This is a photo I took at the Rainbow Curve overlook on Trail Ridge Road and posted back in September 2011, with the caption I used then. It’s my favorite destination when I decide to take a little joy ride up Trail Ridge.
I remember one summer vacation in particular when I was staying in Estes Park, down at the end of the valley, and it was really hot. I could see cool clouds and rain up on the peaks but it wasn’t getting into town, so I hopped in the car and drove up here real quick (20 minutes?) just so I could sit in the clouds and rain for a while.
In the future I may have second thoughts about doing that. Lightning struck and killed a man at this overlook Saturday afternoon and injured 12 others. And tragically, just a day before, a mile or two from this spot, another person was struck and killed by lightning. She was hiking the Ute Crossing Trail. Seven other people were injured by that strike. All the injured were treated at Estes Park Medical Center, and two of those injured Friday are still hospitalized.
Denver’s Channel 9 news did a very informative report about the accidents and the hazards of high country lightning.
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so sad –
A tragic reminder of who is really in charge around here …
From Yahoo Answers, this:
And in both of these cases, the individuals were at or above treeline, meaning a lot fewer high points around them to attract the lightning. But probably they were tourists, perhaps not as familiar with the dangers. Rain and thunder would have been a warning, but as I understand it, on Saturday, there was no warning. On Friday the hikers were aware of the impending danger and were hurrying back to their cars.
Right. For what it’s worth, this is from a NOAA website on the subject:
In the case of these accidents, the people on the trail were in the open, above tree line. There’s no hiding place if you’re caught there. At the overlook, if they’d had some warning, they could have gotten into their cars. But reports say they were struck with no warning. (The park service should post signs there saying to stay in your car if it’s cloudy.) As for me, at least on that particular day I mentioned, I was sitting in the car because it was raining.
You know, during storms I always think of those warnings about staying off the phone, out of the shower, etc., but I’ve never heard of anyone being injured that way. I’m afraid I’m a little lax about those indoor precautions, although I suppose if it’s bad out, I’m most likely going to be sitting on the couch watching TV. I might be on the phone, but it’s a cordless phone.
I’ve read reports that some people, reporting near misses, experience a feeling of static electricity just before a lightning strike, as in your hair standing up, like that. The advice then goes that one should immediately stoop down to present minimum height consistent with minimal footprint. This may be apocryphal, but it sounds logical to me. Better than nothing.
I got that prickly feeling when I was on the summit of Longs Peak years ago. It’s terrifying when you don’t have any real cover. (We just scrambled off the summit as fast as possible.) Crouching, but staying on your feet, is the rule these days. Lowest possible silhouette but minimum contact with the ground. Best, of course, to avoid exposure in the first place. The park is already full of informative signs for visitors who are unfamiliar with the surroundings, but I don’t recall any about lightning. Maybe now they will add some.
Good grief PT, that is just so sad. Mother Nature sure charges a high price to live amongst such beauty!
She does indeed.
Hi PT- i was here for both of these. Rangers are shaking their heads trying to figure out the weather this year; as you remember, the typical storms move in from the west, developing as they cross the Divide. These storms have been coming down the front range and then moving west up across the mountains. More electricity with these, too– or maybe i am just paying attention more since these deaths? I was at my cabin when the Ute trail hikers were struck, but missed RC by only minutes… i didnt stop only because the clouds had ruined the light for good pix of Horseshoe so didnt want to be in the crowd for nothing. That said- when I turned 40, i was caught by a surprise pop-up storm in the saddle between Chiquita and Ypsilon… strangers near me saw my long, wet hair standing up– i couldnt feel it and had no idea. we all immediately crouched down in that small silhouette position… me with a camera and tripod… but we were not hit. someone made the decision to run for it right after a bolt struck somewhere, so we did– the only time i ever RAN down a steep mountainside in a desperate race to reach treeline and anything taller than us! on a happier note- this is a banner year for alpine sunflowers- just beautiful- and i have pix of moose, elk, bighorn rams AND the elusive ptarmigan! yep, enjoying these fleeting minutes as much as possible 🙂
I know what a threat lightning can be in the mountains, but I was still really shaken by these two deaths. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I’d been as close to it as you describe. Missing it simply because the light changed!
I had that “run down the mountain” feeling on Longs, but it’s much too far down from the summit to even try. You can only make haste carefully. But the shelter house looked mighty good when I got there, and the trees looked even better. There is literally “no hidin’ place” above tree line.
So glad you’re having (or had) a great time in Estes. It’s pretty hard not to.
I’ve never seen ptarmigan or moose in the wild. You did great!