How to Win 37 Pieces of Flair via Helicopter Evacuation (Or not) (In-Person and Live-Streamed LAM)

06/23/2026 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM MT

Admission

  • Free  -  In-Person
  • Free  -  Virtual

Location

Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium
2600 Canyon Rd
Los Alamos, NM 87544

Description

On October 24, 2025, at 12:12 pm, while hiking near Cheesebox Canyon in southwest Utah, Reid fell somewhere between 15 and 40 feet, smashing his L3 vertebra and pelvis, among other injuries. This yielded a full-scale search-and-rescue response and helicopter evacuation to Grand Junction, Colorado, then, the following morning, eight hours of surgery by two separate teams to realign bone fragments and install 37 metal implants. He is now on track for a full recovery, with the help of family, friends, and many, many strangers. Reid will tell the story of the accident, rescue, and recovery, as well as walk through an error analysis that will (with luck) help save others similar trouble.

Content warning: This talk is not gory but it is candid, and I include some medical imaging of my injuries that is pretty striking.​

About the presenter:

Reid grew up in Los Alamos, attended college and graduate school in Minnesota, and returned in 2011 to work at the lab. He is now HPC Architect working on software flexibility for supercomputers and leads an award-winning open source project, Charliecloud, that is a member of the Linux Foundation. He also readily dispenses career advice of dubious quality, a project that is not award-winning.

Reid has enjoyed uncountable overnight outdoor adventures (literally, I’ve lost track) since childhood. This would have been his 55th canyon trip. In addition to hiking and backpacking the canyon country, he also enjoys reading; bicycling; tinkering with things; welding; photography; rick-rolling; and hanging out with his one spouse, two children, and three cats.

 

Admission: Free

 

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