Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board II'm going to wait till they come and get me?

Hi Many years ago I talked with a guy that was on a failed summit climb on a big mountain , a party of three was stranded for about a week on the face and when they reached the summit blocks were caught in a whiteout . Two said lets stay put and wait till the storm clears .One said I will not die sitting. The family and friends had a nice service for the other two.

A very concerned person came in yesterday asking about a tin foil wrap that he could use in case he was injured and said "wait" for them to come get him. I recall a study done in England that reported these blankets will not hurt you.

If your plan is based on tin foil and someone coming to get you you may want to stay local.... very local . When you plan to travel at the higher elevations and remote areas , you have elected to experience the wilderness. You will be miles from help and if help is found it will be hours if not days away. Your best chance to make Aunt Martha's Tea is know your limits and skills. Be ready to rescue or save yourself and crawl/ walk to get yourself to a safe zone before you become food .

The mindset that SAR will "come get you" when you call seems to be a common misconception. I guess people don't realize the planning, # of people involved and complex coordination that goes into any SAR operation. Years ago, a woman on Baldy fell and ~ 9 hours later was airlifted to medical treatment...for a broken pinky finger. She had been on her feet and walking with the help of 2 friends just above the hut before the first responders took over the situation.

>>. Be ready to rescue or save yourself and crawl/ walk to get yourself to a safe zone before you become food .<< was pretty much what i figured on. I knew there would be other people out there to alert Rangers, but no one can really do much.

great story Doug

here is a quote ( from 1924)

…it was quite easy to realize that the price of life is death.
Bentley Beetham, Chapter VIII in
EF Norton, The Fight for Everest 1924, page 159

It's probably been said a few times previously over the years but unfortunately a lot of people start up the trail(s) in the Sierra with very little to no information.

Over the years I've had conversations with folks and at some point hiking, camping, etc. has come up. Most (almost all) that I've talked to that were not already readers of this board had no idea it existed. Other sources of information exist but not the amount of detail and prudent warnings of this board.

More readers = more proactive thinking and planning (at least that's the hope).

Spread the word...have a fun, and safe rest of the season.

Ask Cori or Wendy how long it takes for SAR to rescue you...SPOT is NOT an immediate response device!