains that turns into an epic has to be displayed on the internet. 15 minutes of fame indeed.

[Dru]

you get injured, your friends & acquaintances wantto know the story, its easier to post it than it is to spam out a mass email.

[rhyang]

Unlike cc.com, SP.org doesn't have a way to associate forum threads with trip reports (it's a custom job that isn't being actively maintained on a regular basis).

 

So in the meantime people start threads in the appropriate regional forum (in this case the California forum) and insert a link to the TR. Here is that thread. Hope this helps.

[Rad]

Ralston still living life to the fullest after accident

Story Tools: Print Email

Associated Press

Posted: 2 days ago

 

 

 

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - As he sawed through the final strands of his own tissue and skin with a dull blade, Aron Ralston was overcome with emotion, awash in a wave of euphoria unlike anything he'd felt before.

 

Malnutrition and dehydration, delirium, searing pain - none of it registered anymore. Held captive by a half-ton boulder at the bottom of a narrow canyon for five days, Ralston freed himself by severing his own arm, gaining an unexpected second chance at life.

 

Two years after being trapped in a canyon and having to saw off his own arm to escape, Aron Ralston is happy to be alive. (E Pablo Kosmicki / Associated Press)

 

Resigned to death the night before, Ralston felt more alive than ever, glowing from what he believed to be the close of one life and birth of another.

 

And he hasn't stopped living in the two years since.

 

"At this point, I've got the confidence to know that I'll get through anything in my life given I have the motivation to do it," Ralston said. "If it's an act of survival, we've all got a reason to keep living. It may not be pretty, but surviving is grit and determination in its highest form. I learned that I've got the capacity to do a hell of a lot more than I thought I could if I have the proper motivation."

 

Heading out on a relatively benign - at least to an experienced mountaineer such as Ralston - hike through a slot canyon in the Utah desert in April 2003, Ralston became trapped when a chockstone dislodged and trapped his right arm. With little food, less water and virtually no chance of being rescued, Ralston used drastic means to extend his life, from drinking his own urine to rigging ropes and webbing to support his weight.

 

Unable to budge the boulder with a makeshift pulley system or break it with a multi-tool, Ralston escaped by torquing his arm against the rock to break his bones, then ripping through his decaying flesh with a small, dull knife.

 

His bloody stump wrapped in a makeshift sling, Ralston rappelled down a 60-foot drop, then hiked six miles through the desert before an improbable sequence of events, including stumbling across a family of hikers and getting to a helicopter just in time, helped save his life.

 

It was a staggering display of human will and survival, and the tale spread inspiration across the world.

 

"It really was a miracle that things just worked and fell into place," said Donna Ralston, who spent two frantic days coordinating rescue efforts for her son from her Denver-area home. "I feel like there was a reason why things happened in the way they did. It wasn't just happenstance."

 

She's not the only who sees it that way.

 

During his darkest moments in the bottom of the canyon, Ralston had a vision of a young boy. Unlike his previous visions that final night, Ralston said he was able to touch this one, lifting the boy upon his shoulder with an arm missing its right hand. Ralston had come to terms with his death the night before and now this boy, which he believed to be his future son, had given him a reason to live.

 

And Ralston has done just that.

 

Though the first few months after the accident were filled with surgeries, a kaleidoscope of painkillers and frustrating inactivity, it didn't take Ralston long to return to what he loves. It started with hiking and running with friends, and pretty soon he was back scaling 14,000-foot peaks, skiing summits and climbing ice walls.

 

Using prosthetics he helped develop, Ralston completed a nine-year project of scaling the highest point in all 50 states, then became the first person to solo climb all 59 of Colorado's fourteeners (14,000-foot peaks) in winter, crossing the last 14 off his list after the accident. In January, he summited Argentina's 22,840-foot Mt. Aconcagua, the world's highest mountain outside Asia, then climbed and skied 10 peaks of at least 13,000 feet in the spring.

 

Ralston also got into ultrarunning, first taking on the Leadville 100 high in the central Rockies, then testing his willpower and fitness in the diabolical Hardrock, a 100-mile race featuring 66,000 feet of elevation change. In case that wasn't enough, Ralston tried surfing, spent more time mountain biking and did all kinds of hiking and climbing.

 

 

Aron Ralston, the climber who cut off his own arm to survive a harrowing ordeal in a Utah canyon two years ago, is able to still climb with the aid of a specially designed artificial arm. (Reno Gazette-Journal, Marilyn Newton / Associated Press)

 

That Ralston's love for the wilderness didn't diminish with his accident isn't a surprise; he's had a spiritual connection with the outdoors since he was a teenager.

 

What did change was Ralston's appreciation for those closest to him. Content with isolating himself and doing things on his own before, Ralston now makes sure family and friends are included in his life more and understands how much they mean to him.

 

"I think my spirituality is very similar to what it was before. It wasn't as if I went through some kind of enlightenment and figured out all the answers," said Ralston, who'll turn 30 in October. "I figured out what was important to me, but I knew that before. I just didn't express it as much to the people I appreciate, to my family and friends, and I've tried to be more practiced in that."

 

And it goes beyond his inner circle.

 

As his astonishing story of survival spread, Ralston was inundated with thousands of letters and e-mails from people thanking him for giving them inspiration. The correspondences continued and spiked again when his best-selling book, "Between a Rock and Hard Place," hit the shelves last fall.

