[pct-l] Death on the PCT / John Joseph Donovan

[Paul Mitchell]

With all due respect to the late Mr. Donovan, I'd chime in to say that much
more valuable than a compass and GPS in his situation would have been a bit
of caution and sense.  John took on the San Jacinto stretch with ultra-light
gear, 3 feet of snow on the ground and foreknowledge that a storm was
blowing in that night.  The other hikers who last met him had the sense to
descent to Idyllwild to shelter from the inbound snowstorm, yet John decided
to press on through serious snow into a high altitude snow storm.  
 
If a compass and GPS gave you the confidence to enter a mountain range under
those conditions, than they just might be the most dangerous gear in your
pack.

- P178

"This year the Idyllwild area has had its highest snow fall in 40 years, and
the area John was last seen in had approximately 3 ft. of snow and the
weather report, (which John knew about) for that night was that a storm was
coming in. Other PCT hikers came into Idyllwild for shelter from the storm."

http://www.rmru.org/missions/2005/2005-017.html