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Show DAILY HERALD B6 September 24, 2004 Friday, Ralston Continued from Bl is f "It's gone so far beyond, 'Oh my ... I cant believe you cut off your arm' to people recognizing that courage and perseverance can overcome adversity, and recognizing that pain is just a temporary side effect of living your life, he said. Few will ever face the level of pain Ralston endured during his five-d- a ordeal in Blue John Canyon, near legendary Robbers Roost in the Horseshoe Canyon District of Canyon-land- s National Park. An experienced mountain climber and outdoorsman, Ralston came boulder across an wedged in a tight crevasse in a slot canyoa He executed a routine maneuver, in which he climbed over the boulder and began to slide down to the canyon floor below. For no apparent reason, however, the boulder dislodged and came crashing down toward him. Ralston instinctively threw up his arms for protection. In an occurrence of incalculable odds, the boulder wedged into the tight walls of the canyon, pinning Ralston's right arm above the wrist in the process. The accident happened on Courtesy photo April 26, 2003. Incredibly, RalAron Ralston ringing the bells ston survived on 22 ounces of South Maroon Peak, part of the Maroon Bells in Colorado, in March 2003, the month before he d boulder. This picture is found in his book, water and two small burritos found himself in Utah's Blue John Canyon with his arm trapped under an " over the ensuing five days. De"Between a Rock and a Hard Place." termined to somehow weather his predicament, he even coltitle of the book, but also in its who said he abhors running, came only five days after the lected and drank his own urine. cle, nerves and tissue. final chapter: "A Farewell to v participated in a book's release and with the naSuffice to say that Ralston He tried various escape opfootrace at high elevation in Arm." tional publicity tour just begindetails his amputation in the tions in the days following the Colorado. book with the detached preciRalston's anticipated appear; ning. "This is just after the first mishap attempting to chip . "It brings you to levels of', few days (of the tour) in New ance tonight at King's English sion of a surgeon. While that away at the boulder and the has generated a lot of interest. York pain that even I, the guy who" canyon walls with his knife, for desperate act of cut his arm off, that even I was Unlike other prominent book is clearly the most sensa"It's had an amazing amount instance, in a futile attempt to i of publicity and people are intional aspect of his story, Ralfree his arm but found himexperiencing new levels of subjects who employ a ghostwhat it meant to feel hurt, bewriter to pen their autobiograston's ability to maintain his self impossibly pinned and spired by the story," said Anne cause I'm doing it to myself," wits and determination while without hope that anyone Holman, a manager at the Salt phies, Ralston wrote the text Ralston said of the endurance Lake City bookstore. "In fact, would find him in time in his himself, typing out the contents rappelling and hiking the addirace. "It's not to save my life, we're getting phone calls from tional seven miles to where he with his remaining hand on his desolate location. it's just to follow through with "You couldn't have hidden in was finally rescued by a heliboys saying, 'What laptop. , time is he reading? Can I a better spot than I was in," something that my ambitions "My typing is about 30 copter is no less inspiring. come?' It's great." have laid out for me." , "If that helicopter hadn't words per minute, which is Ralston said. "If you didn't Part of Ralston's been there exactly when it was, faster than I think, as I like to Holman said there are severwant to be found, that's where ' al reasons Ralston's story enI would have died," said Raljourney included a trip say," Ralston said. you go. That's why it's called That the book would enter '' genders such reaction. . back to the site of his accident Robbers Roost. Those guys did- ston matter-of-- f actry, crediting an experience which was re"First of all, he's so young, efforts of the bestseller list so highly is a the n't want to be found, that's and it's not really a story of, his mother and friends to locate testament to the story's mescently documented in a "Datewhy they went there." line NBC" special with Tom him even though they had no sage of encouragement. Ralston had actually pon- - ' 'Wow, I got stuck by a rock Brokaw. "That just tells me that people and I feel sprry for myself,' " dered amputating his arm earli- idea where he had gone. "It's a "The trip back to the canyon Holman said. "We've had so want this story," he said. er in his ordeal, but determined miracle." was an emotional closure for his knife was not sharp enough There was such a public outmany calls from hospitals and "They've been touched by it to cut through bone. He had an pouring of amazement and sup- and they want to share it with schools, saying, 'Oh, can he me," said Ralston, who scatI think So come talk to the cremated ashes of his us?' and tered