 

Realizing his story meant so much to so many people, Ralston lifted the spirits of thousands more by reliving his ordeal in person. Sure, some of it is for profit, but most of his speaking engagements are for nonprofit organizations and fund-raisers, with plans to hit a few colleges later this year.

 

And while he's fulfilled all his current speaking contracts, Ralston keeps telling his story, the weight of obligation still too heavy for him to escape.

 

"We're proud of him because of the person he is and because he feels so strongly that he has a story that is inspirational, and he's willing to tell it over and over and share with other people and give people hope," Donna Ralston said. "I think that says a lot about his character."

 

As for the future, Ralston doesn't want to look too far ahead. His immediate plans include a tour for the paperback release of his book on Sept. 1, and more writing for magazines such as Men's Journal and Outside.

 

Ralston also plans to do more speaking, is in talks for a motion picture about his life and will continue running Ralstar Enterprises, the company he created to handle the opportunities that have come with his newfound fame.

 

Of course, there'll be plenty of time in the outdoors, too.

 

Ralston has been invited to climb in New Zealand this winter and will head to the Himalayas next year to ski a pair of 8,000-meter peaks. He's also planning to high-point all 50 states again, this time in 50 consecutive days, and would eventually like to climb K2, the world's second-highest mountain.

 

Beyond that, Ralston has no specific plans other than to meet the boy in his vision - when the time is right.

 

"I think it's out there and it's not something that I treat lightly," Ralston said. "At the same time, I realized there's a lot that's going to have to change in my life before I become a father as far as how I live, my priorities, where I might live. When the time comes, that's something I want to be just as passionate about as how passionate I am in how I live now."

[JoshK]

Ralston completed a nine-year project of scaling the highest point in all 50 states, then became the first person to solo climb all 59 of Colorado's fourteeners (14,000-foot peaks) in winter

 

 

Nothing like the challenge of the Colorado 14ers. 54 peaks you can climb without using hands.

[Alpinfox]

Ralston completed a nine-year project of scaling the highest point in all 50 states, then became the first person to solo climb all 59 of Colorado's fourteeners (14,000-foot peaks) in winter

 

 

Nothing like the challenge of the Colorado 14ers. 54 peaks you can climb without using hands.

 

Pyramid? Crestone Needle? Wilson? Maroon Bells?

 

Give it a shot.

[JoshK]

 

I was spouting shit obviously.

 

Hopefully I'll be doing the whole crestone group some time in the next few weekends.

[cj001f]

Interesting discussion. Cell phone (ATT anyway) didn't work on Tuolumne.

Not much good cell service outside the valley in my experience (to phone in an incident). With the number of weird incidents that have happened in/around Yose (rangers murdered, familys raped & murdered) while suck, the cars response isn't surprising.

[Alpinfox]

 

Hopefully I'll be doing the whole crestone group some time in the next few weekends.

 

I bailed off of Crestone Needle in a horrendous lightining storm when I was about 17 years old. Good fun!

 

That area and the Grenadier range are my two favorite places in CO.

[Ireneo_Funes]

for what it's worth, i believe people misread Jim's comment. He was commenting on the Ralston story, i.e. how a mistake was turned into a big media adventure story.

And in THIS instance, the guy neither made a mistake (unless you consider soloing 4th class a "mistake", I don't), nor did he turn it into a big media adventure story (he ain't gettin' rich from that summitpost trip report).

 

Points for reading comprehension. The 15 minutes of fame thing is a bit odd in our culture. A relative gave me the Ralson book and I did read it. Seems like it was an endless tale of reckless and poorly planned trips that became "adventures". Though the he did keep his head about him once his arm got stuck.

 

Was it Nanson who said "If it turns out to be an adventure it wasn't planned well". Upon return to his ship from the south pole Admunsen basically said things went as planned, it was a little cold, but no big deal. And then there is Scott. If he survived which one would have a book deal? Or an internet site?

 

It is amazing how every accident or wrong turn in the mountains that turns into an epic has to be displayed on the internet. 15 minutes of fame indeed.

 

Several years ago a friend of mine went backpacking solo in the late fall in northern Minnesota. An early snowstorm hit, and he got lost. He did almost everything wrong - left his tent and sleeping bag to try to find his way back, ended up not being able to find them again, and spent a couple days in a rotten log. When rescuers found him, he had suffered frostbite on his feet and I think he ended up losing all his toes.

 

A few weeks later he was on the "Today" show talking about his miraculous rescue.

 

The fact that he survived was pretty amazing, considering the foolish decisions he'd made, which included not only not letting anyone know where he was going to be and when he'd be back, but actually (intentionally) misleading his folks into thinking he was going somewhere else. And as far as losing his way in the first place...that might have been on purpose too (with the snowstorm helping). Before he left, he said he wanted to "have an adventure, to get lost."

 

This friend of mine was a dumbass, for sure, maybe like Ralston or the guy in Krakauer's "Into the Wild." And I think it was kind of complicated for his family to really forgive him, once everything came out. But in a way I sort of understand that need to "get lost" (maybe not literally). I've been in lots of situations that could have turned out badly, and my friends probably would have called me a dumbass if they had. Still, I think I would have turned down the "Today" show...

[Alpinfox]

I don't think Chris McCandless, this Toulumne Peak accident guy, or Aaron Ralston are "dumbasses", but your Minnesota friend certainly sounds like one.

[cj001f]

Aaron Ralston are "dumbasses", but your Minnesota friend certainly sounds like one.

The string of incidents beforehand + the canyon do.