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| Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic |
pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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May 21, 2015 - 08:58pm PT
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never been hit however look for sprites when in desert
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 21, 2015 - 09:04pm PT
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Lightning strikes the Earth on average over 8,000,000 times a day that's about 100 times a second.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 21, 2015 - 09:24pm PT
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http://youtu.be/lEt2hFLBoK8
This old man gets leveled.
Probably shouldn't have been walking in the storm.
It happens faster than gravity!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 21, 2015 - 09:31pm PT
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I don't know anything about the mystery, but I've sure seen the power.
I worked on a fire crew in central BC back in the long-ago, and I remember one smoke we got called to that turned out to be not much. A big tree had been hit, and broken off about 40 feet up. The spiral grooves down the trunk were an obvious indicator of a lightning strike, and the top 40 feet was lying on the ground nearby. Lots of smouldering debris on the ground, but nothing really flaming up, so we blew a trench around the circumference of the burning area and went to work on the hundreds of little hot spots.
But throughout the time we were there, something just didn't seem right. Something was nagging at me just enough to make me keep looking for... For what? I didn't know. All I knew was that something wasn't right, but whatever it was didn't seem dangerous, or important enough to get in the way of poking around in all the woodchips on the ground and putting out whatever was glowing.
And then it hit. All those woodchips. What the hell was going on that the ground was blanketed several inches deep with little chunks of wood?
Look up at the standing trunk. A foot and a half in diameter at the top where it was broken off. Look at the top of the tree lying on the ground. Eight inches in diameter at its bottom end. Look around for other trees with bases similar to what was still standing in front of me.
My best guess, based on the rest of the forest, was that about 40 feet of tree, tapering from 18 inches to 8 inches, had been instantaneously disintegrated when the lightning vaporized the moisture inside it. And when I say disintegrated, I don't mean broken into a few pieces. I mean disintegrated. There wasn't a chunk on the ground much bigger than a golf ball.
I don't know how much wood that is. Maybe one of the loggers who hangs on ST can speak up, but I would guess that enough wood to build a small house was turned into woodchips in about a microsecond.
How much energy does it take to do that?
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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May 21, 2015 - 09:32pm PT
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That was a pretty good program, philo.
The one that follows it is good, too...a Nova special on lightning. Both are worth watching.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 21, 2015 - 09:37pm PT
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Thanks Apogee it really is a fascinating video.
Here is another informative bit.
http://youtu.be/L1HhRAUqFqM
Yea don't stand under a tree in a lightning storm. If the tree gets hit the potential timber shrapnel can easily be lethal.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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May 21, 2015 - 10:09pm PT
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Lightning has scared the schist out of me since I started climbing, and after witnessing mountain thunderstorms, I read about lightning and studied the subject.
Since I’ve studied the subject, I have not been hit by lightning.
Unfortunately, I keep having close-calls!
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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May 22, 2015 - 03:24am PT
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Well worth the watch-Thanks
I've been hit twice by lightning. Once on Devils Tower, and in the Alps,
on the Walker Spur. Both times with John Bouchard, who almost died on the Walker. He had burn holes in his mittens and out his socks.
Un-forgetable memories.
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Gary
Social climber
From A Buick 6
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May 22, 2015 - 07:16am PT
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It happens faster than gravity!
Yeah, you sit there wondering WTF just happened.
Noobie PCT hikers worry about bears and mountain lion attacks. I tell them they need to worry about lightning more than anything else.
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crankster
Trad climber
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May 22, 2015 - 12:08pm PT
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Cool stuff, philo.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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May 22, 2015 - 01:11pm PT
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I think it was Aldo Leopold who said "the man who doesn't fear lightening hasn't ridden the high country in July." Been in lots of Sierra thunderstorms but I'll never forget one up by Lake Italy under Bear Creek Spire... never saw a storm build so fast and produce such an incredible amount of lightening... real scary... ever since I pay more attention to the weather.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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May 22, 2015 - 01:27pm PT
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Philo: That was a tough way to make it into Outside Magazine. Glad you're still with us.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 22, 2015 - 01:31pm PT
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Thank you Fritz.
colorado has had weeks of non stop storms. Very uncharacteristic. And though I've mad a lot of progress it still weighs and wears me down.
Kind of hoping others would share their stories and experiences.
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thebravecowboy
climber
liberated libertine
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May 22, 2015 - 02:51pm PT
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Philo, I have had good fortune with the stuff (since I am an unabashed sissy about avoiding such bad situations); your story, and those of several friends burned via a proximal ground-strike, not to mention that of Earl Wiggins, keep me wary.
Still though, my better judgment is often trumped by alpine and/or summit-fevah: see above.
