If Gean Plaga were to have passed away during this natural disaster 50 years ago, West High School and the hundreds of athletes that played for the legenday Plaga would have missed out on the best 30 years of athletics West High will ever know. West High has changed dramatically since 1991, when Plaga retired, but he will always be a LEGEND and topic of many watercooler stories for those of us fortunate enough to have played for him. Thanks Pat for allowing your husband to touch our lives for over 30 years.

Thanks for telling this story today. I've been to Earthquake Lake and have marveled at the destruction. Let's hope we're not around when the super volcano at Yellowstone goes off!

I was working at Mammoth Springs in Yellowstone when the quake hit. The asphalt road bucked and twisted like we were standing on a trampoline. My girlfriend and I held on to each other to keep from falling down.

We thought we were the only witnesses of the rockslides on Haynes Mountain. The coyotes howled and thick dust rose up from the slides and flowed like water in the moonlight. There was a full moon that night


A ranger came racing down the road to check the bridge and as we listened to his radio we began to realize the scope of the quake. In the dark the bridge appeared to be safe but no one knew if there was damage we couldn't see. He debated with another ranger about the welfare of people further ahead where the highway came under some cliffs, and finally gunned his ranger car across the bridge and made it. I have never forgotten that selfless act of courage.

The next day I directed traffic and most of the tourists got out of the park as fast as they could between aftershocks.

Interesting story. Thanks.

I enjoyed this story, too. Thanks, Cathy! Your Free Lunch column is a definite highlight!