The Grand Canyon sees around 5 million visitors a year for good reason: its grandeur is unlike any other place in the world. However, just a few hours away, there is another “canyon” national park that is smaller, much less trafficked, more colorful, and surrounded by distinct natural wonders. Bryce Canyon Country includes Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, Kodachrome State Park, and so much more in its 3-million-plus acres of protected lands. It’s the perfect Grand Canyon alternative for anyone who wants to see Utah’s natural splendor without the same level of crowds — Bryce Canyon sees about 2.5 million annual visitors, Capitol Reef about 1.5 million, and not even one million visit Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument every year.
An injured hiker rescued from the Grand Canyon says his 4 friends were 'unjustly vilified' after officials falsely claimed the group left him behind
21.09.2023 - 03:49 / insider.com
Officials said a hiker who was injured in Grand Canyon National Park last weekend had been left behind by his friends after they called in a rescue for him — but the hiker in question says that's not at all what happened and that his friends have been "unjustly vilified in the media."
"In my view, my friends did all the exact right things. They got me rescued," William Formanek told Insider.
Mohave County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue published a statement on Saturday saying they rescued a 63-year-old man who got injured while hiking down Kanab Creek. The statement said the man was hiking in a group of five when he got injured, and that they used a satellite-capable device to call for a rescue.
"Once contact for help using the Apple device was confirmed by the hiking group, the other four hikers left with the Apple device and continued on their backpacking adventures — leaving the injured hiker behind alone," the statement said.
Formanek said his friends did everything they could to get him rescued quickly and that he was "baffled" by how the story got mixed up.
News outlets picked up the story about an injured hiker left behind by his friends with apparent summit fever — prompting angry comments on media sites and in hiking Facebook groups about the behavior of the so-called "friends."
But Formanek said that narrative was simply false.
The group of five was in fact a few days into a seven-day backpacking trip. But on Friday, Formanek and one other member of the group decided to hike further south down Kanab Creek than the others, so the group split up.
Formanek said he's hiked thousands of miles in the Grand Canyon, even down that exact creek several times, and has climbed more than 40 summits over the years. He felt breaking up the group was an acceptable level of risk, but noted that when hiking alone he would usually carry his own emergency device.
"I've hiked hundreds and hundreds of miles with no incident," he said. "I just had bad luck this time."
Eventually, Formanek and his companion turned around to head back to their campsite. At around 2:30 p.m., Formanek fell while crossing the creek, struck a large boulder, and dislocated his shoulder. The pain was severe, and he was unable to continue hiking in the rugged terrain.
"Neither my friend nor I had a satellite-capable emergency device, but those in the group ahead of us did. Hence with my blessing and encouragement, my friend continued to hike hoping to catch the others before dark and request a rescue," he said.
Formanek said his friend probably hiked three or four miles over challenging terrain to catch up with the others, at which point they used an Apple iPhone's satellite feature to send an emergency request for help. It was around
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