Search and Rescue at Yosemite National Park

 Search and Rescue at Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park.  Tuesday, July 25, 2006.  We were both up early.  Breakfast was just a bowl of cereal.  We stuffed two bottles of water along with two apples in the back pack.

We arrived at the stable at 7:00am.  Many of the riders already had on the required riding helmets.  At the office window we read and signed a release form.  No backpacks, video cameras or fanny packs were allowed on the ride.

Before the mules were brought out, the stable boss, Don, gave us a briefing.  Under no circumstances were any riders to dismount.  I was told I could bring my digital camera, but no video cameras.  Then all riders looked at a short video which reviewed safety precautions and procedures during the ride.  At first Don told Eleanor she would have to keep on her leg brace.  He assumed that it was a prosthetic leg.  The stable supervisor, Marie, came out and said the brace could be removed and tied to the saddle bags.

For some reason there was a delay bringing out and saddling the mules.  Don threw his clipboard down on the ground in frustration over the delay.  Some of the other young stable hands then pitched in and helped saddle the mules.  Each rider's name was called in order, and helped onto their assigned mule.  Saddles were then checked and stirrups adjusted to the correct length.  They had Eleanor stand on a tree stump and get on her mule, "Flipper" (facing the camera).  Her saddle was loose.  Eleanor's helper seemed inexperienced.  It took several tries before she had it tight enough.  I put Eleanor's leg brace in our canvas carrying bag, and it was then tied onto the saddlebag area.  When I tried to get on my mule the saddle slid sideways.  After readjusting the straps, they told me to use the tree stump to get in the saddle.  Our two bottles of water and two apples were put in my saddlebags.

At times we skirted the Merced River.

The shade was welcome.  The temperature was rising fast, with a predicted high of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Three riders were wearing "water backpacks," which were allowed because they contained a bladder filled with water.  The rider uses a length of rubber tubing draped over the shoulder to siphon a drink of water.  Two of these riders were experienced.  They proved their worth later during our mule ride.

Eventually we crossed a bridge over the Merced River (lower left in photo below) and entered a switchback trail that would ascend the side of the mountain just to the right of Vernal Falls.  This was where the easy part of the ride ended.  Nevada Falls is in the upper right of the photo.

Now were constantly ascending in altitude.  Sections of the switchbacks, such as shown in the photos, were very steep.  This would become a problem on the way back.

The trail got more rugged in spots.  Eleanor's saddle was giving her trouble.  It was loose again.  At one point we had to stop so they could re-tighten the saddle.  There were sections of the trail that had apparently been eroded by heavy rains.  Loose rocks were common in these areas.  These mules knew the trail by heart.  But my mule "Clint" stumbled on a loose rock and fell to his knees at one point.  Luckily this was on the way up.  If that happened on the way down, I would have been pitched forward out of the saddle.


                                                                                   
 At times the edge of the trail was nothing but a seemingly bottomless cliff.  As we neared the top, spectacular views opened up.
                                                                                                    

As we neared the next switchback, I took a photo that almost duplicated one I had taken in 1971.

 
It was 1971 the last time we passed this way.  (See photo below) That is a 28 year old Eleanor in the saddle with the red jacket.  She wore a cowboy hat to shade her from the sun.  Back then the half day ride took us all the way to Nevada Falls, shown in the background.  We were able to dismount and take photos.  I remember being cautioned not to get too close to the edge of the falls.  The previous week a couple had ventured too close and were swept to their deaths.

But today (2006) we were behind schedule.  As soon as we turned the corner, the lead guide received a radio transmission.  It was 10:20am.  It would take two hours to get back to the stable.  The next half-day ride was scheduled to depart at 1:00pm.  We were told to turn around and head back to the stables.

Eleanor's saddle was loose again.  One of the guides dismounted to tighten it.

