Young lady went on a day hike hasn't returned.Car found in the Portal.I told her brother to post here and on the Mt Whitney Facebook pages.If you have any information please call Inyo County Sheriff's office.
I don't have a lot of details but try looking on Whitneyportalstore site on facebook and her picture may be posted and a few more details

The missing hiker was found yesterday.

Sadly, I read that she succumbed to her injuries and passed away at the hospital.

Yes , very sad Doug and I were in the Portal Friday , it was the worst conditions , a strong wind was bringing the storm system in meaning we had a warm air mass in the area. the Portal was about 60 degrees and many people heading up into the higher elevation , light snow Friday night but the cold air mass was now in the area and Saturday snow off and on .

The warm temperature Friday was not good , I would think that a light jacket wouldn't be needed for a short hike if I got out of the car and walked around the Portal, we did a short steep hike and I was heated. The mountain weather has many tricks that can catch people off guard.

A go fund site is open now for Cassandra Bravo https://gf.me/u/y7vzkh Please share the site and donate if you can.

My thoughts have always been remain quiet on the board when a fatal accident happens on the mountain, some suggest that lessons could be learned by sharing details .The American Alpine Club publishes: Accidents in North America .

Doug and I were in the Portal as we drove around the area we both knew sometime over the weekend someone would be in trouble, What I write about is unplanned acts, when did the accident start?

1. No Permit quota

2. Trail had been closed , opened

3. Very warm weather for this time of year

4. Storm warning for a few days out

5. Many cars in the lot ( Look at all these other hikers leans to suggest all is fine)

6.Temperatures 80-90 in Southern California,It must still be summer.

7. Smoke conditions lifted

8.I never planned to have an accident . I was questioned once by a co worker that reviewed our first book he said "you" hike/climb often by yourself but tell others not to. Myself guilty of thinking never me someone else.

9.At the start most accidents are slips and falls

We posted and shared the first notice late Friday night. Saturday Morning we were hiking in the Inyos , later Saturday I checked my messages and had one about the search, where would I think someone would be if they lost the trail at Lone Pine Lake?

We have had many miss the trail or decide to short cut the area and find the trail lower down. We have gone up to help people down , the trail is very close to the area the hikers are in and people will come into the store and say they heard someone is yelling for help.

Lone Pine Lake is off the trail by about 500' and is sandy on the wester'ly side as you travel around the lake shore it becomes very rocky , but on the north bank you can gain a few feet elevation and see down canyon to the valley and the main trail, if one starts down this slope they will hit Lone Pine Creek and faint traces of the old 1904 Whitney Trail , lower down this course takes you to a cliff band , this is about 1/2 mile above the Portal. Very rocky and to exit off the cliff band you either need to travel back up and north and join the main trail in several hundred feet or down climb into an area that is broken rock and steep slabs, Not a safe way down for non climbers as many of the courses lead again to cliff bands or very steep friction slabs.
Hikers that come down from the summit late at night also end up at Lone Pine Lake as above then start down the canyon. We have also heard I was told to follow the streams and they will take you down. Kansas that might work , not in the mountains with steep slopes and sheer drop offs.

Please donate if you can , Cassandra was a nurse and I am sure she had helped many over her years.

Doug,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments/insights.

Jim

Thanks Jim I worked on a overview of where most accidents happen and most often start of the accidents from our years in the Portal, can't seem to make it flow . From a old beat up climber to a young person just entering the mountaineering world, or just a walk in the park person that this will be a one off event.
I know you have many years experience doing cross country travels and mountaineering .Your trip reports are very well focused on detail and conditions found . Thank You

Wew made a topo map template some years ago that will locate an area with in a few hundred feet , I might recreate this online as the location most often problematic.

Again Thank You

Where was she found?

It’s so sad. She’s sounds like a wonderful person.

What a sad ending. Sounds like she was full of life. After a long career as a first responder, I've learned that when a tragedy like this occurs, people naturaly want to know what happened, how it happened, and if it could have been avoided. They want to know if the victim made a mistake. Some will call it victim blaming. But it actually is a very normal human response born from a real nead to understand the world we live in, to learn about risks and to how to avoid such tragedies. We all want to reassure ourselves that we can avoid a similar fate. It's not blaming. It's learning. It's survival.

Doug, could you at least share a description of such problematic parts of the trail?
As for my recollection of the previous discussions, only a few parts of the trail are associated with most accidents.

Yury you are correct the trail is fine, very well maintained and by the number of people that go up and down each year supports this.

