Appreciation post: My close call with a slab of loose shale

I was checking out a creek bed for cool rocks last week. I put my hand on what looked like a firm shale layer. Suddenly, a big piece cracked off and fell right where I was standing. It scared me bad, and I almost got hit. Now I look for any splits or weak spots before I touch anything. You should always give rocks a good look over from a safe distance. A quick check could save you from a nasty surprise.

4 comments

4 Comments

evan_burns1mo ago

Oof, I've definitely earned a few close calls being that careless.

lily_henderson1mo ago

Read an article about parking brake failures being way more common than people think. Scary how many folks just trust it'll hold every time.

the_amy1mo ago

Man, my buddy once forgot to set his parking brake on a hill. He was just running into a store for a minute. Came back to find his car had rolled into a shopping cart corral. Somehow it only dented the bumper, but it could have been way worse. He still gets teased about it at gatherings. That was a solid lesson in not cutting corners.

davidshah14d ago

That's a proper scare. Did the sound of it cracking give you any warning, or was it just a sudden, quiet break before the crash?