 So we started back down without even taking a break to drink some water.  Within a few minutes, a rider pulling supplies on a mule "pack train" joined us.  Now things became difficult.  This was my last photo on the trail.  Each step the mule took down pitched the riders forward.  Any loose rocks made it worse.  In order to stay in the saddle, we had to lean way back, hold the pommel with one hand and the strap behind the saddle with the other hand, and push forward hard in the stirrups at a level almost to the mule's head.  Eventually my feet became numb from pushing so hard in the stirrups.  Eleanor has one good leg.  The other has no muscle control due to childhood polio.  Since we reversed direction, Eleanor was now behind me, So I couldn't see her.  Within 5-10 minutes, the rider behind me yelled "rider down!"  When I turned to look, Eleanor was sitting on the ground next to her mule.  She was afraid of being stepped on, bit the mule didn't move.  (Eleanor later told me that she knew she was falling.  Her concern was to get the foot of her weak leg out of the stirrup to avoid being dragged by the mule).  The rider behind me dismounted to go help.  I wanted to get off also.  She told me I couldn't dismount because I was an inexperienced rider.  She gave me the reins to her mule.  She and the guides along with the pack train rider went to Eleanor and said "Can you get back on the mule?"  I was sure she had broken her weaker leg.  But Eleanor said "I think I can get back on.  I don't think anything is broken."  With the help of a rock ledge, they were able to help Eleanor back on her mule.  For the next hour Eleanor barely held on.  She almost fell off again 3-4 times.  As we approached any loose rocks or step-downs, I yelled a warning to prepare her.

The multiple near-falls started to have an effect on Eleanor.  She began to hyperventilate and had to be told to concentrate on breathing.  Finally, halfway down the switchbacks, Eleanor insisted on being taken off the mule and left on the trail.  The guide said. "What do you plan on doing?"  Eleanor said, "My husband will return with my crutches and I will walk out."  The guides helped her off and onto a nearby rock.  She felt a bit shaky, sore and stiff.  She requested one of the bottles of water that was in my saddlebags.  I asked her if she wanted me to leave the apples too.  She agreed and I had to pass them to the rider behind me.  She was able to give Eleanor the bottle of water, but had to toss the apples near some rocks.  We found out later that the temperature had reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit.  By now I think I was in a state of shock over what happened and the possibility of unknown internal injuries.  I started concentrating on the landmarks so I would be able to find my way back to Eleanor.  It never occurred to me to tell the guides to radio the stable for help.  I kept thinking that this all was my fault.  I was the one who arranged for this mule ride.  It was a good thing Eleanor got off when she did.  The switchback trail actually got even worse as we continued down.  It soon became apparent that there was no way that Eleanor would be able to walk back even with her crutches.  Now I couldn't wait for us to return to the stable so I could tell them to notify park rangers for a rescue.  

 We left Eleanor on the trail at about 11:10am.  It wasn't until 12:20pm that we finally arrived at the stable.

  I dismounted as fast as I could and ran over to the stable office.  I told the young girl there that my wife fell off her mule and was left on the trail.  I asked her to call for Park Ranger Search and Rescue.  The girl looked at me and said. "I can't believe they left a rider on the trail!"  She immediately went in the back and returned with the stable supervisor, Marie.  I repeated what I told the young girl.  She picked up the phone and called park rangers.  The ranger asked to speak to me.  I told him what happened  and that Eleanor was approximately halfway down the switchback section of the trail.  I was told to stay at the stable until further notice.  Park security was also called.  All the guides involved as well as the mule train driver had to make a written statement.  The mule train driver was the only one who actually saw Eleanor fall.  By now it was very hot.  I went over to the vending machine for a bottle of water and some energy bars in case Eleanor needed them.  Marie showed me a shady area behind the shed where I could wait.  Park Security Officer Rick Garrecht arrived and asked me questions on a form he filled out.  Marie aske me several times if there was anything she could get me.  She refilled my water bottle.  Intermittently a report would come in over the radio.  Some one reported seeing her at the Vernal Falls Bridge.  Rick said, "She's walked about a mile.  She is one tough lady!"  At one point a ground squirrel showed up.  I tried to get him to come closer.  Marie said "Be careful.  He'll run up your arm!"  I said to Marie "Do you know what we had planned for this afternoon?  Take a nap!"  A park ranger named Victor showed up to see how I was doing and give me an update.  The guides finished their written statements and left.  Only one came over to say she hoped everything turned out okay.


