Mt Whitney fatality early November
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Please be respectful when posting - family and friends of fallen climbers might be reading this forum.
Please be respectful when posting - family and friends of fallen climbers might be reading this forum.
- Gandalf69
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
I'm not sure what's sadder, the accident itself or some of the comments here
"There's always the possibility that some a**hole will be offended." -Clint Eastwood, Escape from Alcatraz
"Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different".-Davey Jones
"The decision to triage us to death...I understand. I don't know that I would agree with it. Certainly not in retrospect because obviously I made it."-Beck Weathers, Dark side of Everest
"Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different".-Davey Jones
"The decision to triage us to death...I understand. I don't know that I would agree with it. Certainly not in retrospect because obviously I made it."-Beck Weathers, Dark side of Everest
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
Yeah, my bad. I am deleting my post in light of what the thread is actually about. I apologize for joining in.
Sean Nunn
"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains." --Psalms 36:6
- Gandalf69
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
It's more the noob comment and the arguing when we should be thinking about the person who died
"There's always the possibility that some a**hole will be offended." -Clint Eastwood, Escape from Alcatraz
"Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different".-Davey Jones
"The decision to triage us to death...I understand. I don't know that I would agree with it. Certainly not in retrospect because obviously I made it."-Beck Weathers, Dark side of Everest
"Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different".-Davey Jones
"The decision to triage us to death...I understand. I don't know that I would agree with it. Certainly not in retrospect because obviously I made it."-Beck Weathers, Dark side of Everest
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
Oh nothing big. Just the white mountain peak forteener of the eastern Sierra.
- Jon Frohlich
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
You mean the one with a road to the top?SephTR wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:46 pmOh nothing big. Just the white mountain peak forteener of the eastern Sierra.
You're not even a good troll.
- Bale
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
Weird how when someone dies falling down stairs it’s simply an accident, but when someone dies falling down a mountain they are ruthlessly scrutinized by strangers on an Internet forum. Again, may the surviving family of this woman find peace.
Edit to add; the “noob” comment is bad but we have all seen worse. Not only are these sentiments insensitive, they are just flat out bad Karma.
Edit to add; the “noob” comment is bad but we have all seen worse. Not only are these sentiments insensitive, they are just flat out bad Karma.
The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone - and to no one. - Edward Abbey
Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
One hopes SephTR and CoCo can go hiking together and enjoy some quality time overnight in a mine shaft.
Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
I think he means the one in the White Mountains, an entirely separate range from the Sierra Nevada.Jon Frohlich wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:55 pmYou mean the one with a road to the top?
You're not even a good troll.
mark
Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
Correct; White Mountain Peak isn't in the Sierra Nevada. It's an entirely different mountain range.
Seph is either a troll and/or incredible stupid. I would guess both.
Anyway, Nyker has the best post:
I won't speculate on the how/what/why's but what I can say is even on the standard Whitney Main Trail, if conditions are cold, snowy and/or dark it can be very disorienting even for someone experienced in the mountains.
From what I understand she was just going for an afternoon quick day hike, not a summit climb and slipped and fell not that far out from the Portal and was apparently just off the trail.
Most people expecting to be on a short ~1hr hike probably won't be bringing a pack filled with the normal layers and additional gear you'd bring for a lengthy summit climb or late Autumn ascent.
I've been on the rock there in many different weather scenarios and when it's iced over, the ice is often not evident and its easy to slip even on route, if you stray off route even a few feet
you're likely to encounter cliff bands with 50-100ft or more drops. This area is often at a transition point where ice starts where even if you brought microspikes you might not put them on yet.
Accidents happen to the best of us and they usually begin with a simple slip or trip which then isn't stopped. I'd say 100% of us have had seemingly innocent "trips" or "slips" in the mountains at some point.
The fact that she survived two nights out before succumbing, after falling and very possibly seriously injured and scared, with minimal food and water, wearing summer clothes in below freezing temps / negative windchill in an approaching storm
tells me she was a tough determined person.
RIP Cassandra. To her friends and family, our thoughts are with you.
It is true that lot of climbing accidents are caused by inexperience, folly, or recklessness.
In this case at least, it sounds like she went for a run and slipped on the ice near the trailhead. That could happen to anyone. She was well below timberline and not making a summit attempt. She then crawled under a log to wait for help. She survived two days alone and injured before she succumbed.
I guess she could have been more prepared for the conditions, but many people just out for a short run or hike, usually pack pretty minimal. I know I often do on short hikes (I'm not a runner).
Anyway, RIP Cassandra.
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
maybe she should have brought some more hand warmers.Scott P wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:29 pm
In this case at least, it sounds like she went for a run and slipped on the ice near the trailhead. That could happen to anyone. She was well below timberline and not making a summit attempt. She then crawled under a log to wait for help. She survived two days alone and injured before she succumbed.
Anyway, RIP Cassandra.
- Mtnman200
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Re: Mt Whitney fatality early November
STFU, troll.
"Adventure without risk is not possible." - Reinhold Messner