Me on KQED: Wilderness Yes, Cellphones No!

The piece, “Wilderness Calling,” is part of KQED’s Perspectives series, where regular people make their best case on a topic of the day. While some might question if I’m a regular person, I have formed an emphatic opinion about the growing use of cellphones in the great outdoors, based on a jarring experience I had in Yosemite National Park last summer. Listen to the whole thing below.

Pampa de Lenas

Audio Post:
Descent from Base Camp to Pampa de Lenas (9,100 ft. / 2,800 m)
“…Bursts of wind and snow clattering against the tent…”
Click to play (1 min. 59 sec.)

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Could I Have Made It?

Audio Post:
Plaza Argentina (Base Camp) (elevation 13,790 ft. / 4,203 m.)
“…it’s a question that hurts to ask right now.”
Click to Play (1 minĀ  42 sec)

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My Summit Attempt

Audio Post:

Plaza Argentina (Base Camp) (elevation 13,790 ft. / 4,203 m.)
“…from the beginning I felt like a frozen lobster…”
Click to Play (6 min 51 sec)

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Team Stray Dogs – Summit Day (Excluding David)

Audio Blog:
Return to Base Camp (elevation 13,790 ft. / 4,203 m.)
“…50 people including a dog…”
Click to Play (1 min 46 sec)

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Close But No Cigar

Audio Blog:
Return to Camp 2 (elevation 19,000 ft. / 5,800 m.)
“…mind and body are intact…”
(map)
Click to Play (31 sec.)

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Summit or Bust

Audio Blog:
Waiting at Camp 2 (elevation 19,000 ft. / 5,800 m.)
(map to the summit)
“…we are excited and scared about the ordeal to come.”
Click to Play (1 min 16 sec)
Other postings about this trip:
Marshall Ulrich’s trip log – edited by his wife Heather
Terri Schneider’s blog

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A Restless Rest Day

Audio Blog:
Pinned at Camp 2 (elevation 19,000 ft. / 5,800 m.)
(map up to camp 2)
“…wind rammed into our tent like a gunshot…”
Click to Play (2 min 5 sec)

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Waiting…

Audio Post:
Chilling at Camp 2 (elevation 19,000 ft. / 5,800 m.)
(map up to camp 2)
“…it’s about 25 degrees in our tent…”
Click to Play (1 min 40 sec)

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Wind Storm Delays Summit Attempt

Audio Post:

Trapped at Camp 2 (elevation 19,000 ft. / 5,800 m.)
(map)
“it huffed and puffed and tried to blow our tent down last night…”
Click to Play (1 minĀ  34 sec)

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