Zion - Angels Landing Death

[Iceaxe]

Fall kills woman in Zion National Park
Salt Lake Tribune

A California woman died after falling at least 1,000 feet while hiking in Zion National Park Sunday.

Nancy Maltez, 55, of Glendora, apparently stumbled on the north side of Angels Landing, a high peak above Zion Canyon, said park spokesman Ron Terry.

Another hiker called 911 to report the fall at 8:24 a.m. Maltez was with her husband and three children when she fell from the top of the sandstone peak, and died on impact. Search-and-rescue crews found her body before noon, Terry said.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the park service are investigating the fall. The last fatal fall in the Angels Landing area, a popular hiking spot, was in June 2007.

Angels Landing is located in the southern part of the park, about 50 miles from St. George. The West Rim Trail from the Grotto to Scout Lookout is temporarily closed for the investigation. Climbing routes on the north side of Angels Landing are also temporarily closed.

[Iceaxe]

Angels Landing dangers
Los Angels Times -- Julie Sheer
August 10, 2009

The news of a Glendora woman falling to her death Sunday from Angels Landing in Zion National Park got me thinking about my failed attempt to reach the summit of this trail three months ago. It was the first time my hiking partner and I ever had to turn around due to the inherent danger of a hiking trail.

Our experience made us come to one conclusion: Angels Landing Trail should be permit-only and have more extreme warnings.

One of the problems with the Angels Landing Trail is that it isn't a trail at all, but a series of rock steps so narrow and precipitous that chains to hold onto have been bolted into the rock face. This isn't entirely unusual: Think Half Dome, but instead of a continuous cable-assisted climb, picture narrow rocks barely large enough to stand on in spots

[Sombeech]

Our experience made us come to one conclusion: Angels Landing Trail should be permit-only and have more extreme warnings.

And thus the liberal agenda is born

[denaliguide]

Our experience made us come to one conclusion: Angels Landing Trail should be permit-only and have more extreme warnings.

Stay at home, stay in bed, don't go near the windows. Someone with more balls than you have will be there to feed you. NOT!

[stefan]

Our experience made us come to one conclusion: Angels Landing Trail should be permit-only and have more extreme warnings.

And thus the liberal agenda is born

the political section is a few doors down. new around these parts?

[Deathcricket]

[ I think all hikers should have access to this stunning trail, but the park shouldn't make it easy. Require permits, enforce a daily quota. And for crying out loud, fill in the chain gaps.

What a friggin B!!! Why not put an elevator to the top while you're at it? She doesn't even get it. Stay in the city. Clearly having an experience that amazing is beyond your understanding. Leave nature alone and just enjoy it for how it is.

Edit: I actually went to the URl and typed in a comment. I suspect it will be removed but thought you guys would get a kick out of it.

Dear Julie,

I totally agree with your article! I mean who would have ever thought that falling off a 1000 foot cliff would cause death? And besides, who would even want to look off a 1000 foot cliff on top of a perfect vista and see for miles and miles one of the most gorgeous places in the world? No thank you, I'll keep my fat a$$ on the couch where it's safe. I've been doing some reasearch of my own and have found some interesting data. Zion park gets over 3 million visitors a year. More people die on the drive to Zion than actually inside it. So I suggest we ban cars from driving to Zion! Think about it, instead of just saving one life a year by putting a perfectly smooth, government sponsored, million dollar sidewalk on a trail, and only letting a certain number of people use it, after they've jumped through some very annoying government hoops... We can save 2000 lives a year by banning car travel to Zion! But only from California. That way the people in Utah who are actually accountable for their actions can just have that one death a year on their conscience, and all us cool CA Liberals can stay here and feel sorry for them.

I'm also thinking we can sue gravity. I mean... gravity is really the end reason the person died, and therefore the blame lies solely on it. Sueing it only makes sense at this point. I also have a great idea of putting an elevator in half dome. But we have to make sure people can't get out or see out because they could have a heart attack from the heights. That way more people can make it to the top but won't have to actually enjoy the view.

Call me girlfriend! I've got lots of ideas us Liberals can go over and make the world a better place

Love you, keep writing such wonderful articles that the people of America can relate too.

Obama Lover!

