Old Smoothie is Gone!

THE MOSTSEISMICALLY ACTIVESTATES IN THE U.S.,AND RECENTLY ITHAS BEEN VERYACTIVE.JUST FRIDAY, AFAMOUS FEATURE INTHE SAWTOOTHMOUNTAINS CAMETUMBLING DOWNDURING A STRONGAFTERSHOCK TO AMARCHEARTHQUAKE.AND AS STEVELIEBENTHAL SHOWSUS IN TONIGHT'SIDAHO BACK ROADS,SOME LUCKY HIKERSESCAPED ALMOSTCERTAIN DEATH, ANDCAUGHT THEAMAZING EVENT ONVIDEO.WASHINGTONRESIDENT SCOTTFORSYTH WAS ONHIS FIRST EVERBACKPACKING TRIP.HE WAS WITH IDAHOFRIENDSEXPERIENCED INHIKING ANDCLIMBING.THE LANDSCAPEPHOTOGRAPHERWAS USING HISCAMERA TO CAPTURETHE GRANDEUR OFTHE SAWTOOTHMOUNTAINSSURROUNDINGBARON LAKE.

ASTHEY HIKED UNDER AFAMOUS FEATURE,ONE HAD WHATWOULD TURN OUT TOBE A FOREBODINGTHOUGHT."AND IT WAS FUNNY,CAUSE WE LOOKEDUP AT THE ROCK,BARON SPIRE OROLD SMOOTHY ASTHEY CALL IT ANDWE AND WE WERESAYING, MAN CANYOU IMAGINE IF THATTHING CAME DOWN?"FOUR HOURS LATERTHEY WERE AT THEIRCAMP, RELAXINGWITH A FEW DRINKS,WHEN THE GROUNDSTARTED TO SHAKE."IT FELT LIKE ABOEING 747 WASFLYING OVER, TO BEHONEST, IT FELT LIKEAN AIRLINER WASFLYING OVER HEAD,AND THE GROUNDSTARTED TO RUMBLEA LITTLE BIT AND IHEARD YELLING."IT WAS ANAFTERSHOCK FROM AMARCH 31EARTHQUAKE THATMEASURED SIX-POINT-FIVE ON THERICHTER SCALE.

THESAME QUAKE THATCAUSED A MASSIVEBEACH TODISAPPEAR UNDERTHE WATER OFSTANLEY LAKE.BUT THAT JET-LIKESOUND WAS JUSTTHE FIRST THING THEHIKERS HEARD.

THEYLISTENED ANDWATCHED AS AFAMOUS ROCKCALLED BARONSPIRE TOPPLEDFROM ITS PERCH.MANY CLIMBERS,INCLUDINGFORSYTH'SBOISTEROUS FRIEND,REFERRED TO THESPIRE FONDLY AS"OLD SMOOTHIE."FORSYTH SAYS JUSTFOUR HOURSBEFORE HECAPTURED THISVIDEO, HE AND HISFRIENDS HAD BEENHIKING IN THE VERYSPOT WHERE AMASSIVE ROCKSLIDEWAS NOW POUNDINGTHE LANDSCAPE."I THINK I SAID WOWWE WOULD HAVEDIED.

YOU KNOW,LIKE WE WERE JUSTTHERE, WE WOULDHAVE DIED."IT'S THE KIND OFTHING IDAHO STATEUNIVERSITYPROFESSOR GLENNTHACKRAY WARNEDSTANLEY RESIDENTSABOUT A DECADEAGO, AFTER THEDISCOVERY OF ANACTIVE FAULT NOWKNOWN AS THESAWTOOTH FAULT.BUT THACKRAY SAYSTHE FAULT THAT ISNOW SHAKING THESAWTOOTHS IS ADIFFERENT ONE,PART OF A SERIES OFFAULTS CALLED THETRANS-CHALLISFAULT SYSTEM.HE SAYS THE RECENTSERIES OF QUAKESFROM RENOTHROUGH UTAH ANDIN CENTRAL IDAHOARE UNCONNECTED."THE EARTHQUAKETHAT OCCURED INTHE WESTERN SIDEOF THE SALT LAKEVALLEY THATOCCURREDROUGHLY TWOWEEKS BEFORE THESTANLEYEARTHQUAKE, WEWOULDN'T CONNECTTHOSE TWO ASANYTHING OTHERTHAN ACOINCIDENCE INTIME."IDAHO IS FIFTH IN THENATION FOR SEISMICACTIVITY, ANDTHACKRAY SAYS THEPATTERN OF A MAJORSEISMIC EVENTEVERY FEW DECADESIS LIKELY TOCONTINUE."HEBGEN LAKE,BORAH PEAK, THEEARTHQUAKES THISYEAR, THEY TEND TOBE MORE LONG TERMHAZARDS, AND THEBEST WE CAN DO ISBE PREPARED FORAN EVENT LIKE THATAND THEN GO ABOUTOUR DAILY LIVES."THAT MAKESFORSYTH THINKTWICE ABOUT MOREHIKING IN THESAWTOOTHS, BUTULTIMATELY HE SAYS,IT'S WORTH THE RISK."OH, I'LL DO IT AGAIN.I DON'T KNOW IF IWILL GO BACK TOTHAT RIDGE THISYEAR.

I DON'T KNOWIF ANYONE SHOULDBE HIKING THERERIGHT NOW."STEVE LIEBENTHAL,IDAHO NEWS SIXSO WILL THESTANLEY FAULTCREATE ANOTHERLARGE QUAKE SOON?THAT I-S-UPROFESSOR SAYS ITCOULD HAPPENTOMORROW, ITCOULD HAPPEN IN AHUNDRED YEARS, ORIT COULD HAPPEN INA THOUSAND YEARS.HE SUGGESTSSTANLEY RESIDENTSTAKE PRECAUTIONSLIKE ATTACHING TALLBOOK CASES TOWALLS.ADLIBS...THAT'S STILL AHEAD.