Couple Killed in Rockslide in Yosemite National Park Identified

Active NorCal ^ | January 1, 2023 | Anonymous

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Two people were killed on Tuesday in a rockslide at the Highway 140 entrance of Yosemite National Park. The victims have been identified by Park officials as 51-year-old Georgios Theocharous and 35-year-old Ming Yan, a married couple from San Jose.

The incident occurred around 9 am when the couple were driving on El Portal Road, near Big Oak Flat Road. Approximately 185 tons of rock fell 1,000 feet onto the roadway below, pushing the couple’s Dodge Ram onto the embankment of the Merced River.

Following a brief closure, Highway 140 once again opened to the public, only to close again on Friday due to another rockfall.

Rockfalls are a common occurrence in Yosemite National Park, but fatalities are rare. This latest rock slide serves as a reminder of the dangers of visiting the park, and park officials are urging visitors to be aware of their surroundings and to follow safety guidelines when hiking or driving through the park.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I've seen lots of roads in the west ruined by modern engineering. They used to be scenic and gorgeous with lots of hairpin turns and switchback, winding along lakes, and following the terrain. Then the modern road planners come in and put in a nearly straight, four-lane modern high speed highway. Now they are very safe, but boring as hell. Ugh.

We used to drive the "Lewiston Grade" in Idaho on trips to visit grandma and grandpa. Was it ever gorgeous and FUN to drive, even as a kid.

Another Idaho scenic road ruined is the old "White Bird Grade."

A third favorite the road planners ruined was the Shoshone Canyon Road west of Cody, Wyoming to Shoshone Lake. In 1960, they built three long tunnels that took all the fun out of winding along the mountain road along the lake. Dad drove the old road a couple times when we were visiting relatives in Idaho when I was a kid. I still remember the road before tunnels!

They had primitive tunnels before the modern long bores were completed in 1960.

The old road is open to hikers today.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Obviously Globull Warming.”

Absolutely right! What else could it possibly be?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Imagine a wee bit faster or a wee bit slower or leaving your starting point a minute sooner or a minute later. So many “coulda shouldas.”

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"be aware of your surroundings"

Most excellent advice!

[EEGator]

I watched some documentary of a dude free climbing El Capitan.
It was hard to watch.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

I remember leaving South Lake Tahoe area for San Francisco Bay area after a week of skiing. As we drove up the mountain, suddenly everyone stopped. After a few minutes of waiting, I decided to walk up ahead. After a few turns in the road, I came upon the reason. A giant boulder had fallen on the road. Fortunately, no one was under it. The the most memorable part of this was the image of a man with a regular jackhammer on top of the huuuuge boulder. Talk about taking on a Goliath! I watched for a while, taking in what appeared absurd. Soon I realized other equipment was on the way, and there was absolutely nothing one could do but wait. I went back to the car, took out my guitar, and enjoyed the sunny Kalifornia weather. (eventually the road cleared)

[GreatRoad]

Free Solo. I saw it twice. It was amazing yo me.

[EEGator]

There’s something missing in that dude’s brain. Some total lack of fear.

[Sparky1776]

I hear you, I guess leaving earlier and seeing it in the rear view mirror would have been best. Escaped a near head on years ago by just a few seconds, I always wondered if I would have been hit if I was a little later.

[Beowulf9]

Boy when it’s your time...

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I know what you mean about near misses. I’ve had several, none as bad a possible head-on.

When I was learning to drive, I was going by our local country club and saw an errant golf ball bounce on the pavement right in front of me, then sail over the hood and roof of the car. If I were there a couple of tenths of a second sooner, it would have come right through the windshield.

I was following a car with a bicycle on the rear a few years ago after the eclipse in Oregon. The guy pulls into the left line to pass the camper van in front of him and the bike came off, landing on the pavement just outside my driver’s side front door. The bike went BLOOEY into a lot of broken bits. If he hadn’t moved over to pass the camper, it would have come off right in front of me.

Another time a sheet of plywood came off the truck in front of me and sailed over my car. If it had hit the windshield, it probably would have decapitated me.

I’m on borrowed time!

[Does so]

>>Another time a sheet of plywood came off the truck in front of me and sailed over my car. If it had hit the windshield, it probably would have decapitated me.

I’m on borrowed time!<<

I was following a semi at 70-MPH when I heard (and felt) a loud BRRRRRRRRRRRRRAP...!

A 4X8 sheet of roofing plywood shot up and sailed over my 914-6 Porsche. Had I been driving a SUV (which have very thin windshields), the outcome would’ve been bloody—or very suddenly—DARK!