I had decided not to post this earlier but in hindsight I think I will. We were at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and I was after this very important pic but did not want anyone else around (details and pic later).
I saw this spot and climbed down the side of the canyon; I was being cautious and all went well. I found "the perfect spot"; there was a rock about 4' high there and if I climbed up on top of it I would have the perfect shooting angle, so I did. The rock was so eroded and it had little shards sticking up everywhere, making it painful and difficult to get up there. Being able to do one handed push-ups really came in handy. I made my shots and looked around trying to pick the best way to get down. I decided to just "hop off". In all of my years climbing rocks I've never had this happen but this one time. There I was 10' from the edge of a drop of over half a mile. It didn't even cross my mind that something might go wrong and 10 might not be enough. The spot I would be jumping down to was solid rock, covered with smaller pebbles, gently sloping towards the precipice. There was a thorn bush about 18" from the edge that barely warranted my attention. Piece of cake, right?
I hopped off the rock but my right foot refused to move; one of the rock shards had stuck up into the rubber sole of my shoe. It happened too quickly to respond; all I could do was watch it happen. I made a one point landing on the rocks, I felt the jagged little rocks tearing into the palms of my hands and my left kneecap. I felt them plunging into my torso and my face barely missed the full impact. The forward motion and angle sent me rolling over towards the cliffs edge. My next sensation was seeing the thorn bush rushing at my face. I sprawled out to keep from rolling over one more time. My face went into the thorn bush with one of the 1" thorns gouging into my flesh less than 1/16" below my right eye.
I pushed back from the bush, sat up and assesed my physical condition. At least I was alive. My hands had deep gouges and the skin was hanging in flaps in several places. I knew I would be getting sore very quickly so I got up, dusted myself off and *carefully* worked my way back to the top. I got the first aid kit and dressed my wounds and we went on our way south.
Was I being unsafe? I didn't think so; I had 10' to the edge. But like Dusty says "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough." I guess it wasn't my time to go; I didn't see my life flash before me. My only thought as I gave one more look over the edge was "I would have had time for one of those King James prayers on the way down!"
Posted by goddinfla (Member # 1502) on :
That'll teach you to wear your Wile E.Coyote outfit when rock climbing. . . . . . . . splat
Glad to hear it turned out ok.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...Ricky, how many close calls do you need for you to to finally learn to STAY HOME!!!
Posted by Kimmy Fitzgerald (Member # 5109) on :
Ricky,
Yes. You cheated death for sure.
I hear your having a great time there. Bryce is also a sight to see. Did you happen to see any snow in the morning on the HOODOOs? it gives them a great effect.
Did you hit Lake Powell yet. It is a must SEE! Rent a boat and go see the natural bridge. If you look close enough you can find these little crevasse's that you can drive your boat down into....at the end is normally a private cave type beach with the sun shining in ...it is very wonderful if your not claustrophobic.
I Love that area of the US... thinking of taking Captn out sometime soon so he can realize the sheer enormity of it all.
Have fun....BE SAFE!
[ September 29, 2006, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: Kimmy Fitzgerald ]
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Just had a friend come back from the Grand Canyon.. he was telling me about some.. hmm.... some crazy person.. (not the words he used) that he saw standing way out on the edge holding their camera at an arms length to get a picture from over the lip...
Didn't even think about it that you were in the area... now I'm wondering!
Glad you are alive.. I've had a similar experience, but I've got to find the pics before I post it... hehe.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
I am reminded of a similar situation in my youth. I don't remember it as clearly, but I had been hiking wildly with some friends in the mountains, it was not far in the wilderness... more of a day hike trail to a waterfall lookout, in a populated park. I think we were running & jumping around like mountain goats to make mingling in the same territory with the sedentary middle class park visitors less offensive to our invincible self image.
Anyway, my friends had stopped near this grassy hairpin turn going down the trail. Actually I'm sure it was off the actual trail, as it was straddling a deep chasm & I lept down to land amongst my friends, but the waterfall spray moistened the slippery grass, & while the landing zone looked large, soft, & well away from the chasm... it also looked much flatter from up above... I slid way to freaking close to the chasm to allow my injured ego to remember... but I do know I narrowly escaped bodily injuries I would have not so easily forgotten.
Posted by Bobbie Rochow (Member # 3341) on :
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, you stinker you! No, you didn't cheat death, the Good Lord saved your butt!
I am REALLY glad you are ok & back on here to tell us about it!
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
"Stupid is as stupid does"
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Raymond..."You can't fix stupid!"
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Well, we're in Los Angeles now to see the daughter. We went by her job and she was giving finals today. She is an instructor for a hair/makeup/special effects studio here; do you have any idea what sort of freak show I walked in on? We're not talking about a pencil and paper kinda test. Sorry to say we won't be going back thru Utah this trip Kimmy; it would be nice but I'm getting tired of all the driving so we're heading back this coming Monday. Jon, I didn't even get close to the edge except when I fell. I can't believe all the hoopla I've heard about L.A. traffic; here we are driving thru L.A., on Friday, between 4:30 and 5:30 and it's not as bad as Atlanta in my opinion. Maybe we just didn't get on the "bad" roads,LOL.
