Re: Why was a helicopter in the valley today?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2012 10:20AM by hotrod4x5.

I hired an air taxi to take me up to Half Dome the easy way!

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plawrence
I hired an air taxi to take me up to Half Dome the easy way!

Ahhhh and you didn't ask me to go! That would be the only way that I would make it to the top with my knees. I hope that no one was hurt.

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parklover
I hope that no one was hurt.

Well that is usually the reason a helicopter flies into the valley...

Sometime during the week there were some training sessions scheduled so it could have been that.

Opps, never mind, the practice is June 2nd and 3rd. Must have been an accident then.

The two locations that I've seen helicopters takeoff/land are Ahwahnee and El Capitan Meadows.
The medical airlifts are usually out of Ahwahnee Meadow, which makes sense because the valley's Medical Center is only 100 yards or so down the road.
It must have been a busy day because I see another view of a helicopter at 12:10.



The both appear to be the same red tailed helicopter. It might be the one that is stationed at the Crane Flat Helipad that is frequently seen in the valley.
I've seen/heard helicopters at some point on about 1/4 of my longer trips to Yosemite. One exciting incident was getting buzzed by one while I was camped near Yosemite Point. It came down the creek drainage from the north, and circled around us as it turned over Lost Arrow and headed back north. They were looking for a lost hiker.

I get the impression that when the helicopters land they do so in Ahwahnee Meadow by the road near Church Bowl.

Here's a video of a take off I caught one trip.






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2012 11:29PM by qumqats.

It was either a medivac or a search.

While we were looking for Gene Hall last year, we had the Yosemite chopper as well as the one from Sequoia NP helping us from the air. They diverted the Yosemite ship a couple of times because there were other searches going.

I think people do not realize that there are medical interventions every day, numerous times per day, on trails in Yosemite, and quite a few searches per month. One of the hikers in my group mentioned just the other day that there was another fatality on the Mist Trail just a couple of weeks ago - someone died on the way to Vernal Falls. It was obviously not a fall or a drowning, probably a cardiac arrest, since there were personnel standing around and the body was covered and to one side of the trail.

While on Eagle Peak, I saw a helicopter flying/hovering around the southern part of the valley. There was a recovery operation.

I saw the same helicopter this morning coming from the Valley and flying over Sunrise High Sierra Camp. I assumed it was a search and rescue, as they invariably are.

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Klas
http://elcapreport.com/content/elcap-special-report-rescue-elcap-53012

That rescue was one day after the screen shots.

it was probably for the dnc employee who committed suicide by jumping off glacier point or the other suicide off el capitan. but i may be wrong but i think they were on the 29th?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2012 01:06AM by marmot.

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marmot
it was probably for the dnc employee who committed suicide by jumping off glacier point or the other suicide off el capitan. but i may be wrong but i think they were on the 29th?

I searched google news for Glacier Point suicide as well as El Capitan suicide and got nothing. Do you have any links?

On Saturday, I overhead some DNC employees siting next to my table at the Yosemite Lodge Food Court discussing the employee suicide. Very sad.
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From Eagle Peak, I definitely noticed a chopper hovering around the Glacier Point area. Had a feeling something was going on there. Didn't know there was another incident near El Cap. Two suicides in one week, darnit.

yep, the one off el cap was in the same day as the glacier point incident. it's really too bad...

and sorry, haven't found any links on it.