David Cifaldi, 32, and two hiking companions were approaching the summit of Montana’s highest peak, Granite Peak, on July 20 when a freak accident left the man impaled by his own steel-tipped trekking pole. Despite the life-threatening injury, Cifaldi miraculously hiked 10 miles down the mountain.
The incident occurred in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, just north of Yellowstone National Park, where Granite Peak rises to 12,803 feet and is considered one of the most challenging high-point summits after Denali.
Cifaldi’s companion said: “A couple of inches the other way, and this would be a different story.”
