HikeArizona.COM

New York man rescued twice in 2 days while hiking in Arizona
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/new-y ... ffs-office

@cactuscat I don’t like to discourage anyone from hiking, but…he may want to consider a different hobby.

@LindaAnn
I see that he was from NY, so perhaps he should go to NYC and hike in Central Park instead

I fondly remember one couple from NY that came into our gallery in Scottsdale. It was about noon and they said that when they leave they will take that little trip past Canyon Lake through Tortilla Flats and then Roosevelt Lake over to Globe and then back to Scottsdale for dinner. I bring out my map and suggest that maybe they should get an early start the next day. I procced to explain to them how twisty the road is and dirt for a very good portion when the husband interrupts and says can you speak a little faster we want to get going. The wife says, dear that's how they are out here. I smile and say, have a nice drive.

Here is what he wrote about it online ... not a word about calling 911 twice! Didn't even shout out to his rescuers among the 27 hashtags.
I'm not including his picture because why feed into his ego ... but he looks just like you'd expect him to.

This incident got a quick mention on WNBC (NYC) 11 :00 pm news tonight. Although very brief and matter of fact textually, the tone of voice was incredulous, giving just a hint of Darwin award worthiness. They quoted the victim as saying he didn't know it got so cold and snowy in Flagstaff, which even NYC broadcasters clearly thought was odd. After all, once you get out of the car and look, there it is, and there it is again the next day, except that you've also experienced how it is much higher up.

I think I somewhat understand it, though. At least in my mental image, on the first trip, he got up to the saddle and traversed it far enough to lose track of where the trail came up from below. Maybe conditions or mental state made it hard to find his own tracks. I can also imagine him thinking that he came close enough to give it another go. I draw a blank on the circumstances of the fall, though. Maybe I overlooked something, but I didn't see a description of where it happened or how far he fell.

#mountaineer

@cactuscat - Looks like he also missed the hashtag #doitforthegram

Comments disabled, “Seven Summits 1/7”, hopefully he is better prepared in his future attempts.

@big_load This is from an article I found.. “ While he navigated the rocky, snow-covered ridgeline, Vasto slipped off the trail and sustained minor abrasions to his leg. As he recuperated from his fall, he began to feel lightheaded and “numb all over.” When he checked his phone he found that only 5% of its battery life remained, ostensibly drained from its use as a primary navigational tool. At about 5 p.m Vasto called Search and Rescue -- again.”

I found this from another article...

The 28-year-old adventurer told the Arizona Daily Sun that he’s an "experienced climber who completed his first major hike two years ago."
BTW, @cactuscat was correct...his photo does indeed look just like you'd expect him to.

Also from the Daily Sun..."Using YouTube and the popular trail guide app AllTrails, Vasto conducted some research that suggested the summit of Humphreys Peak could be reached in two to three hours." Once safely delivered to the Arizona Snowbowl parking lot, a Search and Rescue team provided Vasto with a preventative education. He was then “encouraged to not attempt the hike again.”

PatrickL wrote:#mountaineer

Hashtags are great sometimes. I once saw an Instagram succulent farmer use that same one after conquering Quien Sabe Peak.

Then again, the hikearizona account called me out once for exaggerating a Humphreys photo with #volcano

xthine wrote:“ While he navigated the rocky, snow-covered ridgeline, Vasto slipped off the trail and sustained minor abrasions to his leg. As he recuperated from his fall, he began to feel lightheaded and “numb all over.” When he checked his phone he found that only 5% of its battery life remained, ostensibly drained from its use as a primary navigational tool. At about 5 p.m Vasto called Search and Rescue -- again.”

He might be better off fabricating adventures with Photoshop and some copyright violations.

This just in...

The Daily Sun asked Mr Vasto why he didn’t include his calls to the emergency services in his telling of the story on social media.

“We make posts on social media about how we want others to see us,” he said, adding that he was worried the full details would lead to judgement.

On the AllTrails app, Mr Vasto wrote in a review that hikers should “wait for warmer months before attempting” to summit Humphreys Peak.

Mr Vasto is planning to have another go at the trail in May alongside Mr Wyatt.

They added that the $1000 / hour rescue costs are paid by AZ taxpayers.

Just curious, since I don't feel like digging deep enough to see what he looks like. Just what does he look like that we expect him to look like?

LosDosSloFolks wrote:On the AllTrails app, Mr Vasto wrote in a review that hikers should “wait for warmer months before attempting” to summit Humphreys Peak

Why does he think other hikers will read trip reports on AllFails? He obviously didn't.

@Alston_Neal
I thought the same thing when @cactuscat said it....how judgemental is that?! Then I saw the photos and had to agree.

chumley wrote:Why does he think other hikers will read trip reports on AllFails?

Probably has something to do with what he looks like

Was he wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and thinking it would be 100 degree?

LosDosSloFolks wrote:“We make posts on social media about how we want others to see us,” he said, adding that he was worried the full details would lead to judgement.

The best way to avoid judgment is to keep your head down and your mouth shut if you done something that might invite it. Trying to plant a false narrative will bring it on you double.

big_load wrote:This incident got a quick mention on WNBC (NYC) 11 :00 pm news tonight. Although very brief and matter of fact textually, the tone of voice was incredulous, giving just a hint of Darwin award worthiness. They quoted the victim as saying he didn't know it got so cold and snowy in Flagstaff, which even NYC broadcasters clearly thought was odd.

The chatter on social media must have really blown up, because they covered it again at greater length last night. They detailed how messed up the behavior was while showing some photos he posted. The juxtaposition underscored the difference between the image he was trying portray and what was really happening.

@big_load Oh he’s milking his 15 minutes and doesn’t even care if it’s good or bad anymore.