other that Ralston in the for his people. story port epiphany, however, severed hand at the site. "It said he was compelled to write "That means a lot to me. I it's using his accident as a way morning of the fifth day: He to change his life and to be inwas so intense to be back think that was the real intent the book and accurately docucould torque his trapped arm ment the entire experience. behind writing the book was to spirational. It's amazing." with enough pressure to literalthere, as you can imagine, both able to take it even further While the accident certainly to see my grave and my birth"It does me so much good, be ly snap the bones in two, then ' than what it was when it was a changed his life, it has not alcut through the remaining mus- - psychologically, mentally and place. It's a place that bears a tered his passion for the outnews story and turn it into a great deal of significance and emotionally to hear from peoI feel, even at these eardoors which borders on fathis this about how . spirituality. I look at it as being, ple legacy. story, PRESENTED BY natical.. Since leaving Blue John liest indications, that that is goin essence! holy ground. I was miracle that happened to me, resurrected on that spot." has affected them," Ralston Canyon and his right arm being to be possible. It's not just said. "It feels like my life has an ego boost ... it tells me that hind, Ralston has climbed 111 Amazingly, Ralston says if . Colorado peaks of more than' he had it to do all over again, taken on such a greater pursomething I've done will conhe would not change a single tinue to affect the world long 13,000 feet, many of them solo. pose at this point, than just my He helped design a after it's happened even afown desires and pleasures." aspect of his experience. He would still choose to hike off ter a generation or two, even prosthetic device that According to Benjamin Bru-- . into that canyon alone. after I'm gone. ton, associate director of pubhelps him climb. "One of the things that's "I have to say, that's what "I don't want to say that and licity for Atria Books, "BeHOST. shifted my perspective is that I then jinx myself and have an tween a Rock and a Hard passion is," he said of his outPlace" will debut on the New accident six months from doors addiction. "I don't control have this kind of challenge THEATRE York Times Bestseller list at it, it controls me. If I decided now, because of the euphoria of now," he laughed. "That's not No. 8 on Sunday: (The bestquite what I meant by affecting that I didn't want to be back in getting out," Ralston said. "It's seller listings are compiled in the most euphoric moment of the world long after I'm gone." the outdoors, I would just be miserable because that's where my life as I'm giving myself To his credit, Ralston disadvance.) this rebirth by amputating my plays a sense of gallows humor my passion is. It's something "Everything is going really arm. I'll never feel that level of that I have to suffer. Passion is when it comes to his ordeaL good," said Bruton, noting that not something I create in my That shows up in not only the the initial bestseller figures euphoria again, but if I can feel katie i even a fraction of it on a daily life, but it is something that you tap into where your soul wants basis, it tells me that I'm glad to be alive. It's sort of laid down you to go. You have to follow it. You have to obey it. For me, this challenge to try to do that." that means being back in the Somehow, one can't help but think that challenge has met its outdoors, even as it brings sufmatch. fering into my life." The Aspen, Colo., resident continues pushing the limits of I Doug Fox can be reached at 6 or what his body can endure. In dfoxheraldextra.com August, for example, Ralston, Judith Martin Miss Manners ADHERE TO DIET 800-pou- OR DISRUPT DINNER? As MISS MANNERS DEAR so many other people days, I'm on quite a specific diet; in my case, a popun diet that has lar and been mandated by my doctor. While there are no foods I'm forbidden to eat on this diet, I do have to be careful to stay within my daily nutritional allowances. I have a small booklet of nutritional values that helps me with this task. As I spend more time on this diet, I'm becoming familiar with the values of most common foods, but I am occasionally confronted with something new and need to either reference my booklet or decline the offer (or possibly both, depending on what, the booklet has to say on the matter). Is this checking something that can be done politely or should I simply decline , well-know- , 800-poun- 100-mi- le -- , treats of unknown nutritional value?. GENTLE READER Were you planning on asking the hostess to hold off a minute while you looked it up in your book? And while the other guests chimed in: "What's the calorie count?" "Is it all natural ingredients?" "Any carbohydrates?" "What's the fiber content?" Miss Manners admires your determination to stick to your . diet, but you must show equal determination in sticking to , your duty to your hostess riot to disrupt the dinner. 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