What started out being fairly described as "a hell of a mess" came full circle last week when five men involved in a harrowing rescue on Yosemite's El Capitan were honored for their efforts.

In September 2011, a climber, high up on the famed Nose Route, slipped and fell. Down he plummeted until his secondary safety rope jammed him to an abrupt stop and saved his life.

The rope, however, wrapped around his right thumb and severed it.

The thumb landed 80 feet below on a ledge on the El Capitan wall. The climber's partner then rappelled down the wall, picked up the thumb and put it in his pocket.

Now you know why this was "a hell of a mess."

A rescue team and helicopter were dispatched, according to Yosemite spokeswoman Kari Cobb, and quickly located the stranded climbers.

The helicopter hovered near the wall and two members of the rescue party roped to the El Capitan face. In turn, they short-hauled each of the climbers into the helicopter.

In minutes, they were on the valley floor in El Capitan Meadow. Another helicopter, air medical, then transported the man and his thumb to a hospital.

Surgeons then reattached the thumb and the victim has regained full use of it.

In a ceremony last week, five men were honored for their parts in the rescue.

National Valor Awards were given to Yosemite rangers Jeffrey Webb and David Pope and Yosemite Helitack crewmembers Eric Small and Jeff Pirog. In addition, Richard Shatto, a private contract park helicopter pilot, was also honored with a Citizen's Award for Bravery for his expertise in piloting the helicopter.

The Valor Award, established in 1957, recognizes an employee's demonstration of unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger.

In Kings Canyon: Two rangers at Kings Canyon National Park also received Valor Awards. To rescue a severely injured fallen climber, rangers Jack Corrao and Philip Johnson ascended a 1,300-foot sheer rock wall. They climbed an un-scouted route to reach the climber, secured him to the wall, stabilized his injuries, and then performed a short-haul helicopter rescue to save him, according to the National Park Service.

Mindego Gateway

On the Peninsula, the new Mindego Gateway shows what a park district can do when it has a little money. At Alpine Road off Skyline, the Midpeninsula Open Space District opened a new, 20-car parking area with trailhead access for Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. Trail payoffs include 360 degree views from Mindego Hill and Borel Hill, and links to four adjacent preserves. The Mindego Gateway is located on the north side of Alpine Road, 1.4 miles west of Skyline/Highway 35. The opening of the parking area and access point is timed so voters in the area see what approving Measure AA, the June 3 measure to fund infrastructure for the Open Space District, will do. Info: www.openspace.org.

Sightings

Youth outing stunner: Students in a youth program to count newts at Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma County got the surprise of their lives when two mountain lions sauntered past, reports a parent, Alan Petty.

Sunol elk: Known by few, seen by fewer, the elk known to roam near off-limits San Antonio Reservoir in southern Alameda County occasionally get in range along Highway 84 between Sunol and Livermore. That's where Jeff Green sighted two giant bull elk just 30 yards off the road at Pigeon Pass at 6 a.m. last Sunday.

Always special: A bald eagle in the Bay Area is always special, and one of those moments came for Brian Cartier at a new location for a sighting, Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Pleasanton.

Wildlife Q&A

Q: "Is it possible that there are still bears in the Oakland hills?" - Ruth Wright.

A: Sightings of large black animals, which are clearly not big dogs, have been reported along I-580, and are most likely wild pigs, which can get as big as yearling bears.

Q: "Twenty years ago there weren't many turkeys around Lafayette. I have a sense that as the number of turkeys increase around here, the deer are diminishing." - Dwight Taylor.

A: Wild turkeys can outcompete small native birds for seeds, and the population growth of turkeys is why there is an increased hunting limit and two seasons per year for them in California. In the fall, turkeys share a food source (acorns) with deer, but turkeys are not considered a limiting factor for deer populations (quality of habitat, predators, disease are factors).

Q: On the Lost Coast in remote Humboldt County, Jack Lakin was stunned when he was walking his dogs in the Mattole Valley and a deer antler fell out of his tree. "Any thoughts?"

A: After deer shed their antlers in early winter, porcupines and other large rodents can take them up a tree and chew on the ends.

Of note

Whale tracker: For those who love Hawaii, GPS devices attached to whales allow you to track their movements around the islands, with one little problem, reports Jamie Jobb. On Thursday morning, for instance, a whale was tracked swimming on land from Kapolei to Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Entertainment for free at http://whales.smartmine.com.

Looking for love: Wolf OR-7, which first wandered into Northern California three summers ago, apparently has found a mate in southwest Oregon.

Duck factory: The breeding season for ducks is under way in North Dakota and Alberta, the range where about 70 percent of North America's waterfowl are hatched. Conditions are above average with the wetlands recharged from winter rain, snow and ice.

Bald Hills Road: In the Redwood Empire, Bald Hills Road is the backcountry dirt route that connects U.S. 101 near Orick east to the Klamath River near Weitchpec. A proposal is in the works to pave 2.6 miles inside Redwood National Park, which would clean up the steep section of road that can get washboarded, potholed and eroded from light-duty 2-wheel drives spinning their wheels as they try to make the climb in wet weather.

Boat season caution: If you head out over Memorial Day weekend with a boat, take a moment to note that U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning is the reported cause of death in 77 percent of recreational boating fatalities, and that 84 percent of those who drowned last year were not wearing life jackets. California ranks No. 2 in the nation (Florida is No. 1) for boating accidents and boating fatalities, with boating mishaps causing 53 deaths in the state in 2012.