"The take-home lesson here, one obvious in the first dozen chapters of this book," the "Death in Yosemite" book concludes with, "is that the people who die traumatically in Yosemite die mainly — almost universally — from poor judgment."

Now it is worth noting that 1,534 total people have actually died in Yosemite the past 155 years, if you count "natural causes." Old age, heart attacks and the like are NOT included on their list of accidents. That total includes 49 hikers who died of "natural causes" while on the trail.

The year 1978 was the worst on record for Yosemite with 30 traumatic deaths and another nine by accidents. Safest year in the last 50 was 2001, with only five traumatic deaths and another by natural causes.

Of all deaths in Yosemite, 77 percent were Californians. People from 40 different states — including Utah — and 30 foreign nations have died here.

A Paiute Indian who was 108 died in Yosemite as the oldest official death, but one other Native American was reputed to be 115 when he died in the park.

The authors were also able to secure Michael Finley, who was superintendent of Yosemite from 1989-1994 to do a forward to the book and give his stamp of approval to the work.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com