After we had left at 11:10am Eleanor settled down on a rock and began shaking. 

Realizing that she was dehydrated, she drank half the bottle of water, and stopped.  It could be several hours before Bill showed up.  The rest of the bottle may be needed later.  After retrieving the apples, she felt very stiff and sore.  Realizing that if she stayed seated she may not be able to walk, Eleanor decided to hold onto boulders and trees while slowly making her way along the edge of the trail away from all the loose rocks.  This worked fine until she ran out of boulders and trees.  Unable to go further, she sat down.  Soon a lady hiker approached on her way up the trail.  Eleanor told her what happened and asked if she could help her to the next area of boulders and trees to hold onto.  Each time she would run into an opening, she would sit down and wait for another hiker to show up.  This method of transportation continued for about a half mile.  Then an elderly lady hiker in her 80's on the way up the trail stopped and told Eleanor she would help her.  The lady heard Eleanor's story and agreed that the trail was very rough.   That was why her husband refused to go on the hike.  She had left him back at the trailhead.  As the lady and Eleanor were making their way along, a male hiker showed up and asked if they needed any help.  Eleanor said "Yes, if I could hold onto your arm that would be a big help."  After hearing Eleanor's tale of woe, he said "You know, you would be better off meeting your husband at the bridge."  So with the help of two kind strangers, Eleanor made it the rest of the way to the bridge.  There she sat down on a boulder.  After about 15 minutes, she realized that Bill would not know to look for her at the bridge.  She would be better off moving to a spot where he could see her.  However, that would mean moving to a location uphill.  So Eleanor enlisted the aid of two passing male British tourists to achieve her goal.  While sitting there, another couple passing by asked if Eleanor needed any help.  The boyfriend agreed to help take her the rest of the way to the point where the mule path and hiking path intersect.  Before leaving, the hiker asked why she wanted to be left there.  He took out a map to check the route that Bill would be able to come.  The hiker said that Bill would have to return via the bridge.  So he helped her walk back to the bridge.  Once back at the bridge, she was able to refill her water bottle using a nearby water fountain.  A father accompanied by his two college-aged daughters approached on their way back down the trail.  Eleanor asked them if they knew where the stables were and if they could deliver a message.  Before she could continue, Eleanor came close to crying.  After telling them her story, the father said that he would take her back to the stable no matter how much time it took.  It was another mile to the stables.  They stopped frequently to rest and drink some water.  Eleanor kept slipping on the rounded pebbles.  At this point, Park Ranger Seach and Rescue showed up and asked if anyone needed help.  The father said "She does."  The time was 3:00pm.  After some difficulty with communications, one of the rangers was able to radio the team for a stretcher.  Following a check of her vitals (blood pressure, temperature, etc.), the rangers then called for an ambulance.  The team with a stretcher showed up and partially strapped Eleanor down.  She was in too much pain to lie flat.  With eight rangers holding onto the stretcher, which rested on a big wheel, she was rolled down the trail to the waiting ambulance.

Back at the stable, word came in that the rangers found Eleanor, and she was being transported to the Medical Clinic.  Officer Rick told me to follow his patrol car to the clinic.

We arrived there before the ambulance.

