A deadly slip in Glacier National Park
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So sad, this is one of the coolest hikes in the park because of the unique natural features of avalanche creek.
Park officials say the woman fell off a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek and was swept into a gorge. She was pronounced dead after bystanders pulled her from the water.
Here are some photos from one of my previous visits:
And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?"
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@Highlander Damn shame. There were hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park that I did last year where you would be in real tough shape if you fell off the path.
"What are you gonna do, stab me?"
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@WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAthenGTInowA4 That really popular hike along Glacier Gorge comes to mind...a little slip and you'll be 100 yards downstream in seconds.
Popularity is really the issue, it's law of averages. Most people are just out for a casual hike and might not be thinking about the dangers (vs, say, a person who hikes Half Dome or Angel's Landing and does a lot of mental preparation first)
Vacation deaths always hit me particularly hard. Because the family still has to check out of the hotel. Get on the plane. Go through TSA. Return the rental car. Like normal. And then also arrange for transport of remains. The pain has to be even more stark than on a normal day.
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@Highlander I always worry about stuff like that. And it doesn't help when people seem to have no sense of self-preservation in such places. A couple weeks ago we were on the coast at Thor's Well, and there were people ignoring the signs, walking around the railings, tempting fate...
Not a place to mess with Mother Nature. Those waves coming in were huge.
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@Highlander This is going to happen more and more as a new generation ventures into nature without a solid understanding of the respect it demands from everyone. I hate it. I remember doing angles landing once, at the scary part with the chain as a couple of teenage girls ran by in sandals.
Some kind of sentient rodent - Overland Curator.
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@WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAthenGTInowA4 @HammerheadFistpunch I think one of the most exposed hikes I've ever done was Nevada Falls in yosemite national park, it has some very tall drop offs and scary sections if you are not physically or mentally prepared. I also hiked angles landing in Zion when I was a teenager, I practically ran it with my buddies, no thoughts to safety what so ever, and that's probably a good 1,000 drop on the fin.
And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?"
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@HammerheadFistpunch Ha, I pretty much ran angles landing when I was a teenager. We were careful but absolutely fearless.
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@Highlander Yep, I remember Nevada and Vernal falls well (23 years ago, give or take). Slippery all year 'round, and after you get to the top there are still plenty of places to fall in and get washed over pretty quickly. People also don't realize the shock of falling into 40-degree water, you can freeze up very quickly...no pun intended.
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I saw this a few weeks ago.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/05/10/missing-hiker-glacier-national-park-matthew-read-montana/70203570007/I'm surprised more people don't get themselves into trouble. The last time I was there, too many people were going far off the trail to try to get the perfect picture.
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@Roadkilled He got rescued by Michael Gogunes two bear air. We locally thought he was a gonner, it rained a shit ton that weekend. He easily could have died of exposure.
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@Roadkilled said in A deadly slip in Glacier National Park:
oo many people were going far off the trail to try to get the perfect picture
Certainly not blaming the victim here, it's a terrible event. But what @Roadkilled said. I've recently witnessed near Sedona young people going waaaay too close to the precipice to get the perfect social media pictures. Stop it, people. Just stay back, absorb and enjoy the wilderness. Nobody cares that at some point you had a tight @ss and toned abs and happened to be in the desert. Stop it now.
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@Highlander that's a gorgeous hike. I remember seeing the creek and thinking how fucked you'd be if you fell in. Mucho caution.
2022 Defender
2023 Ducati Desert X -
@AMGtech Yes, I've done it probably 20-30 times and that creek is a good 20-40 feet deep depending on where you are. Add waterfalls, cold water and logs, and it makes it a very dangerous area.
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@Highlander not a pleasant way to go.
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@Highlander Friend of mine from high school died while hiking a year after I graduated. Him and his brother were on a big trip together. It’s on my mind every time I’m out exploring with my kids. There’s a scholarship in his honor if anyone knows any AZ hockey players. He was one of the nicest, goofiest kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
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@HammerheadFistpunch said in A deadly slip in Glacier National Park:
@Highlander This is going to happen more and more as a new generation ventures into nature without a solid understanding of the respect it demands from everyone. I hate it. I remember doing angles landing once, at the scary part with the chain as a couple of teenage girls ran by in sandals.
The Gila County SD started publicly shaming people going out with improper footwear.
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@DipodomysDeserti good. At least these people will only make that mistake once.
Some kind of sentient rodent - Overland Curator.
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@HammerheadFistpunch Not enough blisters. Some people need to walk around in the sand with skin peeling off their feet to learn that lesson.
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@DipodomysDeserti i saw someone halfway down the grand canyon in flip flops and shorts. it was snowing.
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@DipodomysDeserti I love public shaming when done correctly. I will also fully admit to wearing heavy-duty Tevas for hiking in the desert, especially if there's a lot of water crossings. Great way to cool off in the summer
Those ones looked pretty bad, though. She's definitely not a Tarahumara runner with homemade huaraches...probably more like a clueless Czech tourist making split-second fashion decisions.
I'm pretty liberal with my shoe decisions, I do tend to the minimalist side for dayhikes. But I also draw a hard line with flip-flops...I never wear them, ever. Got one wedged under the throttle once and that was the last time I ever wore them
The earth is round, but even-numbered BMWs don't really exist.
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@ash78 Yeah, I’ve always hiked in sneakers to keep weight down, but also spend a lot of time walking barefoot in the desert, and lift weights barefoot on occasion, so my feet are pretty accustomed to rough terrain. Not recommended for the casual hiker, though.
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@RiceRocketeer Dios mio. My dad got yelled for smoking cigarettes while hiking down the Grand Canyon when he first moved here from New Jersey. Apparently they had never met a guido before.
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@DipodomysDeserti Is smoking not allowed in the park?
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@ibRAD I’m pretty sure you can’t smoke on the hiking trails now, but this was in the early ‘80s, so it was probably legal then. However, we was being led down by tribal members who live in the Canyon and they did not appreciate him smoking cigarettes in their sacred canyon.
