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Urizen
Ice climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 29, 2017 - 08:52am PT
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^Yep. Just look at what happened to his son. Case in point.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 29, 2017 - 08:57am PT
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Pete has done a couple NIADs.
And yes, had they been a day or two slower, they'd all be dead.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:18am PT
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Awesome display of geology in action.
Mass wasting events like this are really rare in a human lifespan.
I wonder if G. Stock and crew have installed any monitoring equipment above and adjacent to this huge rockfall. To study the stone and try to learn something about these events.
I offer my sincere condolences to the deceased and the injured and I hope that nobody is buried under the rubble.
A trip to the Valley is supposed to be a rewarding experience. It is unfortunate that this happened to them.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:35am PT
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Anita, it would be super cool - and super clarifying - if Pete could photoshop an X (marks the spot) on one of these pics where he and partners were exactly when rockfall #1 let loose (where exactly they took that amazing first pic looking down).
Gumby, Reilly, wondered same thing. There is that huge portion that appears oxidized / weathered in light brown perhaps suggesting separation from mt and thus not pulling its own weight and loading rock above indicated by the clean fresh cleavage.
Curious, there is that "little" "pinnacle like" ledge clearly visible in pics just up and right in the before and after pics that is just beyond the cleavage border. Anyone know if this ledge is on a particular route? Just curious is all. In the pics, not the very prominent, very much larger flake system high above but the lower more ledgey structure below.
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klaus
Big Wall climber
Florence & Normandy
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:45am PT
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that "little pinnacle" is a pitch on "Chinese Water Torture". Most of the lower parts of this route are gone as is almost the entire "Get Whacked" route. Despite claims to the contrary, most of the "Waterfall Route" appears to be largely intact. Potential new route in the white scar. I'd give it a Winter of storms to clean it up a bit first.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:47am PT
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Rockfall in Yosemite is usually large and, given the slow process of geologic events, alarmingly frequent. The massive fall at Elephant Rock was not very many years ago and many of us can remember driving to the base of the Cookie on a side road now blocked by massive boulders twenty feet deep.
Everytime I look at Boot Flake I get the impression it's pasted onto the wall with chewing gum. I suspect that climbing routes at the base of El Cap (nibbling at the toes of the giant in Robbins' words) is beginning to loose it's charm.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:52am PT
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You are going to put gstock out of work deepglue... I doubt it. Defining the rock scar outline where the rockfall originated is the easy part. Defining the processes and risk factors that lead to rockfall is the challenge. Where and when the great granite monolith exhibited vulnerability this week would have been extremely difficult to predict in advance.
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cleo
Social climber
wherever you go, there you are
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Sep 29, 2017 - 09:59am PT
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Size estimate?
60,000 m3?
I don't have a very good reference scale, but that puts it among the largest in historic times. Large enough to trigger seismometers, I may have to take a look later...
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:04am PT
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Everytime I look at Boot Flake I get the impression it's pasted onto the wall with chewing gum.
Yeah, given that rock over by the Waterfall route was a slab, makes one wonder how long a detached flake will be there.
I'm curious to know if Pete, and crew heard any weird noises prior to the slides.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:10am PT
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WTF, do I have this right? it's Pete's group and not some other?
Thanks, too, I had missed this side by side gstock comparison with noted mention of climbers for reference.
Klaus, thanks for the clarification.
Original, gstock...
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:10am PT
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I was at the top of the first pitch of Stoners when that big chunk fell off left of the Trip in 77?
By far and away the biggest I've ever seen.
Any estimates on how the two events compare?
PB
Edit.
OK, I think that last post answers my question.
Looks humungous.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:17am PT
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If he had stayed in the place where he took the
photos on the first day of the rockfall
the 2nd day rockfall would have taken them out.
heh.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:27am PT
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I'd say we're looking at about 10,000 cubic yards!
That's about 600 dump truck loads or 15,000 TONS!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:29am PT
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Nothing the lads at Facelift can't handle.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:33am PT
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hey there say, Ojai...
whewww, as to this quote of yours:
Sep 29, 2017 - 06:24am PT
I just keep thinking about the SAR members that went into the fall zone after the first event. They probably knew more was likely to come. Risky job, we're lucky to have you guys and gals, thank you.
yes... oh my...
and mtnyoung...
thank you for the photo share, of all the rock dust, :O
looking at the photos--
when you see the HUGE rock-scape in FULL, from afar, the 'rock fall' seems so similar to 'water rolling off its shoulder' and it stands yet, so powerful in spite of it all...
YET,
to us humans, and the trees and land below:
the hugeness and tremendous power, in the reactions from this type of fall
is nearly beyond what we can comprehend... :O
and this last one... to fill the rock dusk, into the valley, :O
drawing near, by either BEING THERE, or, by zoom photos, (such as tom, takes) we see how 'minute' we are, compared to all that yosemite
HAS in masses of rock THROUGHOUT the valley...
i remember that since a small kid...
BUT--it is a whole OTHER thing, to imagine these RESCUE working, having to
DEAL WITH the aftermath of such a BREAKING LOOSE...
or, pete's group, dealing with it, and worse of all, of the
others that have died during one...
i also think of mason, and others, that we have learned of, through
the years...
:(
thank you to these rescue workers...
we can't thank you enough for what you do...
edit:
thank you for the BEFORE AND AFTER pics...
and,
thank you for the link, as to andy's lost, and the
honor, given to him...
prayers for his wife, as she recovers, and
must go on, without him, now...
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:42am PT
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My condolences to those who were injured, and to the family of the young man who lost his life. I hope that all climbers steer clear of this area for some time to come. Be safe.
Tim
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Slabby D
Trad climber
B'ham WA
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Sep 29, 2017 - 10:48am PT
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I'm curious to know if Pete, and crew heard any weird noises prior to the slides.
ryansheridan We slept in the fall zone only a couple nights ago. I remember leading the pitches up to our camp, and thinking that all the rock was garbage. I was convinced that I would zipper the whole pitch if I fell. I guess I was right about that seeing as it parted ways with El-cap. I was really stressed after hooking and freeclimbing and really wanted a solid piece of protection. I placed a horizontal beak, and hit it once with my hammer. I swore I saw the whole wall drop an inch, I blamed it on stress and finished the lead but it seemed real enough to yell down to Pete as he cleaned the pitch. We convinced ourselves it was impossible that such a massive feature could move, even an inch.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZnUI30FXHf/?taken-by=ryansheridan
SO these guys were on the Waterfall Route? Anyone have a good pic with a topo to see where/how it passed through the rockfall?
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Sep 29, 2017 - 11:06am PT
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Nothing the lads at Facelift can't handle.
Collecting micro trash was getting a little tedious.
Susan
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cleo
Social climber
wherever you go, there you are
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Sep 29, 2017 - 11:26am PT
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I placed a horizontal beak, and hit it once with my hammer. I swore I saw the whole wall drop an inch,
Geez, wow. Glad you didn't hit it any harder.
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