ER nurse crawls 10 miles down Montana's highest peak after pole impales him

David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old emergency-room nurse, was climbing Granite Peak, Montana’s tallest summit, when he slipped on rocks and fell onto a trekking pole that pierced his torso. Assessing the injury as not immediately life-threatening, he and his two hiking partners decided to keep the pole lodged and make their way down the mountain. The group covered more than 10 miles of boulders, snowfields, and plateau terrain, with one companion contacting local rescue via a satellite communicator and the other assisting Cifaldi’s navigation.

Cifaldi maintained a positive attitude throughout, even warning other hikers away from the wound site near Mystic Lake. After roughly six and a half hours, he reached the trailhead, where rescuers transported him to a hospital and later to Intermountain Health in Billings for pole removal. A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $2,700 toward his medical expenses, aiming for a $10,000 goal.