kozman18 wrote:The Chief wrote:Typical! Another example of taking a post totally out of context for a personal agenda....Thanks amigo!
Sorry, but your post described those who climb the mountain in December as stupid, and you took the opportunity to explain how your experience (which tells you to stay off that mountain in December) would save your ass. All on a thread that had just started about the unfolding story on Hood. The only reasonable conclusion anyone can draw from your remarks is that you considered these climbers to be part of a "stupid" crowd who take risks that you wouldn't because of your "experience." Totally inappropriate given the context and circumstances.
I stand by what I posted, and I'll say it again -- there's no good reason to post this type of garbage, especially before you even knew the facts. It got moved to Prate for exactly that reason. Not out of context -- it's precisely because of the context that you shouldn't have posted it.
My post was and still is a GENERIC claim.
Here's the circumstances for you and the rest that wish to immortalize people in general that are going out into the mountains, ill prepared and with ideas of grandiose that eventually ends up killing them. Plain and simple.
I have been seeing this for the past six or so years... ALL OVER here in the Eastern Sierra.
I saw it every day for five months straight this past season....every day! I was almost killed on two different events when supposedly "experienced" climbers were kicking boulders, the size of cars off trad routes onto folks below them.
I saw this many a times when I saw "Soloists" and paired folks, coming up to me as I was descending below Iceberg Lake with my clients, asking me where was the MR and how long would it take to get to the summit, this at 4 pm. What were they wearing, shorts, running shoes and bb caps. They had a butt bag with a light jacket of sorts.
I saw this countless times as I was descending from 3-4 day trips with clients and seeing folks gasping for their breath only one hour from the T/H carry nothing but light day pack and headed up the MR.
I saw this on several one day C-C's on trail at 0200 with headlamps going up into 5th Class aspects where the folks thought the LB Ledges were below Lower BS Lake.
I saw this on many different trips up Whitney, Russell, N-Pal, all over the Palisades, Humphreys, BCS, Mt. Feather, Merriam, Mendel, Darwin, North Peak, Conness, Mt. Dana etc etc etc and folks asking me where was this route or that route. Having absolutely no clue as to where they were headed nor going. And the gear/clothing they were wearing...
It's a GENERIC claim all based on my observations and personal experience as a Guide and on independent outings to go climb or go fishing, in the well over 165-200 days a year for the past six years, up high in the Eastern Sierra.
I live and work in the Mountains amigo. I see this prevailing non-caring grandiose attitude every stinking day....
It's my opinion and mine only.
I just wish folks would spend a little more time evaluating the circumstances and the consequences of what could just be their last trip anywhere.