# Hikers Swept over Waterfall in Yosemite



## deadheadskier (Jul 20, 2011)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4381580...semite-rangers-search-dangerous-falls-hikers/

incredibly sad

Unfortunately, it would appear the tragedy was caused by very poor judgment.


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## spring_mountain_high (Jul 20, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4381580...semite-rangers-search-dangerous-falls-hikers/
> 
> incredibly sad
> 
> Unfortunately, it would appear the tragedy was caused by very poor judgment.



yup...alot of people hop the fence there for a closer look/dip in the emerald pool there...it looks inviiting and fairly calm...and the falls are raging later than usual this year with all the runoff


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## Nick (Jul 20, 2011)

Oof, I saw that on Google+ earlier today. That sucks.


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## Magog Fishy (Jul 20, 2011)

Yeah, the Emerald Pool can be extremely popular for swimming and sun bathing. I have wade/swarm in it in late August when there were not much rapids, and it was packed. I have also swarm at I believe it was Nevada Falls, which is father up – IIRC this is a much smaller pool, but closer to the edge; not as popular as it is farther up plus Half Dome hikers do not stop for long. Yosemite is beautiful, but there are dangers.


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## bigbog (Jul 20, 2011)

Magog Fishy said:


> .....Yosemite is beautiful, but there are dangers.



Especially playing near the lip of a waterfall.....as commented, stupid is as stupid does...


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## deadheadskier (Jul 20, 2011)

Magog Fishy said:


> Yeah, the Emerald Pool can be extremely popular for swimming and sun bathing. I have wade/swarm in it in late August when there were not much rapids, and it was packed. I have also swarm at I believe it was Nevada Falls, which is father up – IIRC this is a much smaller pool, but closer to the edge; not as popular as it is farther up plus Half Dome hikers do not stop for long. Yosemite is beautiful, but there are dangers.



25 feet from the edge of the Waterfall is apparently where they went under the guard rail to get a photo taken and were swept away.  Is that where the Emerald Pool is?  I'm unfamiliar with the area.  It would seem incredibly irresponsible to swim anywhere within several hundred yards of that drop unless there are multiple places to escape current and reach the rivers edge.  

....but, it happens.  Anyone ever hear of Devil's Swimming Pool at Victoria Falls in Africa?  Talk about nuts





don't get me wrong, I love adrenaline, but I have my limits.  Don't really care to dance with Darwin


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## Nick (Jul 20, 2011)

Gulp

Sent from my Thunderbolt via Tapatalk


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## spring_mountain_high (Jul 20, 2011)

Magog Fishy said:


> Yeah, the Emerald Pool can be extremely popular for swimming and sun bathing. I have wade/swarm in it in late August when there were not much rapids, and it was packed. I have also swarm at I believe it was Nevada Falls, which is father up – IIRC this is a much smaller pool, but closer to the edge; not as popular as it is farther up plus Half Dome hikers do not stop for long. Yosemite is beautiful, but there are dangers.



yup, i stopped above nevada falls on the way down from the dome to soak my barking dogs...this was during a period of low flow, and while closer to the falls, a much safer spot...small pool with very mild current and a very popular spot for people on the way down to cool off


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## Magog Fishy (Jul 20, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> 25 feet from the edge of the Waterfall is apparently where they went under the guard rail to get a photo taken and were swept away.  Is that where the Emerald Pool is?



Being 25’ from the edge this time of the year, especially with the rapids this year is plain stupid. So are the people in the videos at Victoria Falls. 

IIRC, Emerald pool is a couple hundred feet from the falls – I do not recall anyone swimming right up to the lip of the falls. In mid/late August a lot of the waterfalls in Yosemite can be dried out. My memory of it is not the greatest – was 8 years ago; just looked to see if I had any photos --, but I seem to remember the Emerald pool as being shallow and somewhat dried out, and the water pretty calm.  I did not think twice about going in, and normally I am someone who would if I sensed a lot of danger. I remember Nevada Falls pool as also being shallow and I was a lot closer to the edge – it actually crossed my mind for a second. I went in Nevada two days in a row – second day I was with a friend who is a part-time mountain rescurer in CA and is pretty conservative, and he did not think twice. 



spring_mountain_high said:


> yup, i stopped above nevada falls on the way down from the dome to soak my barking dogs



I take it you summited the Dome? How bout your dogs? My thigh started cramping up at the base of the steps, and I froze up where the steps end below the cables. I have heard a lot of people have trouble once they reach the steps and cables. We got a late start, and pretty much ran up on a very hot day – my friend had finished the Iron Man, his girl was even in better shape (played semi-pro basketball), and I was the weak link.


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## spring_mountain_high (Jul 24, 2011)

Magog Fishy said:


> I take it you summited the Dome? How bout your dogs? My thigh started cramping up at the base of the steps, and I froze up where the steps end below the cables. I have heard a lot of people have trouble once they reach the steps and cables. We got a late start, and pretty much ran up on a very hot day – my friend had finished the Iron Man, his girl was even in better shape (played semi-pro basketball), and I was the weak link.



yes, i did, and by 'dogs' i meant 'feet'...the climb up the switchbacks and cables was definitely tough as that's where the treeline ends and you are on exposed granite from there on out...i would bet anything the second trip up is much easier knowing the route and how to pace the trip...i did almost the same thing you did and while i didn't get a late start, i hurried on the way up not knowing the how long the trip really would be and ran out of water just before i reached little yosemite valley on the return trip...luckily i ran across some folks pumping from the merced, and the aforementioned cooling off spot above nevada falls


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## Magog Fishy (Aug 2, 2011)

spring_mountain_high said:


> yes, i did, and by 'dogs' i meant 'feet'...the climb up the switchbacks and cables was definitely tough as that's where the treeline ends and you are on exposed granite from there on out...i would bet anything the second trip up is much easier knowing the route and how to pace the trip...i did almost the same thing you did and while i didn't get a late start, i hurried on the way up not knowing the how long the trip really would be and ran out of water just before i reached little yosemite valley on the return trip...luckily i ran across some folks pumping from the merced, and the aforementioned cooling off spot above nevada falls



Yeah one slip off the granite switchback stairs or the cables, and it would not be a pretty ending. When you said dogs, I was thinking it would be very difficult for a dog to make it all the way up. I had just enough water – I think we had water tablets in case. We did at least half the descent at night, and did not get back to Yosemite Valley until after mid-night.  It was difficult at times to keep on trail in the dark, but we were very well prepared – could not have hiked it with better people. We had to help a number of people who were not prepared, from people hiking in Keds with no socks and getting blisters to people on the way down that had no flashlights and were basically lost (and had to guide them all the way to YV). 

At 5 am after getting back, I wake to the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the campsite next to mine. I said to myself, we are going to have bears. Sure enough 5 minutes later the guy cooking starts screaming "bears" and banging pans. I get out of my tent with a baseball bat and bear mace, but they were already gone – sucked to have to wake up to that after the hike! I understand bears are a big problem in YV - rangers drove around at night with strobing spotlights.


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## Angus (Aug 4, 2011)

just arrived back from Yosemite - the falls are really running high and fast. The recent accidents are big conversations around the park. a friend of a friend who was attempting to hike the John Muir trail point to point turned back after a few days due to snow depths in high country. Yosemite is more spectacular than I imagined btw:


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