Author: Irene Pastore

Hello! I am a Personal Trainer, Yoga and Pilates Instructor who specializes in fitness after 50. My service is Live Streaming. Connect with me from anywhere in the world. I look forward to helping you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Hiking Accident Prevention: Learn The Risks of Slot Canyon Flash Floods

July 13, 2021

 

 Monsoon Season Brings Sudden Flooding 

SLOT CANYONS are funnel-shaped rock formations, found in the American southwest. They are wide at the top, and narrow at the bottom. Slot canyon formation is caused by water rushing through sandstone or limestone rock.  Southern Utah has the most slot canyons in the world.

SLOT CANYON FLASH FLOODS are often caused by storms miles away.  Slot canyon flash floods are dangerous, and can be life threatening.

During a flash flood, the water level rises quickly, within minutes, or seconds.  A flash flood can rush down a canyon in a wall of water 12 feet high or more.  

Hikers should check the National Weather Service, for an up-to-date report, before entering a slot canyon.  If bad weather is predicted, entering a slot canyon is dangerous, and may result in your death.

O N L I N E  N E W S  S O U R C E S

NPS.gov (National Park Service) –  Zion National Park Utah: The Narrows Safety 

NPS.gov (National Park Service) – Monsoon Season 

MyUtahParks.com – Be Aware of Flash Flood Dangers In Utah’s Canyons,  By Carly Everett  – 6/19/19

Blogs.Scientific American.com – Instant Peril: Flash Floods and How To Survive Them.  Flash Floods Kill People Worldwide  Find Out How To Survive,  By Dana Hunter – 12/28/16

LATimes.com/Associated Press – Report: Hikers Were Warned Before Flood,  9/30/97

CNN.com – 7 Dead In Zion National Park Flash Flood,  By Ralph Ellis – 9/17/15

OutsideOnline.com – Special Report: The Keyhole 7,  By Grayson Schaffer – 5/24/16

ChicagoTributne.com – Utah Floods That Killed 19 Show Dangers Of Popular Desert Canyons,   By Tribune Wire Reports – 9/17/15

Weather.gov (US National Weather Service) – Floods  

OutsideOnline.com – Surviving A Flash Flood In A Slot Canyon,  By Joe Spring – 9/11/13

Backpacker.com – The Manual: How To Explore A Slot Canyon,  By Kristin Bjornsen and Rebecca Kane – 2/14/17

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 25 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.  

Smart Walking Advice For Tourists In New York City

July 12, 2021

If you’re planning to visit NYC, don’t wear flip flops or flimsy footwear, because the sidewalks aren’t in the best condition. Many are broken and uneven. Sidewalk slip and fall accidents are common. Do yourself a favor and walk around NY in a pair of shoes meant for the job.

If you happen to trip over broken sidewalk, you’ll land on your hands and knees causing yourself extreme pain and interrupting your vacation. Or worse yet, you can wind up in the nearest emergency room with fractures.

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 25 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.  

Hiking Accident Prevention: Avoiding Fatal Hiking Mistakes In National Parks

July 12, 2021

 

S T O R I E S  P A S T  A N D  P R E S E N T

Risky Techniques ♦ Inexperience ♦ Hiking In Extreme Heat ♦ and Lone Hiking – Lead To Fatal Mistakes In National Parks

 N E W S   A R T I C L E S

NationalParksTraveler.org 6/22/21 – Deaths Rising In National Park System, By NPT Staff

CNN.com April 24, 2019 – On average, 6 people die in national parks every week. This is how you can protect yourself, By AJ Willingham
 

The Seattle Times and The San Franciso Chronicle June 11, 2018 – Witness Describes Death Plunge Of Two Yosemite Climbers,  By Peter Fimrite.  

OutsideOnline.com, August 9, 2018 -“Whitney Has Turned Into An Overcrowded Catastrophe,  By Megan Michelson.  

KUNC Radio (KUNC.org) November 27, 2018 – Hiking Alone: Common Thread In Four Rocky Mountain National Park Fatalities, Searches,  By Michael de Yoanna.  

KUNC Radio (KUNC.org) July 17, 2018 – Rocky Mountain National Park Is Third For Most Search And Rescues,  By Michael de Yoanna.  

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.   To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.  

Hiking Accident Prevention: Hikers Who Perished On Mt. Washington

July 3, 2021
S T O R I E S  P A S T  A N D  P R E S E N T 

New Hampshire Magazine Provides A List Of 161 Known Deaths From 1855 to 2019

New Hampshire Magazine May 19, 2019 – “Mt. Washington’s Fatalities” By New Hampshire Magazine Staff

There are two additional casualties that ocurred after this article was published, bringing the total to 163. Sandra Lee 63, died on June 13, 2019 of hypothermia, and Joseph M. Gormley 60, on September 12, 2020 of unknown causes.

Mt. Washington Is Known For Fierce Winds, Extreme Cold, And Year-Round Snowfall. From April 1934 To 1996 It Held The World Record For the Highest Recorded Wind Speed At 232 mph.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers And Backpackers

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.  

Strength Training As Self-Defense For Seniors

July 3, 2021

This is a true story that occurred in November 2019. An 82-year-old woman successfully defended herself during a home break-in in Rochester, N.Y., afterwhich the 28 year-old intruder was taken away by ambulance. Willie Murphy started lifting weights when she was 56 years old. Every senior should follow her training example.

Irene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. She owns this website, and authors each blog post. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.