Say it is this week and we get 6 'of snow on the upper elevation, the trail is gone but it is still summer conditions in Southern California , and a person went up yesterday before the storm , streams flowing ,birds singing and they post pictures on Social Media (Holding the Sign) .Now a group that had the trip planed for months drive to the Portal . Some turn back some keep going and at some point one is missing.

Again you are correct , depending on the season , I should say March, April ...Spring and then late September Fall/winter , trail is covered ice/snow NO TRAIL or use trail to trail camp area and people will then use the snow field to reach trail crest . This is one if not the most common area of concern. Not to go into the long story but my thoughts are again somebody did it yesterday , mid day surface was soft snow , They were able to use existing boot tracks and came down , again soft snow on the steep slope and had trouble even sliding. Next day overcast, light breeze and surface now solid ice. Experience would suggest conditions can change quickly.

Many would assume the cable area and the last long switchback before trail crest. The cable area serves and a buffer most will see the ice ,the lack of trail at the end and turn back. The problem at trail crest is just the opposite ,The hiker/s made it up when the snow was soft but now 4-6 hours later return to trail crest and find the chute is solid ice and it is dark. They are stranded , lack of gear for the condition overnight.

Next as we work down the trail since I said above one missing ,this hiker may have walked into trail camp in the dark and missed the trail , taken one of the many paths that lead to off trail camp spots , water spots or bathroom spots , continue down and in the dark , exhausted after 20-30 hours of no sleep , dehydrated , and most likely not eaten will slip or fall as the area below trail camp can cliff out .
If as above the person leaves trail camp area and follows the southerly canyon they will either join the trail near trailside Meadow or if they continue down canyon will have problems above the waterfall at Outpost Camp , few will find the cliff band near the end of the switchback into Mirror Lake.

Missing the trail and walking into Lone Pine Lake area , as the area above trail camp , this is a another area of concern Recall the person above tired ... now add several more hours and maybe a few slips and falls, the person travels to the left side (north)of the lake , may see lights on the trail , lights on 395,lights in the Portal and starts down , this canyon leads directly into the Portal But has several cliff bands and very steep slabs just above the Portal.


1. area above trail camp

2. trail crest

3. area below trail camp

4. area above/Outpost

5. Lone Pine Lake

On the North Fork
1. Area south of the notch @ 14,000' wrongly called mountaineer's route
2. From Iceberg to the notch

3. Ledge area mostly stranded missed the turn on the upper ledge.


OK I can't leave without at least one example of accidents . The Phone rings the young man doesn't want to block the trail so he steps off the trail, falls many feet but luck was with him he was OK after being release from the Hospital for a check up , My best friend watched a person go off the waterfall at outpost camp , he knew he had to remove the body from the water , he reaches for the young man and sees his eyes open and gets up . We wish all the stories were ended this way.

Reminds me of the time, right around now, 8 years ago, that I almost became a Whitney Statistic...

Also reminds me of the day I met Davey McCoy a few months earler...

People with less experience on the mountain think they need to stick to the trail when the fact of the matter is you need to know the best path... And in Winter conditions it's nowhere near the trail.

I was on a traverse under the shoulders of Mallory and Irvine and noticed a couple of prople starting up above Trailside Meadow...

I stopped and whistled and when they looked over, I waved for them to come over... They did.

I showrd them the secrets to getting a "Winter climb" done in 6 to 7 hours...

Of course, I gained the knowledge by hanging out with Bob R and Doug...

The point... Find someone who knows the mountain intimately before you try to do something stupid on your own...

My choices for where you're likely to die...
From the top, down...
-Walking into one of the east side chutes as you're traversing the west side in low light or no light
-Slipping and taking a screamer as you try to follow the last switchback (first on the way down.)
-Slipping and taking a screamer on any of the traverses you'll have to do to get below the cables. (Glen Maiden died here on his 50th birthday.)
-Slipping and taking a screamer as you exit Trail Camp
-Slipping and taking a screamer above Mirror Lake
-Miising the left at the Lone Pine Lake junction
-Missing the left at the cascade just below Lone Pine Lake...thr black ice on the slabs below could kill you in a heartbeat if you make this mistake...
(And my guess for where this young woman fatally injured herself.)
-Slipping and hitting your head anywhere on the trail...

Thanks Richard I recall being on the phone when some one had just finished his 52 week hike to the summit A trip each week of the year. Oh yes I was on the phone to S&R saying I would call his wife and have her order flowers and pick the songs for the service. Myles and were crying Earlene keep saying he will make it ... The last spot location was at the window of Keller, in a white out it would be easy to walk off and drop 1500-2000' This was to be the recovery location Monday morning but then this guy walks in ice hanging from his ears, face and says I made It!!!! Still today as I write this I have tears we see enough accidents, we don't want to see more.