Vernal Falls from Panorama Trail (Click to View Larger)

This is the second time I have been in Yosemite National Park when people have died on the Mist Trail. This past week, I have received so many e-mails and calls from concerned family and friends who heard about there being three deaths in Yosemite, since my family of three was there. I appreciated the concern, but we were safe. I wanted to answer, “We obey the rules.” Not to be trite or insensitive, but because when these tragedies occur they often unfairly cause people to see Yosemite as an unsafe place, when it isn’t. What it is, is a place that must be respected.

Now I must pause, and say something else – I am deeply saddened by these deaths. I grieve for the families, the loss of life – and hurt for those who are hurting right now. I have lost sleep over this. I know the place where this happened VERY well, so my dreams are vivid and I can picture the entire scene all too well. I am also angry with the heartless and cruel comments I am reading on many blogs and Yosemite websites that are downright mean – these people died as a result of foolish choices, yes, but not because of stupidity, and they did not “have it coming” nor do they deserve Darwin awards and the like. We all have made foolish and careless decisions in our lives – most behind the wheel of our cars – most do not cost us our life. So while this was a tragedy, it was not an accident. And while it was completely avoidable, sympathy for both the victims and those who loved them is in order, just as we’d want if someone we loved did something foolish and paid so dearly for it.

Nevertheless, there is a lesson for us all, in this. I’m not going to go into details of the events that occurred, other than are necessary for my point in posting about it. There are conflicting reports online – some sites have event edited there earlier reports, in part for accuracy, in part to spin it more kindly toward the victims as time goes by, which is understandable. The initial reports, I believe, were probably the most accurate in this case, though that isn’t always the case, since they were eye witnesses, I tend to believe the longer eye witness reports I read, though most of the reports have been shortened now.

Me on the Final Climb to the Top of Vernal Falls

To give you an idea of the environment – people have asked about the guard rail, here is what the setting looks like. They went over the guard rail 25 feet up from the ledge. It can be deceptively calm and there can be solid dry rock over the rail and the water can look calm. But the flow on the surface can be deceiving. And the depth can drop quickly as you move out. This picture was taken with a zoom lens from Clarks Point, which is pretty far away, but up and across from Vernal Fall:

Here is the entire fall, zoomed back:

As you can see, it is not a fall you should be anywhere near the water. It is a fall that deserved fear in the biblical sense as well as literal. Here is what is important – those who perished, especially the first two, crossed a guard rail at the top of a very high and dangerous fall that was clearly marked so:

The Sign at Top of Vernal Falls (I took this)

TEXT ON SIGN: (or click to read)

Watch your step near the water.
The rocks are deceptively slippery.

Stay out of the water upstream from the falls.

If you lose your footing, powerful currents
will carry you over the falls.
There’s no second chance.

They ignored this sign, and then waded out into the water (repeatedly actually) ignoring the cries of other hikers to come back in order to get a picture, one slipped, then the next fell trying to help the first, and they fell in together. The third entered when trying to assist the first two. The rest is sad history. I won’t go into other details, you can use Google if you want to. They are tough details to read. I want to be sensitive my readers.

Vernal and Nevada Falls at Beginning of Panorama Trail

Everyone at Yosemite wants a great picture, but there are plenty of great pictures to get without risking your life. In pictures like this one above taken on Yosemite Summit – we enjoy taking pictures that “look” dangerous, when in fact, there was a meadow behind this boulder that slowly cascaded down the hill – though the picture looks like I am on top of a rock at the edge of a cliff! There are others as well, more humorous, but due to the sadness of this event, I won’t post them here. (Vernal Fall is the lower fall to the left of me.)

In the 600+ page “Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite,” which I have read to be prepared to keep my Yosemite Summit guys safe, most deaths are climbing related (we don’t climb), and of the rest nearly all of them are completely the result of carelessness on the part of the person who died or someone with them. So in answer to the question, “Why do you do a retreat in Yosemite when people die there?” My answer is, people don’t die there unless they make foolish choices – we won’t. You are probably safer in Yosemite than you are driving home from work. I tell the guys in our orientation, quite seriously, people do die in Yosemite every year. You have to take that seriously. BUT you can simply choose you won’t be one of them.

• Over 4,000,000 people visit the park every year. Millions drive home alive. You’ll more likely win the lottery than die in Yosemite.
• Over 2,000 hike the Mist Trail DAILY, only a dozen or so have died sine 1948.

You do the math. You almost have to try to die. In other words, you have to do something foolish. Granted, you can’t avoid lightening (I know that!) but you can avoid most other things, if you are being wise and careful, and for the most part, sticking to the trail or to solid ground.

So, if you are considering coming to Yosemite Summit (or more likely, your husband is and you are concerned about his safety) please know, that Yosemite Summit is safe. We hike the trails, we use common sense, and we plan to come home to our wives and kids who we love very much. We all agree at the beginning that we will speak up if we see anyone doing anything we consider unsafe, and obey a request of another to not do anything anyone else feels is unsafe, even if we disagree. Our safety motto is WWWS, “What Would (my) Wife Say?” any time we are in doubt about climbing up or out on something for a picture. (It was WWSS the first year, “What Would Sara Say?”)