One late spring day, after climbing the CO NE Ridge on the Kingfisher, my buddy was champin' to get up Citibank Tower (Ancient Art). Beer was plenty, and despite the storm traipsing eastward from Castle Valley and the relatively dismal forecast for the afternoon, I agreed to give it a go. We climbed efficiently and without cheating to the final ridge of the formation. By now the storm-clouds had couched directly above us - it was dark and ominously quiet. Admiral Grungebunny tiptoed across the sidewalk, clipped some ancient gear and was within a foot or two of clipping the summit slings when first the summit gear, and then ALL OF THE METAL WE HAD started to hum and buzz in kinship for the electrical buildup just above our heads.
I flipped; this I can justify post-facto because I was straddling the ridgeline with the rap chains and all of our cammage on me body. I could think of nothing other than my genitals being cooked on that ridge.
Grungebunny kinda laughed and aquiesced to my pleas to bail. He skipped back across the sidewalk as I raced to rig the rap. Grungebunny, man of action that he is, remarked that my squirmy fear did not one lick of good to lessen the risk of our being grilled alive. We didn't get zapped, probably because he was Mr. Mellow, cool as a cuke.
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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May 22, 2015 - 03:12pm PT
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Thanks for the link.
What an awesome power.
I was close to being struck twice while climbing. Once on Arrowhead Arete with John Long, and another time crossing the summit ridge on Concord Tower at Washington Pass.
It produced a different level of fear.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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May 22, 2015 - 03:41pm PT
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Hey, Ghost, good story about the exploded tree!
Came across one myself once, day after it got hit in a dry storm with just a few, heavy bolts of lightning.
Wild! Spikes and slivers of wood and bark were scattered for forty feet around, some stabbed into the ground. Nothing caught fire, though.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 22, 2015 - 03:50pm PT
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Absolutely lethal!
Shiver me timbers.
It amazes me that lightning here on Earth may be a corollary effect of cosmic particles from exploded stars hundreds of millions of light years away.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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May 22, 2015 - 04:00pm PT
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Isn't that a crazy thought, philo?
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dave729
Trad climber
Western America
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May 22, 2015 - 04:01pm PT
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Where are the "we must stop lightning (re:global warming) now" protests?
Where is the presidents call for a lightning tax, that would add $100 to
the average US taxpayers annual bill?
Should it be used to fund research into stopping lightning and prevent the
injury of over 240,000 people yearly world wide? A worthy goal.
But more likely it'll pay for junkets to posh tropical hotels where the only
scientific presentation happens at the pool. And its more often than not a
frosty jug of margaritas.
I nominate Philo to be the 1st gereral secretary of lightning eradication!
GSOLE
All in favor say aye..
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 22, 2015 - 04:07pm PT
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Wow Dave why don't you get back to us after puberty. If your intent was to take a swipe at me consider yourself to have failed.
If you'd checked out the OP link you'd have an idea that lightning is a critical element in the overall and on going health of the planet. Additionally being struck by lightning is no laughing matter. Not in the least.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 22, 2015 - 04:18pm PT
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 23, 2015 - 05:52am PT
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujň de la Playa y Perrito Ruby
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May 23, 2015 - 07:11am PT
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It's a very good show (the TV and the lightning), but did they discuss whether lightening ever strikes twice in the same place?
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 23, 2015 - 07:18am PT
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It strikes wherever it wants whenever it wants and as many times as it wants.
The second video I linked discusses it.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujň de la Playa y Perrito Ruby
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May 23, 2015 - 07:25am PT
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Double-feature, eh. I'll check out the second one too.
NASA-funded scientists have recently learned that cloud-to-ground lightning frequently strikes the ground in two or more places and that the chances of being struck are about 45 percent higher than what people commonly assume.
Here's one you don't see too often. Good thred philo.
This one I have seen and even closer up.
http://cdn.grindtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shutterstock_61445455.jpg
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 23, 2015 - 10:54am PT
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Brisket?
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WBraun
climber
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May 23, 2015 - 11:13am PT
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Lembert Dome - Tuolumne Meadows
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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May 23, 2015 - 11:40am PT
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Werner thanks for posting that one up.
I'd seen it before but couldn't find it again.
That is one incredible shot!
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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'Lightning'
'thread'
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Thanks for the great lightning & dead cow shots. Once I started climbing & researching lightning, back in the early 1970's I realized being close to lightning storms was dangerous, and being in contact with a wire fence during a lightning storm was really dangerous.
So----- about 1970, I'm working on a Forest Service "drift fence" close to the top of an 8,500 Ft. Butte, and a lighting storm is working up the valley below our crew.
I was older & far more experienced with thunderstorms than the stupid crew boss, but he was oblivious to the lightning.
