Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
CF
climber
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 8, 2008 - 09:21pm PT
|
I was digging through some slides and found these of the rangers doing a search for the gun man that shot Kim Aufhauser in 1993. They went tent to tent clearing each tent.
Tuolumne Meadows was completely evacuated for weeks while they looked. They never did find the gunman and it cost thousands of $$$$$$$$$$
From Park Boy article
"Whew! And you wonder what inspires Park Boy's nightmares. Verifying Keith's tales would rob me of valuable toilet-swabbing time, but I can tell you that the last rumor is based on events of July 1993, when ranger Kim Aufhauser received a flesh wound in one of his legs during a still-unsolved episode that launched an ultimately fruitless manhunt. The search for his assailant involved 180 rangers and local cops and required clearing more than 1,000 visitors from a 53-square-mile area.
As Keith tells it, Aufhauser was an über-ranger, able to levitate up sheer cliffs, wingshoot mosquitoes with a pistol, and eat rocks. He was forever campaigning for rangers to be equipped with automatic weapons and FBI-style protective gear. Fearing that his pleas were falling on deaf ears, he allegedly decided to dramatize the rangers' plight by staging a criminal attack and wounding himself. After the incident, he left the Park Service, but among Yosemite worker bees, he'll live forever--fairly or not--as an eerie symbol of ranger "enthusiasm."
He now teaches PARK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, WEST VALLEY COLLEGE, Saratoga, CA.
|
|
Carolyn C
Trad climber
the long, long trailer
|
|
LOL! I remember that Dragnet-like episode (as a former Yos worker-bee). Crazy stuff.
|
|
GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
|
|
Wait... it was him? BS! Tell me.
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
1993?
Resume says ranger through '91 (?).
I remember hearing the news version, and then later hearing the back story.
Sounds a bit like Munchausen Syndrome.
Some people just HAVE to play hero.
That the guy did not face felony charges was just another example of the NPS double standard.
|
|
Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
|
|
OMG......My wife to be and I had just arrived back at 120 after finishing Crest Jewel, when a car load of gun pointing rangers pulled into our turn out to order the occupants of another car out onto the pavement.
It scared the sh#t out of us and the old hippy laying face down who picked up a couple hitchhikers on their way to enjoy a little RR away from the City.
The whole episode may be simply explained as, "it takes one to know one".
Berg Heil,
Charlie D.
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
Looks like he found a good niche for himself now. Some folks just aren't meant to be rangers.
Climbers screw up. Rangers screw up. It's sad when somebody else pays the price for it and it's fun to tell the stories but..
I ain't holding nothin' against any of the screw-ups forever cause I'm humble enough to fear my own screw-ups.
I tend to thin they just didn't have the hard evidence to prosecute at the time, maybe not the will either.
Peace
Karl
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
Well yeah Karl, but did you read the resume?
Pretty grandiose huh?
Can somebody check and see if when he was supposedly riding elephants to the arctic that he wasn't actually hucking trash at the Stop-And-Puke in Visalia?
|
|
Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
|
|
Last I knew, he was living in Boulder Creek. I met he and his wife a few times, not a word about the incident.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
there's a wee bit more about this earlier on this forum..
|
|
J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
|
|
From Kim's resume:
AWARDS AND OTHER STUFF
Along the way I have collected a couple of academic awards, some commendations, half a dozen work-related performance awards and a valor award for heroism.
You wonder if his chest is bruised from all the beating.
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
Well Mtnmun, did you really expect him to,.. uh,.. er,.. shoot his mouth off about it?
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
You know, the more I consider this I am still troubled by Karl's ameliorating inclination to forgive this BS.
Sure, we've all made mistakes, but lets see a show of hands of all those who in one fell swoop have violated the rights of at least hundreds of people who were taking what was likely well earned recreational time, AND cost the american taxpayers over a half million dollars;
Hmmm.
That's what I thought!
This guy was park service! The same guys that hassle the phuck out of climbers!
But instead of being held to the highest standard, under the carpet it goes!
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
Piton Ron wrote
"You know, the more I consider this I am still troubled by Karl's ameliorating inclination to forgive this BS. "
Dude, it's in the past. You can be upset, but what cha gonna do? How long you want your sins hung around your neck?
We don't even know the real story. I Imagine it's an ignoble one, and I don't imagine he's free from it. (does he still visit yosemite?)
but hey, it's got to hurt to shoot yourself so he's paid at least some price. He also lost his job, community, and housing in one fell swoop. That's far from scot-free.
As far as I can tell, the guy cares about his students, loves the outdoors, and is a better example of human being than many out there. So when do we let go?
I've found that, according to the golden rule, it's wiser for me to let go sooner than later.
Doesn't mean that if somebody actually knew some juicy bits of the story, they shouldn't share it. If they were upset about it, share that too.
But all I'm saying is that the human being behind the mistake appears to have found a better path for himself.
Peace
Karl
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
State of confusion
|
|
It's lucky dick, the dick, cheney wasn't along on
that trip. He'd shot everyone, no questions asked. . .
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
I thought he only shoots lawyers.
(Like Karl said, there's SOME good in everyone.)
I'm glad that this guy cares about his students.
What does he teach??
Oh, "park management", well, nothing to worry about THERE!
|
|
Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
|
|
Actually, I don't believe he lost his job. He was simply transferred, if I recall correctly. You live in the park, Karl. You *have* to know that a Ranger would have to commit murder (mass, probably), with a ton of witnesses in order to lose his job. Otherwise, the Rangers who have had serious issues, in regards to rights violations, etc. would also have been fired, rather than simply transferred.
Gotta agree with Ron on this. It's a real shame he wasn't prosecuted, as well as claims filed civilly. This effected way too many people. It really goes a long ways towards showing the corruption in the park.
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
I agree that it's important for the authorities to police themselves or be policed by a higher authority. They lose credibility for the good ones otherwise.
Bush and Cheney killed thousands, in my view. I'm waiting for them to get fired.
sadly the way of the world. Power is immune from the oppression visited on the powerless.
Still, bemoan the past with good reason, I think it too late to keep Kim in the dog-house. (or when do you supposed to let him out?) Maybe email him this thread and see if he has a comment.
Peace
Karl
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
Might be interesting.
If he refuses responsibility and continues to pose as an authority on park management (taking yet more tax $?) then that doghouse could have some legs.
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
Just cause he screwed up back then doesn't mean he has no park management qualifications.
I wouldn't expect anyone to outright admit a crime but there are ways of talking around that,
Peace
karl
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!