Dr John Lowder, Was [pct-l] Re: ice axe

[brick@fastpack.com (Brick Robbins)]

At 06:18 PM 2/22/02, Sly wrote:
>Not that I'm disagreeing with you Brick, but I think I mentioned this 
>before, the story I got from someone that was in John's party immediately 
>before the incident was that John bailed out during a storm because he was 
>running low on food and thought it was his best option.  He was most 
>likely in whiteout conditions when he fell and may not have had time to 
>react.  The others bivouacked.

I am not questioning WHY he fell, or why he was leaving the Mountains, or 
why he chose New Army pass to egress instead of Trail Pass or Cottonwood 
Pass .........

I am questioning why he could not stop himself after he fell. He was 
knowledgeable and experienced......

"Time to react" is doesn't matter if you have an ice axe in your hand (and 
you are trained), it is automatic. The times I've had to self arrest I did 
not expect to go down - which is probably why I fell in the first place - 
and I was able to self arrest.

He did not have an ice axe.........He died.  Would the ice axe have saved 
his life?

I wasn't there, so I don't know, but I think he would have stood a much 
greater chance with one.

If had not have fallen, it wouldn't have mattered.

-B

--
Brick Robbins                       mailto:brick@fastpack.com