Author and mountaineer R.J. Secor was severely injured in mid-April when he lost control of a glissade on Mount San Antonio (aka Mount Baldy) in Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains. Secor slid hundreds of feet and smashed into some rocks, suffering several broken bones, including skull fractures. He was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition, but has been making steady progress; he is off a ventilator, able to respond to questions, and is expected to recover.

A widely traveled and prolific peakbagger, Secor is the author of guidebooks to the Sierra, the Mexican volcanoes, Aconcagua and Denali.