Mt Miker killed by lightning East Fork Trail Telluride
- Thread starter eric strt6
- Start date
EMT was even nearby and couldn't resuscitate.
near the Lizard Head wilderness area...
MMike?Who is this "Mt Miker"? I do not see a login of that name.
That sucks.
Remember kids, during a thunderstorm do not gather in groups with large metal objects under trees. Get off the bike, separate from your riding buds, get in an opening away from trees if possible and crouch down until it passes.
Remember kids, during a thunderstorm do not gather in groups with large metal objects under trees. Get off the bike, separate from your riding buds, get in an opening away from trees if possible and crouch down until it passes.
Don't do it with teh crabonz either. I don't know about the stuff they use to make bikes, but the airplane stuff has a tendency to explode into jagged fragments when struck.
Wut?
Don't airplanes get struck by lightening all the time? Crabon fibres stuff I worked with all has a mesh of copper laid down to conduct through to metal fasteners and other less explody components.
Yes, rather frequently. As I understand it, the mesh in all the composites, be it carbon, fiberglass, or whatever, is for static electricity, which can interfere with navigation and/or communication equipment. Lightning, of course is much more....energetic. Typically it's not a big deal. I've replaced a handful of rather expensive computers because of lightning. Usually we'll see just tiny burn marks, some scorching, or maybe just little pin holes or small erosion marks where metal melts away, usually where rivets are in the skin.
But, periodically, it will be much worse. I don't know if this is a function of poor design, a misbonded component, or some other factor I'm not smart enough to understand, but I've personally seen carbon or fiberglass control surface tips or fairings with holes big enough to stick my fist in. Not that I'd want to, because they would cut you to death.
My scariest lightning story involved Carbon. We were on a ridge, and lightning struck REALLY close. My hands were wet, and I had one carbon brake lever, and one aluminum lever. The aluminum lever burned my fingers, and the carbon one didn't.
It was very scary.
I lived in T-ride for a few years, we were justifiably terrified of lightning storms in the afternoon, especially up above 12K.
It was very scary.
I lived in T-ride for a few years, we were justifiably terrified of lightning storms in the afternoon, especially up above 12K.
spent 18 hours pinned in a low spot on a ridge at 11,000' in Yosemite in a lightning storm. We tossed everything metallic down the hill from us and used a snapped off 4' branch to hold up the rainfly and rocks to hold down the edges we sat on our ensolite pads. Our hair was standing on end from the static and small shards of granite would rain down on the fly from close strikes on the cliffs. scariest shit I have ever been through in the mountains
Lots of people seem to think riding in thunderstorms is "just a bit of rain". Having learned of the dangers long ago as a pilot and having been stationed in the asshole of the country (Oklahoma), I try to avoid them at all costs. Not worth it and lightning is just one of the hazards. Seriously, some people don't seem to get it. Weather forecasting is pretty good these days if you know where to look.