Posted by J & N Signs (Member # 901) on :
This sure makes the Canadian Custom Officers irrelevant... Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Just noticed yer latest tag line Ricky..
Hmm. You do one arm pushups, make speedos look good AND cheat death???
Yer starting to sound like OP!!
Well.except for the pushup part, and the speedo part!!!!
I am glad that OP did the "cheating" thing though... Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
ricky...that trip to canada ....didnt wake you up?..........or are we into a MID-LIFE CRISIS? and you need to talk to BOONE!!!!! he has a perpencity for physical damage.......but i gota agree with si...."Raymond..."You can't fix stupid!"
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Heheh; as I grew up in immediate area, the Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places on earth, and the most spiritual, I call still recall sitting, crossed legged, on the top of a tabletop mesa, w/blanket around shoulders, taking in a beautiful sunrise and listening to the gentle morning breeze whispering across the canyons crooks and crannies....."Rickie, go home"
Posted by Nancie W. Phillips (Member # 3484) on :
I want to see pictures of all this at the Dixie meet...'K Ricky?
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Isn't it great that the majority of "stupid" things we do don't result in death? Dumb is no respecter of IQ. I've been in the running several times for a Darwin Award, but dumb luck has kept me from being a winner so far. I'm glad you survived the lesson Ricky.
Posted by Dusty Campbell (Member # 4601) on :
Glad you didn't plummet to yer death.
I didn't think LA traffic was as bad as ATL congestion wise, but the SOB that hit me while we were doing 70 on the 110 and then gave me the finger as he exited made me think the a$$hole factor is higher.
And why is it some places call their roads "the" whatever?
[ September 30, 2006, 06:45 PM: Message edited by: Dusty Campbell ]
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Dusty I agree with you about the traffic; it's not *nearly* as bad as Atlanta's. Boy, they drive "different" out there. I bet I had a dozen motorcycles scream between me and the next car. ...and they call southerners "dumb", LOL.
I'm not going to comment on the remarks about me being stupid; it wasn't stupidity. Stupidity would have been jumping down with only 4' of LZ; I had about 10. Accidents happen.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
4' or 10'....it was still stupid.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
I won't hazard a statement on the wisdom of your leap since this pot has used up nine or ten lives already and is in no position to call the kettle black. However, this story reminds me of another (as always).
A park ranger in Yellowstone told me of something that happened decades ago at one of the overlooks to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
An earthquake struck while tourists were on the platform. All but one immediately scrambled to safety. The last guy kept filming with his camera and even shot part of the overlook breaking off at his feet and tumbling a thousand feet into the void. Somehow, he managed to leap to secure ground before his vantage spot dropped to oblivion.
He tried to sell his video to the park service for ten grand but they weren't about to reward him for what they considered to be... stupidity.
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
My daughter works at Disney World in Florida managing the (name edited out to protect the innocent) Resort. The things shes tells us that the "guests" do would curl your hair.
Like the "guests" who let their 2 year old run down to the pool by herself...they drug her out after several minutes underwater, paramedics saved her life.
Then there was this family from oversees who stopped their rental car (at night) on the middle of the road in front of the Disney Main Entrance, got out of the car to get their picture taken by another family member.
A speeding car driven by a Disney 3rd shift worker who was late to work came flying around the corner and killed them all!
Those stupid things happen on a daily basis by "idoits on vacation." Its emotionally hard to go to work and deal with that everyday, then be the one that gets the blame...because its never the "idiots on vacation" fault, or so they try to claim, every time, every day.
So Ricky...sorry, you were just another "idiot on vacation" (that we be according to my daughter's view and terminology
[ October 02, 2006, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Well my take is that every time you get in your car, you're taking more of a risk that I took. Do you think the vegan mom in idaho that gave her 2 year old a spinach smoothie was being stupid? I'm sitting here in Taos, NM looking at the cover of the visitor guide and there is a mountain climber climbing an umdercut rock; he's at least 100 feet above the ground. People skydive, scuba dive, ride bulls, ride motorcycles, parasail, hang glide and go downtown Atlanta at night, all a lot more dangerous than a little jump from 4' high or so with 10' or so to the edge of the canyon. It wasn't stupidity; it was an accident. I'm really starting to get P*$$ed about the stupidity remarks; it's insulting.
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
so dont do stupid stuff...like posting about the stupid stuff ya do.. thats easy....
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Getting a little sensitive there in your older years Mr. Jackson?
OK...it wasn't stupid. Feel better now?
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
![[Applause]](graemlins/applause.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I've been in the running several times for a Darwin Award, but dumb luck has kept me from being a winner so far. I'm glad you survived the lesson Ricky.
![[Bash]](graemlins/bash.gif)
(that we be according to my daughter's view and terminology