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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 4, 2012 - 11:16am PT
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I've been hearing about some big ones coming out this year, no doubt groggy from not getting a good winters sleep. I heard this news through the air waves Sat. night.....an ambulance dispatched to the south entrance for someone with a Rattlesnake Bite. This is pretty rare. Wondering if it was a climber or tourist. Anyone??
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WBraun
climber
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In Little Yosemite Valley.
Was litter carryout evac down the trail by SAR .....
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Only cost the vic $188,000 dollars.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Usually any snake requires some type of provocation to bite.
The one time I was bitten (after handling hundreds) was while I was coming off of a coke and beer filled all-nighter. Got exactly what I asked for.
Hope the bitee is okay.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 4, 2012 - 05:39pm PT
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Thanks for the reply Werner! Sounds like a long carry out. Hope it was a wheeled litter. Any other details??
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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How is the snake doing?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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In summer of 1962, while swimming with the scouts of Troop 98 of Merced in Little Yo, I was "bit" by a piece of glass from a shattered jam jar that had been embedded in the bank and darn near cut a toe off. I could not walk, but only hobble a short distance.
The method used by Troop 98 to remove me from atop Nevada Fall was to piggy-back my 150 pounds down the steep side of the Fall on the backs of the larger scouts. The pack-frame stretchers were a joke, and not stable enough to negotiate the trail. It's a bitch when you're a kid having fun then not having it; and then having it again by watching everyone from tenderfoot to scoutmaster react to the situation: first aid! strip two pack frames! some rope! use some spare pants! he's bigger than me, make him do it! It was like stirring up a hive.
The same carry was used on Vernal Fall. In the level parts of the trail, even, the pack frame stretcher is a rotten idea. I ended up at Lewis Memoial, 5 stitches richer.
This story partly illustrates why, among other reasons, I say be prepared in Little Yosemite. It's not so harmless or so little.
I'm preaching to the choir, here. The right people are not reading this. They're all gonna die in funny ways. Ahahahahahahahahahaha.
Edit: Sorry you feel like that, Sir. Others encourage the tellings. Bite me. 6-05-12.
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Once again Mouse..It's all about you.Me,me,I,I...
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Boz
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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This was my friend, he called me last night.
He was in the hospital in Fresno, stable and cool after some antivenom. Rattler was under the bear box, he went to pick up something that dropped, and got nailed. No warning, or rattles.
Be careful out there, this could be a bad year!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Part of the problem was the random killing of noisy rattlers actively selecting for the more stealthy ones.
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WBraun
climber
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What most people don't know about this particular carryout.
The SAR team had to do their annual required pack test that morning.
It's 3 miles with 45 pound pack in under 45 minutes.
It's required for all NPS field personal including LEO.
There was dinner later that day and they called out right after dinner full of food.
These guys hiked like psychos up to little Yosemite valley just at dark and made it back to the Valley at 1:00 in the morning.
Poor guys, but it was a critical life support call .......
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Boz
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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If my friend was on this forum, he would thank you guys profusely. I'm headed to the meadows this weekend, but I'd like to be able to bring you guys some cold ones as thanks in proxy!
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jahil
Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
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I, like Boz would like to drop off some cold ones for our friends at YOSAR - do you guys have a preferred vintage ?
:)
steve
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Sh#t, I got lucky when I stepped next to a snake at Phantom Spires. It was less than a foot from my right foot when I passed it traversing on a ledge. It's rattle was so intense. My heart stopped for a bit...
You'd of thought I was competing for the Olympic Long Jumping...
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zBrown
Ice climber
mercenario de merced
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Good thing the guy wasn't a coke huffing, beer guzzling, climbing tourist. With that constellation his bill could easily surpass the #143K record.
Congrats to the SAR and hopefully the victim is doing OK.
I've encountered 4 potentials and 1 rattling snake so far this year and just sloughed them off. After reading here, that doesn't seem like the correct strategy.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Werner, really? Bet that 3 mile hike was a real bitch for some of those fat Tools. Poor guys. They shouldn't be expected to leave their squad car.
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Gavtaylor
Boulder climber
CAPAY, Ca
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Victim here posting from iPhone on way home from Fresno hospital. Im doing well, the SAR team met me at Clark's point with antivenin and the appropriate physician's assistant(?) with the medical training to administer the 4 vials via IV right there on the trail at 1030 pm. I am so very very fortunate those guys hustled up to meet me with wheelie litter and antivenin. Very lucky to have been bit at Yosemite, and that they had the miraculous antivenin.
I backpacked from glacier pt to little Yosemite camp with friends and a permit to hike te halfdome cables. We came to campsite #9 at 730pm and soon after i started to cook some summer squash on the bear box. I was using a stick instead of the clip to hold the box closed, and my gf opened the box but dropped the stick to the ground at the base of the box.
I reached down to pick it up but before I could reach it something whipped out from underneath the box and tagged my right index finger at 8:05pm. I yelled and jumped away, then looked at my hand and saw the blood and thought it was a snake bite. I went against eagle scout training and sucked the bite with my mouth, spitting blood and later rinsin my mouth with water. Not sure if it helped or what to suck. My friends poked under the small gap between the ground and the bear box. No wooden supports held it up, but there is a space. A rattle snake slithered out the back side of the box, 2 ft long. It never rattled that night! Wtf. It must have thought my finger was a mouse. The warm metal cabinet surrounded by mouse bait crumbs must be a good hangout. My all star wfr girlfriend called using a cell 911 to reach park dispatch and they said they something about flying a helicopter up. I have the bite held low and am gripping my arm tight trying to slow the blood? I don't know if that did anything. The ranger at little Yosemite is over by me and speaking by radio to control in the valley and they say they can't fly a chopper in the dark so they have mobilized the search and rescue team. We are told to walk to meet them so myself and a crew of campers and the ranger an assistant ranger at camp begin walking down. At this point my finger is swelling and I feel a buzzing in my arm and fingers, a tingling that spreads over my whole body. My toes and feet and hands and arms and legs, my face and cheeks and lips all tingling ( from the neurotoxins in the venom the doctors later say). I am hiking quickly down hill in the dark, we probably left the camp at 825 or something. The moon comes up and I look up to see huge granite walls "echoing" in my vision in a bad way, like I am seeing the objects fall away and then pop back and fall away again. When I hike uphill my muscles aren't as precise and I don't place my feet where I want to put them. When I walk downhill I am quick and we make good time. We meet the 10 or so person crew at Clark's point on the trail ( we didn't take the mist trail). They put me in the wheel equipped litter and begin mixing the anti venin from power form into an IV bladder. They put an IV in my left arm and administer the medicine at 1030pm. They strap me in and quickly hurry me down the trail. I make it to the ambulance and to the hospital in Fresno. I have to go now can't write more. my arm is still quite swollen and finger stiff ish. Will write more and post pics later. Thanks to all who helped me to recover and to get care and -g
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WBraun
climber
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Fat tools?
A lot of em look like navy seals and could easily toss your sorry ass into the ground.
Times have changed boner, these new breed pump iron, run every day, some of em have done Nose in a day and can lead 5.11+, and can out sprint your sorry ass .....
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Good luck, Gavin! And good work, YOSAR and volunteers!
What elevation are rattlers normally found to in the central Sierra?
Three miles in 45 minutes with 45 pound packs - depends quite a lot on the nature of the three miles, perhaps.
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