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[pct-l] Mt Whitney weather



On Sun, 7 Mar 1999 20:22:07 -0800 reynolds@ilan.com writes:
>Really?
>We left Guitar Lake @ 6AM and were at Trail Crest @ 8AM. Not a cloud in
the sky.
>We left to go down while the rest of the party headed for the summit. 
>By 11 the hail was vertical and the lightning was striking the summit.
At 11 I 
>was in my tent but the rest of the party was on the infamous 100
switchbacks in 
>50 degree weather and soaked to the bone. They had one option -- to hike
out to 
>Whitney Portal--all their gear was wet. What if that wasn't an option?
What if
>civilization was 20 not 6 miles away?

I'm a tad confused as to your scenario, Tom. If your party was sans tent,
sleeping bags etc (had they traveled the breadth of the Sierra with no
shelter, raingear, pack covers? Goodness, even Jardine wouldn't do
that!), then I supposed they were actually _planning_ to hike-to-the-cars
anyway, storm or no. If they were already coming down the swtichbacks by
11am, then they had plenty of time to hike out, or (if they did have gear
and were intending to camp someplace) even dry out. That side of Whitney
faces south to the desert, and gets plenty of warm sun in August, as you
probably discovered.

It's puzzling to me how "all their gear" managed to get wet, and they
"soaked to the bone" with only one option - to hike out; had you not
instructed your party on the basics of hiking safety? I remember last
summer's trip report well - you were the Leader, were you not - how could
you sit snug in your tent and allow such hapless innocents to court such
a dire fate? <ROFLOL> One can only hope that "> if
civilization was 20 not 6 miles away?" hikers will behave accordingly,
that's all.....

Anyway, thanks for the chance to remind late-season hikers about the
August lightning storms on Whitney. The FS has posted signs telling folks
not to continue up the trail (and beat a quick retreat) when one appears,
but every once in a blue moon people ignore them and actually sometimes
get killed by strikes.    
                                                    bj
 (maybe it's important that I reiterate that I'm not a "Jardinite"; I
like Jim's attitude of light-for-comfort's-sake, tho)

Oops, just saw this:

On Sun, 7 Mar 1999 23:46:02 EST Montedodge@aol.com writes:
>Butane stoves are just glorified Bic Lighters with grills on top. 
>These are great for girl scouts, first-timers and handicaps.

This _is_ a day for internet-merriment! <VBG>
I'm sitting here having my coffee, and looking at a picture of those
famous "girl scout"s Chris Bonington, Ian Clough, Dougal Haston, and Don
Whillans at Camp IV on  Annapurna's infamous South Face. Clough's trying
to thaw out his frosbitten (when putting on his crampons) hands over the
ol' Bluet Bic, the stove they chef-ed on as well. Oh Monte!

I hope that guy from the Backpack list responds soon, so I can repost his
hillarious "how many list subscribers does it take to change a light
bulb?" joke........ Lots like we all need a good laugh.






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