Shortly after I sat down in the clinic to begin filling out forms, Eleanor arrived on a stretcher.  She said later that she hadn't wanted me to worry, so she waved and said "I'm okay!" as she passed on the way down the hall.  X-Rays revealed no broken bones.  But Eleanor was in a lot of pain.  Her back was extremely tender.  The muscles in her forearm as well as the shin muscle in her good leg were very sore.  Apparently getting back on the mule did more damage than the actual fall.  She severely strained her shin and forearm muscles trying to stay on the mule.  The doctor gave her two prescriptions: Vicodin for the pain, and Valium for muscle spasms.  Good thing we had the wheelchair because we were able to use it during the rest of our stay in Yosemite.  Unfortunately it wasn't until Friday evening while packing that we found out that the Vicodin was more a hindrance than a help.  Feeling less pain caused Eleanor to believe that she was not as badly injured as was the case.  She was on her feet too long that night.  That aggravated the muscle injury.  Soon after she finished packing on Friday, she wasn't able to walk at all.  Before leaving we stopped at the Clinic for any required additional information.  The bill would be submitted to our medical carrier.  As we were leaving, I told the girl behind the desk "Thank You and Goodbye!  I hope we never see you again!"  Back in 1971, Eleanor spent a few hours at this same Clinic as a result of too much sun while on the full day mule ride to the top of Yosemite Falls.  This was getting to be too much "Deja vu!"

It had been a rough day.  We were tired and hungry.  Our first stop was Degnan's Loft.

We ordered a large pizza.  Eleanor was able to eat one slice after finishing a salad.  I had a large glass of beer while Eleanor had Sprite.  We made a toast to surviving the day.  The wheelchair was used to get Eleanor back to the van.

How we found Untours

I believe in fate. I also believe that sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can happen.

Episode (1)

It all began in the Spring of 2001. We had just started listening to a radio station in North Jersey called WMTR. The theme of the show was music from our youth, the 1950's. One morning while Eleanor was listening, they announced the annual "Living in Style" contest. That year the winner and companion would be going on a trip to Switzerland. To enter, you had to either mail or fax your entry. Eleanor had just installed a fax on our computer. The contest entry was the first fax she sent on our new system. For the next two months a name would be drawn each morning around 7:00-7:30am and announced on the air. If your name was announced, you had 10 minutes to call the station to qualify (along with a companion) for the "Big Band Brunch" June 24, 2001 at the Skylands in Randolph, New Jersey. Every successful contestant would also receive a $50 gift certificate at a local store as well as an entry in the drawing for the Grand Prize, a trip for two to Switzerland. The drawing would take place at the end of the brunch. Neither Eleanor nor I ever won anything significant in our lives. But we figured that at least we had a chance for a free brunch. On April 16th, the very first day of the contest, lo and behold Eleanor's name was called. She immediately called the station. Her name was the first on the list for the Big Band Brunch.

Episode 2) "Luck be a Lady Tonight"

In between having Eleanor's name called and the day of the Big Band Brunch, we went on vacation (April 30 to May 11th). It included stops in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C.. Highlights in included a visit to the the Star-Spangled Banner House and Fort McHenry. In Annapolis it was the Naval Academy and breakfast at Chick & Ruth's Deli, where each morning at 8:30am everyone stands and recites the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Raising the Flag at Ft. McHenry

In Washington, we hit many of the major sites, including a visit with an old high school friend of mine on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. The plan was to also visit The Pentagon, but we ran out of time.

On June 24, 2001, we drove to Skylands in Randolph, New Jersey for the Big Band Brunch. We were required to show our invitation at the entrance. Then your name is checked off the list. Each preliminary winner had to put their name on a card and drop it in a basket. The man ahead of us announced the he would be the big winner of the trip to Switzerland. Eleanor estimated that there were 120 people in attendance, 60 eligible for the Grand Prize and 60 guests. There was an old time band along with two big buffet tables filled with food. However, we weren't very hungry. The previous night we filled up on goodies at a family party.

The lady in blue announced that we were seated at the "Lucky Table". She had won a trip to England the previous year.

Episode (3) How lucky can we get!

Of course Eleanor made a point of getting an autograph and photo of Chris Edwards, WMTR Morning Show Host.

