but arguably the most dangerous portion of the main trail when complicated with snow and ice.

and at that point, there's no way around it.

see photo from july 2010 here.

see photo from october 1, 2010 from almost the same place here.

a slip and fall here would be catastrophic.

the downhill side just goes and goes and goes.


agreed.

Most definetely agree!


yeah, that might have been their biggest mistake: underestimating the weather.

that comment about the east and west face differences is pretty impressive. As one gets to the crest of the snowpack (traveling east to west), you can literally feel the wind suddenly slam into you, in the space of about 5 steps (and maybe 10 feet altitude change). It's incredible.

Yes, winter on Whitney is much different than the summer. That's why I avoid winter

Sounds like they all showed up. Not much additional info, but that's one heck of a detour! Good on them for making a decision and being adaptable, instead of stubborn and dead.
http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/22/1395215/2-hikers-missing-on-mt-whitney.html

Good thing they got out because it is going to be one nasty weekend in the High Sierra; Winter has arrived.

Let me guess. They were too cheap to rent the PLB for the day. Send them the bill. Place their names in the FEDERAL REGISTER OF REPEAT RESCUE OFFENDERS. Why are we always paying for the rescue of the so-called-experienced-climbers. A differential GPS on backtrack would have an accuracy of at least 10'. The PLB would give the Air Taxi their exact location. No PAY, no PLAY.

I noticed that in your prior posts regarding Todd Hofflander, you did not go off on the same rant, why is that? The SAR bill must be a lot more for his search and yet you don't seem to have the same misguided opinion on why he did not carry a PLB...

Oh, I don't know. Probably the same reason we have cops, firefighters, EMS, and the Coast Guard.

It's probably worthy of its own thread, but that POV shows up a lot around high profile SAR cases.

There was a contentious and lengthly thread from last year in regards to fees for SAR rescue.

That's the one I was thinking of. Thanks for finding it.

Excellent point. I doubt there is more we could say about this rescue that wasn't expressed in that thread.

because we can do the rescue?

and honestly, even if we didn't go and fetch them, their dead bodies left in place wouldn't serve as a warning anyway. there's over 100 dead bodies on everest. and people continue to go, year after year.