Colorado
‘Experienced’ Climber Identified After 400-foot Fall While Hiking in Colorado
A routine hiking trip turned into tragedy as a New York native fell 400-feet to his death while in Colorado, per local authorities.
Noted ‘experienced’ hiker Herbert “Hal” Wise was on a solo trip to the Rock of Ages Trail on Wilson Peak when he fell.
By the time that the first rescuers made their way to Wise, it was clear that he was already gone.
The 53-year-old Rochester, NY native succumbed to a head injury that he suffered from the impact his fall. Another climber saw the fall and made the 911 call, per the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
“The victim was recovered and transferred to the San Miguel County Coroner. The four hour mission was conducted with the assistance of Highland Helicopter out of Durango. The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office and SAR extend our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family,” said the office in a Facebook post.
His obituary noted that he was a very active mountain climber and had climbed all 46 Adirondack peaks as well as numerous other mountains.
Moments like these are important to take as a warning that no matter how experienced and skilled of a climber you are, something unexpected can happen. It is important to take as many safety precautions as possible.
The Rock of Ages trail is the most popular route taken by those trying to climb Wilson Peak, which is where Wise was trying to get to. It also leads through Mount Wilson and the El Diente Peak.
Wilson Peak is in the Lizard Head Wilderness and is the highest point in all of San Miguel County, making it easy to see why an avid climber would be interested in such a journey.
Even though it is the easiest way to get to the peak, Rock of Ages is still considered to be a very challenging climb. There is frequently ice and snow that can cause a little bit of uneasiness.
Visitors are encouraged to bring spikes along with them to make it a little bit easier and safer near the top.
It’s fairly uncommon to run into many other climbers on a trip, so the other climber seeing it and helping him be found so quickly was a lucky development.
Police in Aurora are asking drivers to avoid the area near a serious crash that happened early Sunday evening.
According to the Aurora Police Department, the crash occurred after 5 p.m. on S. Gun Club Road between E. Jewell Avenue and E. Hampden Ave. Authorities said that four vehicles were involved, and at least one person has died.
Officers have closed down the area near the intersections while crews work the scene. The crash is under investigation, and authorities asked drivers to avoid the area until further notice.
The Colorado men’s basketball team won’t be cruising into Big 12 Conference play behind a wave of momentum.
Quite the opposite, in fact, as the Buffaloes will begin play in one of the nation’s most challenging leagues on the heels of one of the most embarrassing home defeats in recent memory.
CU (10-3) turned in another listless defensive performance and the Bears took advantage, handing CU an 86-81 defeat Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center.
It was UNC’s first win against Colorado since Feb. 18, 1936.
UNC shot .739 in the second half (17-for-23) and finished the game 11-for-21 on 3-pointers.
UNC’s Quinn Denker returned from a two-game injury absence to score 33 points against the Buffs. Freshman Isaiah Johnson led the Buffs with a season-high 25 points.
This story will be updated.
Northern Colorado 86, Colorado 81
NORTHERN COLORADO (10-3)
Nyeri 2-4 0-0 5, Wisne 6-15 0-0 13, Yamazaki 5-8 5-5 19, Bloch 3-6 0-0 8, Denker 12-18 6-6 33, Shields 3-6 2-6 8, Delano 0-2 0-0 0, Mawien 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-59 13-17 86.
COLORADO (10-3)
Dak 6-14 2-2 16, Rancik 4-13 4-4 14, Malone 2-5 2-2 6, Hargress 8-15 1-1 18, Kossaras 1-2 0-0 2, Johnson 9-20 5-6 25, Sanders 0-3 0-0 0, Holland 0-4 0-0 0, Ifaola 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-76 14-15 81.
Halftime: Northern Colorado 37-35; 3-Point Goals: Northern Colorado 11-21 (Yamazaki 4-6, Denker 3-5, Bloch 2-4, Nyeri 1-2, Wisne 1-3, Delano 0-1), Colorado 7-23 (Dak 2-4, Johnson 2-6, Rancik 2-6, Hargress 1-3, Holland 0-1, Kossaras 0-1, Sanders 0-2); Rebounds: Northern Colorado 39 (Denker 8), Colorado 37 (Johnson 8); Assists: Northern Colorado 17 (Denker 8), Colorado 11 (Hargress 5); Total Fouls: Northern Colorado 12, Colorado 14.
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