At 2:56pm, they had the drawing for the Grand Prize. It was an absolute total shock when they announced the name....Eleanor Kover. How lucky can you get!

The Grand Prize was a 9 day trip for two to Switzerland. In mid-November, we would fly Business First Class. Once in Zurich, Trafalgar escorted tours would take us on a bus tour to Zurich, Liechtenstein, Locarno, Stresa, Zermatt, Lake Geneva, Montreux, Geneva, Berne, Interlaken, Brienz and Lucerne. The fact that all this would take place over a period of only 7 days did not sink in until we recovered from our subdued delirium.

We hardly ever go into New York City anymore. We've "been there, done that" in our younger days. But for July 4th, we decided to do something we've never done before, see in person the Macy's fireworks display in New York City. We signed up for a bus tour into the city where we would board a Circle Line boat that would take us around the tip of Manhattan to the East River.

Little did I know that this would be my last photos of the World Trade Center.

We passed under the Brooklyn Bridge and dropped anchor. I think this is when our luck started to change. The fireworks display was a big disappointment. Our Circle Line boat was positioned too far away for a good view of the display.

Episode (4) September 11, 2001

We had planned a 6 day trip to the hometown of Norman Rockwell, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in September followed by a few days with Eleanor's cousin, Richard, in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. It was a little stressful preparing for the Switzerland trip. I'm used to a year's worth of preparation on any big vacation. But we decided to go ahead with the Massachusetts/Quebec trip anyway. We thought that it would be good to get away and relax. In Quebec, we would be staying at the lakeside house of Richard's girlfriend, Danielle. While Eleanor and Danielle read a book lakeside, I would go out into the countryside with Richard. He would relax painting landscapes, and I would do my photography thing.

September 11, 2001. We were staying at a Bed and Breakfast in Stockbridge. It had rained heavy the night before. But the morning was glorious and sunny. We were the only people there. So breakfast was leisurely and included a long conversation with the owner.

Breakfast, September 11, 2001 8:36am

By the time we got started with the planned itinerary for the day, it was almost 10:00am. Eleanor turned on the radio in the car to listen for the weather forecast. It didn't take long before we lost all interest in the weather. There was no television back at the B&B. We decided to continue with the plans for the day, if only to take our minds off what was happening.

We arrived at Chesterwood, the estate of Daniel Chester French, the designer of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in time for the first tour of the day.

There was only one tour conducted that day...us. By 11:50am, we were in the gift shop. The saleslady was very upset. Her husband and son were both fireman in New York City. Chesterwood closed soon afterwards. We didn't find out what happened to those two firemen until two years later on a return trip. They both made it through the terrorist attack okay.

Episode (5) It must be a brain tumor!

The month of October was spent making final preparations for our trip to Switzerland. Since the delirium of winning the Grand Prize, our enthusiasum had dampened. We weren't looking forward to a grueling tour bus marathon of 12 cities in 7 days. The only thing that appealed to us about the trip was flying business first class. So as our departure date of November 12th approached, our mood was more a sense of dread than anticipation. Our flight was scheduled to depart Newark International Airport at 5:15pm. We had made arrangements for a limo to pick us up at 1:00pm. Our bags were all packed and ready.

Monday, November 12, 2001

During the night, I made a trip to the bathroom. I felt dizzy, and had to hold onto things to make it back to bed. When I took my shower at 7:00am, the dizziness returned, accompanied by a feeling of nausea and the beginnings of sweats. I crawled back into bed, and told Eleanor I wasn't feeling well. Our doctor told Eleanor to bring me into the office to be examined. In the meantime, reports of an airplane crash in Queens, New York came in over the news. Terrorism was a possibility. Newark Airport was closed as a precaution. Not long after that the limo service called and cancelled our ride to the airport.