When the storm was less than three miles away, my co-worker and I left and went to a lower area.
The “clueless” crew boss was really pissed.
The following Monday, we had a crew meeting with our district ranger. He explained that the lighting storm had not posed a threat, and in future situations with threatening weather; we should always rely on our crew boss for any information about threatening weather.
Bullsh#t.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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Driving into the chill of building cloud cover - fearing the ever deepening imminence of today's atmospheric instability - and glad for the relative safety of my Volvo wagon, I crave the sun. Even unto swelter and dehydration I crave the sun. Ten years of progressive recovery from my lightning strike all but evaporated in the nearly two month solid stretch of thunder storm weather Colorado has been experiencing. A weather anomoly in a State that brags of 300+ days of sunshine a year. With every turn of the road taking me up into the mountains the weather thickens and my couragge thins. My head retracts turtle like into my shoulders with every shadow I drive into. In my guise as Sparkski the Polish magician electrician I'm heading to a long term and very valued client's home in the mountains above Boulder. Every foot of elevation gained has a corolary effect on my height. A cause and effect, an equal and opposite reaction. The weight of fear is an emotional gravity pressing me closer to ground. Pulling into the mountain driveway as rain starts to spit, the wheels crunching over gravel sound like distant thunder. I wince! Yes that's right I am a climber who's been struck by lightning and I make my living as an electrician. I'll give it a moment till the laughter that usually accompanies that apparent paradoxical disconnect settles down.
To be accurate, in my 40+ years of climbing, I've actually had two strikes, twelve serious ground shocks and too many too close of calls to bother remembering. So you could say it is an "highly charged" issue for me. In fact, at the moment I can't get out of the car with the clouds so pressing and close. My head feels thick and painfull and every little hair on my arms and legs dance with tingling anticipation as we all wait to see what happens next. The dance of electricity. To be clear, it's not the "fear of death" that haunts me at times like this, but rather surviving another electrical raping of my central nervous system and already PTSDed brain that shatters my nerve and halts my feet. In all honesty if I really thought that the next encounter of the billion volt kind would be fatal I'd move to Florida and take up golf. Instead I cower in my car unable to head out, torn between duty and dread. I feel ashamed, the wreck of a man who for most of his mortal existance had taken life by the horns and danced amongst the charging bulls of fate. Furiously scrawling notes in long hand before Zeus or Thor or other demons devor my lucidity. Hoping only that I make it through to a time I can transcribe the thoughts flooding through me now. In ten years the story of my "buzz" has been published many times. About me, but not by me. The experience so raw and pauinfull it is only now a decade later in this uncomfortable circumstance that I find my words pouring out of me. Rousing all my remaining courage I decide to try. Opening the car door and - like toe testing the hot tub temperature - I tenatively step one foot to ground. Cajouling myself to work I dive in or out as in this case and head for the stairs leading up to the job site. But I struggle against gravity, every limbs seems to weigh seventy five extra pounds. The three hundred pounds of emotional baggage exhausts me before the top step. Turning around and running to the safety of my Sweedish faraday cage the rain starts in earnest. I hear thunder and I flee.
Driving back through random spatterings of sunshine I wonder if I've made the correct decision or will I forever be a desperate wuss. In short order the skies of Boulder/Denver erupt with electrical violence, spawning tornados and in some Denver neighborhoods cases of feet of hail accumulation. I've chosen correctly, I crave the sun. Even unto swelter and dehydration I crave the sun.
http://www.9news.com/picture-gallery/weather/2015/06/05/lightning-show-during-thursdays-severe-storms/28526781/
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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In this thread and my most recent TR I have in a most honest and sincere manner splayed my pain open for all to see. Some poster's unable to move beyond what's past have begrudged me my continuing presence and have been complaining about my posting habits. That's OK. They say, without having read or comprehended what I've contributed, that I post too much or too often or that I post through the night and into the morning. That's true. Why I have to ask, if what I post is climbing content and positive messages, are they so concerned or upset about it? Exactly who is being hurt by my posts or presence? I feel sorry for those folks particularly if my very presence causes them such a disturbance in their force. They have no idea what having your central nervous system flash poached by lightning can do to a person. They also don't know or understand how weeks and months of continuous stormy weather can wear a strike survivor down to raw nerves. Or how my reacting to the sonic boom of thunder too close has caused me to crack two maybe three teeth over the last few days. They don't grasp the desperate dance with the vicious mistress called insomnia. They couldn't possibly understand that for me after this intensely violent stormy period that even being able to communicate at all is a major victory. Writing helps keep the strain on my psyche at bay, an ongoing gauge of my minds ability to continue to function and manage to communicate. That this silly place is for me a little bit of sanctuary from the storm is of no interest to them. But that's cool I forgive them their ignorance and lack of compassion and sincerely hope that someday they find it in their hearts to actually read my contributions instead of knee jerking simply because I am posting.
