Reddit reviews Over The Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition
We found 15 Reddit comments about Over The Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Two of my more interesting books are:
For some reason, this story reminded me of a guy who fell while taking a picture of one of the hotel / lodges at the Grand Canyon. The guy had his back to the canyon and was taking a picture of the back side of the lodge. He backed up a little, then a little more, then a little more, and then plummeted hundreds of feet to his death.
First and foremost you need your backcountry permits. This is tricky as they book up VERY quickly. We have to book our's 8 months - a year in advance most times. Your route depends on what's available. Go here to apply.
A good route is Surprise Valley, Lower Tapeat, Esplanade.
Warnings: You are going to have to hike in cached water (labeled with your info) for the hike out and hidden. You are going to have dry campsites and have to carry a large amount of water from previous springs (if they are even flowing). If you try to filter from the Colorado River, you will likely break your water filter. An alum treatment is necessary for river water, so bring a collapsible bucket.
I would highly recommend having a beacon, spot, or inreach. We use an inreach to communicate 2-way. Keep the communicator on YOU, and not your pack. Satellite phones are not recommended. They cut out constantly. If your pack gets separated from you, and you have an emergency, you won't want to it attached to the pack. See example of the Merrell family having the beacon on their pack when disappearing. They found their pack, and the 14 year old was found dead quite a while later. The grandmother has not been found yet.
I use trail runners to hike in. Heavy boots will be the pitfall of your trip. Bring hiking sandals for the water crossings. I usually do socks & sandals for half the trip. Wear a cotton long sleeve shirt to retain the sweat to keep yourself cool (if hiking in warm weather). Dip your shirt in cold water whenever possible. Wear big brimmed hats.
Use NOAA forecasts and locate your permitted camping locations & elevations. The weather is VERY different at various areas.
Have some form of basic medical training. Even having your WFA will be worthwhile. We are all Wilderness First Responders.
Many people disappear in the canyon, even the most experienced. Here's a book about all of them (documented), that gets updated every year.
Don't go alone.
Highly recommend this book
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https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809/ref=sr_1_2?crid=22G5PXC70NPJ1&keywords=death+in+the+grand+canyon&qid=1564804044&s=gateway&sprefix=death+in+the+gun%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-2
Have you read the book "Death in the Grand Canyon"? It details every single death in the canyon (up until the book was published, maybe around 2007), and is absolutely fascinating. Plenty of heat stroke and heart attacks, but also a lot of drunk hiking, people pretending to fall and then actually doing so, guys getting the urge to pee off the edge in the middle of the night.... basically, a whole lotta hubris!
It also talks about how so many people are used to the 9-1-1 system and of having help just a few minutes away that they just can't comprehend the real danger of nature. It sounds like a morbid subject, but the book is absolutely riveting. (And, of course, few people who are regulars on this sub would be turned off by the morbidity :))
Link: https://smile.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495990706&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+the+grand+canyon
Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon
I bought a copy. Interesting read.
There's one written about Yosemite National Park, as well.
Enough that in the gift shop at the Grand Canyon, they sell this:
Over The Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, Newly Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984785809/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yqowybR7G6E3T
> My dad did search and rescue at the Grand Canyon.
> Lots of corpse retrieval.
I can only imagine. Over the Edge should be required reading before entering GC.
Looks like there's a 10th Anniversary updated version too. Definitely went on my Wishlist.
I am a compulsive list maker, so I love books with lists.
I have #3 ane #4; #1 and #2 are on my wish list.
You get away from that edge right now!
https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809
(A more interesting book that one might imagine!)
There are a couple of morbidly fascinating books about just this type of thing. Death in the Grand Canyon, which featured one story of a woman trapped at the bottom where there was a trickle of water, but not enough to allow her to stock up for a trip back out. She'd start off, then be forced to turn back.
http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809?ie=UTF8&keywords=death%20in%20the%20grand%20canyon&qid=1463458654&ref_=sr_1_cc_1&s=aps&sr=1-1-catcorr
The more gruesome of the two was Death in Yellowstone. Lots of people falling into geysers.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Yellowstone-Accidents-Foolhardiness-National-ebook/dp/B009R6HEF2?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect
There's a really awesome book about deaths in the Grand Canyon.
http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809
While many of the stories are about tragedies that aren't of the persons own doing, so so so many are just from people being freaking stupid. Highly recommend.
As /u/rabidstoat has already recommended, Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon is a fascinating read. One of the authors (Michael P. Ghiglieri) also co-wrote its sister book, Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite. Both books manage to not be overly morbid (tales of near-misses are included, so it isn't just one death after another) and actually seemed uplifting to me. I came away with a real sense of respect for the wilderness; if we are aware of the dangers and risks every time we venture out, however seemingly remote, our chances of survival in a "worst case scenario" improves.
There are other books in a similar vein that chronicle all (or most) deaths in specific wilderness areas, such as Not Without Peril: 150 Years Of Misadventure On The Presidential Range Of New Hampshire. These are good too, but often seem to be a collection of first-hand accounts and historical vignettes. Ghiglieri manages to weave all of his information into a larger overarching narrative with a satisfying conclusion. I'm really hoping he does another one of these books!
Might be of interest to you:
https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809/
https://www.amazon.com/Ranger-Confidential-Living-Working-National/dp/0762752637/
Both good books that might be of interest to you. Might also want to check out /r/searchandrescue as some of the stuff there might be more inline with your day to day. A lot of people underestimate the wilderness and overestimate their capability especially places like the Grand Canyon. The ranger book above talks about how National Parks have as many visitors as large cities, but a fraction of the police force available and parks can often attract some strange people. Again with the underestimation: we get a lot of foreigners that don't understand the vastness of the United States and its parks versus what they're used to. The story of the family in death valley that went for a day hike, got lost and both parents passed while searchers managed to discover their was a kid based on cell phone picks and locate them alive a year or so ago. Another story: http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/
https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Canyon-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0984785809/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2ZFC20VDNJJIJ&keywords=over+the+edge+death+in+grand+canyon&qid=1573180984&s=books&sprefix=over+the+edge%2Cstripbooks%2C283&sr=1-2
I have this book. Most happened just as stupid as this.