danger sign

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 125 (Danger Sign Ignored)

Jeff

A warning sign many ignoreX

A sign placed near the entrance to the trail leading to Bridalveil Fall

This is something I just don’t understand. This warning sign is very clear and announces DANGER. I don’t know how legible it is on your computer monitor or device, but the little red and yellow sign in the upper-left says:

2015 life altering injuries to visitors scrambling between boulders below waterfalls:

  • 1 spinal fracture – paraplegic
  • 1 cervical fracture – quadraplegic
  • 1 skull fracture – traumatic brain injury
  • 1 shoulder dislocation
  • Multiple leg and arm fractures

PLEASE STAY ON THE TRAIL

Below this sign, there are replicas of x-rays that show some of the broken bones and injuries.

With all this, AND with rather large yellow danger signs attached to some of the boulders, people were still scrambling on the rocks and taking risks just like those in the picture.

It is hard for me to understand this behavior. I enjoy a thrill as much as anyone else, but when clear warning is given in a national park or other hiking area, attention must be paid! Another thing or two to keep in mind…Where is the nearest hospital and how would I get there?

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

 

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 104 (Vernal Fall 2/2 – Our Wild National Parks)

Jeff

Reminder - National Parks are Wild Places 

Reminder: National Parks are Wild Places

John Sebastion and the Lovin’ Spoonful recorded the song Younger Generation and one of the lines in the song is:

“And still he’ll stick his finger in the fan.”

I always interpreted that line to mean that no matter what you tell someone, they often need to learn for themselves. Over the years, I have seen this validated numerous times via news stories and accounts of individuals who have done things without thinking them through.

Unfortunately, many people arrive at our national parks and because they might serve Peet’s Coffee in the snack bar, and there are souvenir shops and stores with sundries for purchase, there is a tendency to forget that these are wild places that CAN be dangerous.

This is brought home by signs like the one above. On this day, I did not witness anyone in the fast-flowing water, but I may have more to share about this topic in a later post.

Visitors need to be educated that while we need wild spaces to experience nature completely, cautions must be taken; heed the signs and warnings!

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.