Here is a part of my story from Outside Magazine.
http://www.outsideonline.com/1925996/body-electric
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Gunkie
climber
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Lightning! The power and the mystery.
Losers of game 1.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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You know to take the time to post up in an knee jerk manner in an effort to make light of, make fun of or deride and debase a fellow poster who has honestly opened up the wounds of their most painful and devastating life event is pretty immature and uncultured. It is a fine demonstration of the compassionless hypocricy prevalent among the Clan of the Gun Homies that pop up like whack a moles in a vain attempt to intimidate and stiffle anyone with an opinion or perspective they dislike. My intent in the lightning thread was to pass on valuable information that could save lives of outdoor enthusiasts or at least help victims understand the debilitating effects of surviving a lightning strike. But some see it as me being all "me, me, me. That's right it's all about me... trying to be helpful and informative.
Truth is another day or two of violent stormy weather like the last two and i'll off myself. Then you won't have to be annoyed by my 8 year pressence here. Or if you just cant wait for mother nature to takes it's best shot I wll gladly ask the admin staff to purge all of my content to save the fragile sensitivities of the ten or twelve posters who can't help but leg hump me at every opportunity.
Some of my historical climbing contributions appear only here on the Taco but compared to the dis-ease I've caused the annonymous cowards and trolls of TacoTown, it shouldn't be any loss. Talk amonst yourselves. I have to head into the tempest again to try and get my work done before the heavens unleash again. You've got some time before I return home and request an official purging. Now if the admin decides they'd rather not purge me and all my content well then I guess you few, you proud, you latrines, will just have to live with me..
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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ZAP!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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I've learned a lot from this thread. Thanks. Best wishes for continued progress and hopes that perseverance at least gets a bit easier.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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Unbelievable! I just knew you homies wouldn't bother taking the time to actually read my painfully sincere post just on the off hand chance it would contain some relevance but would instead jump straight to bitch slapping me on several threads. Even the Love thread!. I tell you all about a personal trauma so severe I am openly discussing suicide to avoid it's recurrence and you folks make fun of it and me. How many of you self proclaimed Christians think that behavior was really Christian? Do you respond to all calls for help with sloppy raspberries? Damn you guys beat all. Your not a clan or a tribe you are a mob.
Just sent emails to the admin staff requesting they purge all of my content so I can retain more direct control of my creative and intellectual properties for the future, The only real opportunity I'll have as many body stops handleing the brute physicality of labor is the output of my creative process. Tami Knight among other routinely chastized me for just giving it free to the wind. But if I am to have a chance to make a living through my words and images it just wont do to the have mean spirited photoshop hack jobs and misinterpreted paraphrasing whack a moling all over the place.
I told them I'd give it a week before I purge every thing myself.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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A lot of people care about you phil..I'm not sure why you let things said here get you so wound up. I would imagine you ask yourself that occasionally.
Anyway..things have gotten out of hand and I hope folks stop giving Philo crap regardless whatever he says that kinda makes it too easy to respond harshly. Although it might be nice if you made it easier too philo.. cmon we are really adults here.. we could all actually try to behave that way once it's clear this aint funny anymore. Phil irked me one day so I said my piece and was done with it..hell I regret even letting myself go that far.... but going on an on day after day over this stuff seems ridiculous for all.
Quite seriously I've been reading this thread since day one..I have learned a great deal from this thread.. pretty harsh what electricity does long term. I appreciate the glimpse into a type of issue I had no idea about. There is more to this than standard PTSD (plenty bad enough by itself) which seems involved too but only part of it. Something Philo has really taken time to illuminate.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Phil: I would be very sad if you resigned from ST & purged your posts due to ----------six to eight folks bullying you.
I think you are stronger than that!
Be Strong!
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philo
Trad climber
Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or a tr
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Fritz I appreciate your sentimate but I have bigger fishto ftry to fry. Too much heavy weather lakely amd a couple more recent close calls and Iam falling int a fugue of black deprdssion. Im lopsing my lucidity as isit her loosing ability to re cgnize lettrs on my keyboared, or my abilty to seldtk teh correc tkeys. imm not jokinnng this is real. ihad too flea the job in montain today becuse of violennce weather leavingg m ytools behind not sure if iver want to gio bsck.
And now iiimdriffing inthe blknssss. dont evn knowhat ijustwrote.
F*#KFkuck f*#k it al.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Listen to some good music ? does that help? Call some friends and bs a bit offline perhaps?
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Philo: Best hopes for you.
Considering your condition.
As I've already said:
I think you are stronger than that! Be Strong!
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