Deadly summer in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but it's been a very deadly summer in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks this year - and it's not even August yet.

Check out these headlines so far:

7/28 A mother bear and her three sow cubs went on a rampage just before dawn on Wednesday morning and killed one man and injured two others in a campground just outside of Yellowstone. Terrified campers sought shelter in their cars. Here's an interview with one of the victims on ABC News via Youtube.

7/27 A woman drowned after slipping into the Firehole River near Old Faithful.

7/21 One climber was killed and 16 others received moderate to severe injuries after a series of lightning strikes on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. You can read more about the complex rescue operation by clicking here.

7/20 A University of Michigan student died after falling 80 feet after summiting the 12,804-foot Middle Teton

7/19 A 49-year-old woman from Utah was struck and flipped in the air by a bison in a thermal area near Old Faithful. Apparently the bison was provoked. Click here for the video of this incident that was shot by the victim.

7/14 A 65-year old man from Iowa died after losing his footing while fishing in the Yellowstone River.

6/17 A grizzly bear killed a veteran botanist in an attack just outside of Yellowstone.

6/1 A single lightning bolt injured 9 visitors on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser.

5/25 Two climbers died after the collapse of an ice column during an ice climb on a waterfall below the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Humans weren't the only victims this year. Several bears were killed as well. In two separate incidents in June, a female adult black bear and a young grizzly bear were both killed by hit and run cars.

To add insult to injury, two separate accidents in two days claimed the lives of two bears during capture attempts by park biologist. One was a young grizzly and the other a young black bear.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Lightning kills woman on Max Patch

The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that a woman was killed when she was struck by lightning while hiking on Max Patch Bald just northeast of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The victim was struck during a thunderstorm around 4:30 p.m. Friday as she hiked in an open area on U.S. Forest Service land near the Tennessee line, said Capt. Levi Roullard of the Spring Creek Fire Department.

The woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was dead at the scene. A Madison County dispatcher said she was from out of state.

Roullard said that if you’re caught outside during a thunderstorm, it’s best to stay out of open areas and seek a lower elevation if possible. Also avoid getting under tall trees.

The hiker's death occurs just days after a single lightning strike in Yellowstone National Park injured nine people. All nine visitors were on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm cell produced a single lightning bolt. Click here to read the full story.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.