17 injured climbers, with one still missing, as a result of severe weather high on the Grand:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38351350/ns ... ve_travel/

Yeah, just saw the video of this story. Sounds like it was a fairly major thunder and lightning storm. Scary shit that high up on the Grand. Hope they find the guy. I think the rest of the party who suffered lightning burns, etc. got away lucky.

I was in the Jenny Lake area yesterday morning - it was a pretty major thunderstorm by 10 am - we haven't had a drop of rain around here for weeks. It looked pretty bad at 7am; not sure why anyone would try to continue to go up with the certainty of storms looming. On Tuesday I hiked to Amphitheater Lake - perfect weather. There were a number of climbers heading up to Garnet Canyon with axes and helmets; probably heading for the grand. I hope for the best for everyone who was up there.

TomSellick wrote:I was in the Jenny Lake area yesterday morning - it was a pretty major thunderstorm by 10 am - we haven't had a drop of rain around here for weeks. It looked pretty bad at 7am; not sure why anyone would try to continue to go up with the certainty of storms looming. On Tuesday I hiked to Amphitheater Lake - perfect weather. There were a number of climbers heading up to Garnet Canyon with axes and helmets; probably heading for the grand. I hope for the best for everyone who was up there.

Oh really? I was up there on the 10th, rain and lightning all over the place. I know, I was on a motorcycle.

You're right - that was the weekend I flew home for 4 days; on the 10th I would have been in Georgia.....guess I missed out on that one.

Unfortunately, bad news on the missing climber:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/07/ ... echannelAP

TomSellick wrote:Right - that was the weekend I flew home for 4 days.....guess I missed out on that one.

Pretty good storm that one. I saw lightning hit the Grand several times.....I wonder why nothing happened to anyone on that day. Weird huh? I was to meet Bob up the Gros Ventre that day. The storm caused a couple of hours delay and we missed each other.

I started a thread a couple of years ago about seeing so many people headed up into the mountains (Tetons) while nasty weather was threatening. Got my chops busted for it. Part of the reason I visit here so seldom.

Even though I think the word stupid applies to many of the multitudes who clamber over this range every year, I don't wish this kind of thing to happen to them. Really, I don't.

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