To get to the doctor's office, Eleanor had to get me dressed and out to the car. I had to move in very slow motion to prevent a wave of dizziness from overwhelming me. Once in the car, I had to recline the seat and put my baseball cap over my face. It didn't take long for the doctor to announce that I had "labyrinthitis", a viral infection of the inner ear. She gave me a prescription for Dimenhydrinate (also known as Dramamine) and sent me home. She said that labyrinthitis usually runs its course over a few weeks. In the meantime, I was to keep still and rest. Furthermore I was to avoid sudden position changes as well as bright lights. She also advised me not to do any reading. Those instructions were easy to follow. The only time I felt halfway better was when I stayed in bed in a certain position.

Eleanor called the travel agent and told her what happened. She was informed that this was a special arranged trip. If the airports reopenned for business, and the trip has not been rescheduled, that's it. We lost the trip! For the next 4 days, I remained in bed with no improvement. The anti-dizziness medication had absolutely no effect at all. I became convinced that the doctor made the wrong diagnosis. I thought to myself, "It must be a brain tumor. I'm going to die!".

Episode (6) Life is Good!

Well it turns out that the doctor's diagnosis was the correct one. I didn't have a brain tumor. On the fifth day of my forced bed rest, I found out something about recovering from Labyrinthitis. It is not a gradual recovery, but a step-by-step improvement interrupted by several days of no change. One day I was depressed with no recovery in sight. The next day I suddenly felt better. From then on I would suddenly get a little better after a few days of no change. I was first able to move from the bed to the recliner, but had to remain in a reclined position in order to watch any television. It took five weeks before I was able to drive again.

Every Sunday the first section I read in the papers is the Travel Section. I believe it was there that I first saw the word "Untours", probably in an Arthur Frommer article. I looked up the website and registered. I also signed up for notification of any "specials". In mid-December I received an email from Untours about a winter special. For $999 per person we could spend two weeks at a chalet in Switzerland at a place called Sachseln. It even included air fare and a rail pass. This special was good for as late as March 31, 2002. But we had to make our reservation by December 31st. I told Eleanor that we lost Switzerland, and now it was being given back to us. I made the call, and requested a two week period for as late in March as possible. The person at the other end of the line had a pretty name, "Francy". She became our 'lucky lady" that day in December. She told us about an interesting restaurant called "Blindekuh". She made reservations for March 12-26, 2002. When we stepped off the train at Sachseln March 13th, we had on our winter coats. But the temperature that day was 70 degrees Fahrenheit. How lucky could we get! Our luck just got better and better. The two people waiting for us at the train station were Berit and Albert Greutert.

I believe in fate. Because the Grand Prize trip to Switzerland was free, we had not purchased Trip Cancellation/Medical insurance. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had come down with Labyrinthitis while we were in Switzerland. We later found out that in addition to the marathon bus tour and seven different hotels we were scheduled to endure, the month that the trip was scheduled for, November, is the worst month to visit Switzerland. So getting sick and losing the Grand Prize trip to Switzerland was the luckiest thing that ever happened to us.

Well, maybe one of the luckiest. Bad things have happened to both of us in the past that led to lucky changes in our lives. People may think that Eleanor got a bad break when she came down with Polio at the age of five. But that became a lucky break for her. She always wanted to be a teacher. When she was graduating from high school, one of her teachers asked her where she was going to college. Her family was poor. Her father had died when she was 14 years old. She couldn't afford to go to college. That teacher had some connections with admissions at Glassboro State College (now called Rowan University), and knew of a scholarship for the handicapped. She was able to get a full scholarship, and wound up teaching for 29 years.

Polio made that possible. It's a long story, but Eleanor and I would have never met if both our fathers hadn't died when we were young. During college, I had a summer job across the street from her house, but never saw her. When we look back, it seems like fate was gradually bringing us closer and closer until we met at a July 4th barbecue as teammates in a harmless game of darts (We won!).

So I say it again. I believe in fate. I also believe that sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can happen. So the next time you are having a run of bad luck, keep your chin up. The luckiest day of your life may be just around the corner, like the day we found Untours.