Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite

This book was written by a retired National Park Ranger who well documented all the knownfatalities that have occurred over the last 150 years within the Yosemite Park boundaries.The text is divided into chapter categories such as:WaterfallsBase JumpingSnowAircraft DownFalls While HikingDrowningLostMurderHomicide.Each chapter gives what amounts to a study on select events within the category and then providesa full summary of the fatalities within that category at the end of the chapter which includesincidents that were not fully described in the case study.The style of writing is not dry at all andincludes hints of sarcasm or humor where appropriate. For example, one woman was killed while illegallyBASE jumping (parachuting) off of a cliff. The event was advertised and the Park Service knew of it inadvance because the event was a "protest" to demonstrate the "safety" of BASE jumping. The author pointsout the irony that the woman DIED as she attempted to protest the "unnecessary" prohibition against asport she felt was "safe." The text even provides eye witness recollections of the final words peopleuttered as they slipped to their deaths (you can guess a few of those words).Details of the deaths can sometimes be grusome, but there is only one photo in the entire book and that is onthe front cover. (A man who starved to death in the 1930's after being trapped by an early winter storm).The book is actually an excellent source of wilderness education. If you are the type of person who learns fromthe mistakes of others, you will benefit by reading the book. Or, if you are simply unaware that people actuallyget LOST in Yosemite Park and are never heard from again, it is an eye opener. And for those among us who thinkthat a National PARK is safe to behave without concern of one's behavior, the book will explain that theterm PARK is nothing more than a bureaucratic title for what can be a dangerous wild area.I had one friend reject the concept of reading the book as "not being a positive activity." Its people likehim who falsely think that going through life is a matter of "being positive" rather than being well informed.Its people like him who get lost and then can't extract themselves from danger despite being a "positive thinker."I recommend the book for adult or young adult reading and give it a 5 Star rating.

This is a great read. The more you know Yosemite the more gripping it is. I had my own experience on a valley wall as a young teen that could have made me an entry in this book but I was one of the lucky ones whose fall was broken by a tree (and this did not involve trying to get a better photo or view but rather came out of getting caught in a freak blizzard and white out).Sadly the people who may need this book the most will never read it. I have seen so many parents do stupid things with their kids around the falls it is amazing more people have not been swept over Vernal Falls. One would think people would learn but it seems they never will.One thing however, this book comes down very hard on off trail hiking. Off trail hiking can be safe but one needs to be excellent at trail hiking first and the valley is NOT a good place to do off trail for the beginner of X-country.....and the walls are death traps unless you really know your route and are willing to turn around at any point.....getting cliffed out is all too common on the walls. Unlike the past, the internet is full of off trail routes that help with route finding but you still must know your limits ahead of time and stick to the CLASS of hike you planned on. The worst thing to say to yourself is....."oh it is only a short bit of class 4....I looks doable." Yep....could be you last thoughts. While upclimbing can be fun, downclimbing pretty much always sucks and that class 3/4 up could end up being a class 4/5 down if it does not lead anywhere. Remember....if you route is suppose to be a class 3 and you hit a class 4 you are OFF ROUTE....time to retrace your steps and see where you messed up. You don't want to be an entry in the next edition of this book.

I've been a wilderness guide since about 1973. Early in my career, when I was an apprentice climbing instructor, part of the evening fireside ritual was reading from "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" published annually by the American Alpine Club. The chief climbing instructor would read the case, and then we do a group analysis with our students on what went wrong and what we might learn from it. This process was very formative for me and definitely strengthened whatever native caution I had. It may have contributed to a certain timidity that kept me out of trouble, but also discouraged me from becoming particularly accomplished as a mountaineer.This book has many stories that are similarly useful. Like other reviewers, I found it hard to put down once I started, and I read it cover-to-cover over about two days; I suggest clearing your schedule before you crack this book open. There are a lot of ways to die in the mountains, and Yosemite has been a laboratory of sorts for those ill-fated experimenters whose ignorance, poor judgement, and bad luck have terminated their research. There are chilling stories of simple decisions gone terribly wrong, and even more chilling stories of car wrecks and psychopathic murder rampages. As a guide, the tales about misjudgement of the power of water in streams and rivers, and about getting lost, stand out. My colleagues and I put a lot of effort into preventing these mishaps; on long trips in the Spring the stream crossing can definitely be more hazardous than technical ascents on backcountry peaks. But that's not to say that tales of climbing accidents are not also informative, because they are. Some of the stories are legendary, and have been told and retold around many a campfire. Others were new to me. I was a bit surprised at the total count of climbing deaths in Yosemite; I would have estimated about twice as many. And how many is that? Buy the book and see. You won't regret it, and it just may help you stay out of trouble.

Good and informative. A good read before travel or on the plane.Print size good.

i enjoyed the book but I thought the grand canyon book was the better one.

Interesting books about accidents and incidents in the Yosemite National Park

Very good book