Yes, the deaths in Yosemite are tragic, and we grieve for the families and their loss. Our prayers go out to them. Reportedly, these three were Christians, that gives us extra hope. But their deaths do not make Yosemite unsafe – their deaths make foolish choices unsafe, wherever they are made, in Yosemite, in your work place, behind the wheel of your car. Life is precious and fragile.

Be careful, friends, people love you. See ya in Yosemite!

While most dream of a “White Christmas” I’ve been dreaming of a “White Yosemite” – and I’ve been going there, “if only in my dreams” for as long as I can remember. Yosemite is not only one of the most spectacular places on earth an a photographers paradise, but in winter, the word “wonderland” doesn’t do it justice. But getting there is winter has always been something that just wasn’t possible or realistic financially or logistically.

Until my good friend Jessica Klinker, on the Kidology CP Team, asked me to come to Lodi California this month to equip and encourage her volunteers… hmmmmm… the same church that we have stopped at for lunch on the way to Yosemite Summit in May? Suddenly, my “impossible” dream of going to Yosemite in winter wasn’t so impossible! Of course, I had to convince my wife to allow me add on some extra days for my solo trip, but a little bargaining later, and me and God had a date and I have my own little Yosemite Summit for Two, just Jesus and me for three days.

I’m so excited I could just burst!

I twittered about it a few weeks ago and a company called Stabilicers asked me if I had their product (shoe grippers) and encouraged me to check out their facebook page. I replied to @32northSTABIL and suggested (kinda kidding!) that they send me a free pair to try out at Yosemite promising a review on my blog – and they did! In the meantime, check out their fun YouTube Channel.

I promise to post pictures here from my solo sabbatical as soon as I return – and if you want to join me in May for the Yosemite Summit with eight other men, register soon – there is limited space, and it fills up every year! Four spots are spoken for so far with deposits pending, so it is nearly half full already! Be sure to check out the highlight photo and videos for 2008 and 2009.

I’d love to have you join me in this life-changing place!

My first reaction was that this was over simplifying the concept of goals, but the more I think about it – the more I like it!

I will still say that for a goal to be a genuine goal it must be specific and measurable, but nevertheless, I like this definition – “decide what you want to do, and then do it.”

Too many people NEVER DECIDE what they want to do in life, and they spend their entire life doing what other people tell them to do. (Granted, there are others who only think of themselves and only do what they want, but that’s another thing entirely!) But my point is that if there is something wild and crazy and exciting that you would LOVE to do – you simply need to DECIDE TO DO IT, and then, um, well, DO IT!

Take Yosemite Summit for example. I have wanted to go to Yosemite with a group of guys and hike for years – and I mean YEARS, but it wasn’t until I DECIDED to do it, and then DID IT that it happened last month. I’m not discounting God’s roll! I prayed about it for months, and got His (and my wife’s!) approval, but I didn’t let excuses and the intimidation of the details and costs keep me from doing it, and I had the time of my life.

And I’m doing it again next year!

So I find myself asking myself, “What else am I afraid to decide to do?” It is time to set another goal I think!

And I ask you the same thing! WHAT DO YOU need to decide to do, and then do? Don’t live in such a way that you will regret it later. If you need some prayer and encouragement, feel free to contact me and tell me your ambitious and “impossible” dream and I will pray with you that God will make it happen, and I believe He will, just as He made Yosemite Summit a reality when I trusted Him! (Just reference this post when you write.)

I dare you – make a GOAL today – “decide what you want to do, and then do it!”

In Canada this past weekend I discovered that my host, Steve, was a climbing enthusiast who actually has some serious training and experience in rock and ice climbing! I found myself gawking at the pictures he had on display in his office that he had cut from magazines and a calendar that showed incredible views of God’s Creation along with quotes like:

Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from beginning think what may be the end. – Edward Whymper

To avoid critism do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. – Elbert Hubbard

Adventure is worthwhile in itself. – Amelia Earhart

Without a struggle there can be no progress. – Fredrick Douglass

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. – William Feather

Some people see things and say, “Why?” I dream things that never were, and say, “Why not?”

Those are just a few I copied into my iPhone and e-mailed myself to save. On the ride back to the airport (when I think I convinced him to come to Yosemite Summit next year) he recommended what he said was the best climbing magazine, especially for awesome photography: Alpinist.com and while it is a little more than your usual magazine, I am definitely subscribing. But even if you don’t want to subscribe, you may enjoy the free wallpapers on the site, I downloaded them all and made them my rotating waller with a new one appearing every five minutes.

I love how they describe themselves:

We believe in sinker jams high off the deck, a bomber nut, the crescent moon, your partner’s whoop, sand-washing the fry pan, road trips, one-swing sticks, remembering to breathe, alpine starts (more for the alpenglow than the early hour), espresso in the desert, the plungestep, lenticular cloudcaps, rest days, the focus of a runout, a cold beer at the end of it all. If you believe in these things too, join us.

I may have to make that a cold Root Beer at the end of it all, but while I don’t even know what most of those terms mean – they sure sound exciting!

I’m not sure Yosemite Summit will provide this much danger and risk, but hey, you gotta start somewhere! After all,

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. – Lao-Tzu