Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board A Mt. Whitney story

I put this together because I wanted to organize it while things were still reasonably fresh in my mind. There are a few different themes in there, and I wanted to tie them together coherently, because ... well, I'm not sure. Maybe something for my grandkids to read when they get older.

Having done so, I thought others might be a little entertained by it. But I know it is somewhat off the track and a little long, and I apologize for that.

<a href=http://www.ridgenet.net/~rockwell/Climbing/AbombStory.pdf>A Mt. Whitney Story</a>

WOW,
To be up on the top and see it go off. I bet you thought is was the end of the world. Did it warm you up any?
Thanks for the story,its a great read.
Again thanks for sharing it with me.

Amazing story, Bob.
I truly hope to live a life so interesting and worthwhile to remember.

Misha

Wow! I think we all remember our first trip up Whitney... but I doubt if many of us have such a story to tell! It was really interesting reading about the history of what had happened back then with the nuclear testing... kinda spooky, all the stuff they did. Thanks for sharing, Bob.

Bob,
This story sounds like a candidate for inclusion in to the next edition of "Mt. Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store". Great story!

Great story, Bob. Thanks.

Great post .. great story .. glad you wrote that one down .. it's a keeper ... one for the grandkids! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.
Peace,
...tg...

Bob,
What a great piece of history! And just think it took over 50 years to uncover the true details. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Damn Bob, I was still knocking slats out of my crib and my wife had yet to born when all this happened.

Last year I met a guy who was on doing his 2nd trip to Mt. Whitney. His previous trip was 55 years earlier.

God Bless you Bob,

Bill

Bob,

I can't believe how lucky you were to experience the detonating of an atomic bomb. And to have climbed whitney while it was still thought to be the tallest in America. An interesting fact that I read in a National Geographic was that the El-nino of 97-98 had the same amount of power to equal 50 nuclear bombs. Or was it hydrogen bombs? Something of that sort.

Matt

I just mailed it off to George Noory and Art Bell. They may be contacting you soon....

I was pretty sure you were bs'ing but I don't think so having read it!

Truly, a great story. Fascinating! As always, Bob, thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for sharing your story. Interesting stuff!

What an interesting story...from a different time when Whitney wasn't that popular and there wasn't tons of pictures and trail guides to tell you how to dress, what to take and where to go.....Also some ingenuity about about to survive in a bad environment, improperly dressed, a long cold night.......Seeing the bomb flash...Wow...No way could you see that these days. What a way to start your love of the area.

Fascinating story to hear...and then to read. I think I know a way to get the story into the hands of your grandkids, if I can get them to sit still for a moment...

wow. amazing story bob. you must be quite the campfire storytelling host. does anyone else find it more than a bit disturbing that we nuked our own country more than 100 times? how many tests are necessary, really? more than awe, i feel ashamed at the shortsightedness of our government. that radiation will affect the environment for a long time to come. bob, were you nervous that you were too close to the blast?

Keep the stories coming Bob!

My father also experienced a similar blast when he climbed Whitney the first time in the late '50's. It was a subterranean test but the sound and shock were unmistakable he says.

He accompanied me and one of his grandchildren to the summit this year which was his second ascent.

It's interesting to see how some people react to other peoples competence and experience. It must be a terrible thing to go through life having to ridicule and denigrate others just to make yourself feel better.

Hardly deserving of a response, but I know that Bob has served the mountaineering community for decades through the China Lake Mountain Rescue Group, and has his name attached to geographic features of the Sierra, for the casual reader.

There are not a lot of people with more credibility, based upon many, many years of service.

What a great story of survival and ingenuity. Thank God you survived. This board and most of its members benefit greatly from your wisdom. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I personally benefited from your information during our summit trip this year!!