[R]

[ I think all hikers should have access to this stunning trail, but the park shouldn't make it easy. Require permits, enforce a daily quota. And for crying out loud, fill in the chain gaps.

What a friggin B!!! Why not put an elevator to the top while you're at it? She doesn't even get it. Stay in the city. Clearly having an experience that amazing is beyond your understanding. Leave nature alone and just enjoy it for how it is.

Edit: I actually went to the URl and typed in a comment. I suspect it will be removed but thought you guys would get a kick out of it.

Dear Julie,

I totally agree with your article! I mean who would have ever thought that falling off a 1000 foot cliff would cause death? And besides, who would even want to look off a 1000 foot cliff on top of a perfect vista and see for miles and miles one of the most gorgeous places in the world? No thank you, I'll keep my fat a$$ on the couch where it's safe. I've been doing some reasearch of my own and have found some interesting data. Zion park gets over 3 million visitors a year. More people die on the drive to Zion than actually inside it. So I suggest we ban cars from driving to Zion! Think about it, instead of just saving one life a year by putting a perfectly smooth, government sponsored, million dollar sidewalk on a trail, and only letting a certain number of people use it, after they've jumped through some very annoying government hoops... We can save 2000 lives a year by banning car travel to Zion! But only from California. That way the people in Utah who are actually accountable for their actions can just have that one death a year on their conscience, and all us cool CA Liberals can stay here and feel sorry for them.

I'm also thinking we can sue gravity. I mean... gravity is really the end reason the person died, and therefore the blame lies solely on it. Sueing it only makes sense at this point. I also have a great idea of putting an elevator in half dome. But we have to make sure people can't get out or see out because they could have a heart attack from the heights. That way more people can make it to the top but won't have to actually enjoy the view.

Call me girlfriend! I've got lots of ideas us Liberals can go over and make the world a better place

Love you, keep writing such wonderful articles that the people of America can relate too.

Obama Lover!

That totally rocks. Totally.

[Iceaxe]

Gravity is just gods way of playing favorites.....

I did find this on the KSL website.....

I don't see how you can fall off of angels landing. I've hiked the entire trail with one hand because I had a beer in the other hand the whole time. Its easy even with a buzz. :-)

[fouristhenewone]

the good thing about that article is 99.99% of the comments indicate that the article's author is moron.

[trackrunner]

the good thing about that article is 99.99% of the comments indicate that the article's author is moron.

Oh wow there was actually a supportive comment for the author. When I first read it there were no supportive comments. What a contrast reading the comments in LA vs local comments on KSL, SLTRIB, or D-News

[DiscGo]

I think Angel's Landing is one of the best hikes in the state and I do not want to see it changed one bit.


I do however feel very badly for that family to have lost their mother. The only thing worst than losing your spouse and mother of your children is your children themselves. That is a horrible place to be in.


I am not anhedonic but sometimes I worry about this sort of thing happening to my family so much that I get weighed down with sadness just thinking about it. Anyway, I wish this family all the best and I am sorry for their loss but I do not believe the rest of us should be punished for it.

[Jaxx]

What a sad story. That is a horrible way to lose a family member. They probably watched her slip and fall. Very sad way to end a family vacation.

P.S. You are awesome DC!

[Cirrus2000]

Anhedonic! Nice one, DiscGo!

1. Very, very sad. My heart goes out to her family.

2. Leave Angels Landing the way it is.

3. I'm pretty damn liberal, and this ain't on my agenda. Try again 'beech.

[DiscGo]

I'm pretty damn liberal, and this ain't on my agenda. Try again 'beech.

[Scott P]

Here is a chilling eye witness report (be aware that it does swear some):

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-repor...digal-Sun.html

[Don]

Here is a chilling eye witness report (be aware that it does swear some):

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-repor...digal-Sun.html

Damn. Hell of a read.

[Iceaxe]

Thanks Scott.... scary read....

[jman]

Wow! That post on Summitpost was incredible. Wow. I was talking to some tourists, I was there that same day when it happened, and they said that the man (husband, I think if I remember correctly) was taking a picture of her on the edge, and told her to keep moving backwards. Still she wasn't in the view totally and so the guy changed and moved position and when he turned around, she was gone off the cliff. No yelling or screaming or anything. Then on top others watched at panic broke loose by the family's screams.

How terrible...