**Understanding** Re: [pct-l] FW: Hiker killed on Whitney

[calliger@infolane.com (R.J.Calliger)]

I slipped and fell during the last snow storm in N. Ca. Wed, on a tarp
covering my driveway, and it prompted another comment.
Having done over 1200 miles on various trails last year without
a serious injury- I look @ my ankle and right foot that is almost
twice its normal size! As cautious as I was going downhill on this
tarp, knowing it was icy-slippery, I still lost my footing and my ankle
was **severely**  strained.  I could barely get up and hobble to
my warm and cozy house only ***200 feet*** away.

The Whitney death and the story/question by Don Horst and TR's responses
flashed through my mind as I fell (strange, eh?) probably because I had
climbed Whitney 7 or 8 times over the years including Maiden's route.
See: http://members.bigvalley.net/calliger/rjcwht.gif

On the popular "civilian trail" approach, from the top, to about
1 mile from the summit, Whitney has a boulder field one must
scramble over. In the summer, it is a little tedious and boring,
however easy. In the winter, it is frequently partially snow covered,
especially the last few years prior to this one, with sparse snow.
This, of course, leaves the rocks very icy because of the frequent melts
and re-freezes.

My fall was a small-one- I slid 10 feet down this tarp and came to an
easy but painful stop with my ankle under my leg in a very
strange, unnatural, angel. As I went to the emergency room
for x-rays (nothing broken) I kept thinking of being on the
slope of a mtn. with this injury... I was thinking of several
peaks with glaciers (Lyell, etc.) I soloed last year :-(  .. If  I
were injured the same it could have  been fatal. With the
pain and agony from this simple  fall, and consequent
sprain, and having been there on the mtn, I could not imagine
locomoting myself 10 more miles back to the trail head! Or even
back to my tent.

It is 3 days since my ankle injury and I now can just barely
hobble along with moderate pain on crutches! One thing
I recall is that most accidents happen at home-- so we can
take heart. Also- it is strange that during my PCT and AT
thru-hikes not one injury like this either.

So- it is now very easy to understand how he could have
perished on such a relatively safe and easy trail.


Rich


At 4:44 PM -0800 1/24/01, R.J.Calliger wrote:
>The story is found at:
>
> http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/hiker19.htm
>
>Rich
>
>
>                              On Dec. 14, five teams of searchers hit the
>mountain and soon found Maiden's tent
>                              tumbled into a tangled ball a half mile from
>the spiky peak. By midafternoon the next
>                              day, they spotted the sole of his boot
>sticking out amid boulders. Snow had already
>                              drifted to cover his body.
>
>>From: Don Horst [mailto:donhorstyh@yahoo.com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 2:32 PM
>>To: Camping List; Tom Reynolds
>>Subject: Hiker killed on Whitney
>>
>>
>>Did anyone see the accounts of the hiker who fell on the Mt. Whitney trail
>>in December?  Sort of
>>strange.  He was supposedly very experienced in cold conditions, but not
>>winter climbing.  He
>>rented crampons and an ice axe in Bishop, but apparently had no training in
>>using them.  He was
>>hiking alone, and fell on the way down.  The article said it was on the
>>switchbacks, but the map
>>did not look right to me.   But I have never been there.  Did you see it,
>>Tom?
>>
>>=====
>>Don Horst
>>
>>Reynolds answered:
>>
>>I did not see the article. In general one does not use the switchbacks to
>>climb Mt Whitney in snow. You climb the VERY steep slope above Consultation
>>Lake to Trail Crest, the contour to the top. That slope is usually used as a
>>glassade on the way down. Possibly he lost his axe.
>>
ntry.net
>>http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
>
>
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