"She could've survived that long easily without eating anything. No one thought to mention how she obtained water or stayed warm while sleeping. I assume she obtained water from creeks and had a sleeping bag and fire starting device. These are the factors that ensured her survival, not her food."

This was meant to be a day hike -- I'm sure her sleeping bag was back in her base camp.

She got lost above the snow line. Yes, she might have made it without food, but she may have been walking late to stay warm, and the food would have helped keep her warm when she did stop.

Besides, this is America: I'll bet the worrying about not having food has caused quite a few people to make bad decisions when they're lost.

Sue