Posted by Chucky, 10-08-05
I will enter some comments at my own risk as several of my friends refuse to post commetns to this site despite it being an outstanding source of information. I think the snide commments are sad and Doug Sr. has the right attitude.

First, I was up there Monday night through Thursday morning. I had my 11 year old daughter there in case the weather and her abilities were up to the challenge of a visit to the summit. (Her 13 year old sister was not up to the challege in June of 2004.) We saw the helicopters Tuesday and Wednesday. Due to the cold temperatures up there and the reports of the iced up switchbacks we never went above the Portal despite my "guide credentials."

As a federal government employee the last thing I want to see is MORE regulation of the Whitney Trail. That includes no more signs.

Having climbed in South America and Europe I can tell you that both continents have the attitude of "climb at your own risk." The French even put it in multiple languages around Mont Blanc. Ultimately, if you get into life threatening trouble they will attempt to resuce you but they will bill you too!

Hence, the good idea to join the American Alpine Club and get the free rescue insurance.

Mount Whitney is often scoffed at for the challenge factor by many people wrapped up into macho egos and they will tell you other mountains are tougher despite being at less altitude. The point is not which are toughest but that ANY mountain can kill you if you let it. Whitney, due in part ot the reputation of the hiking trail to the summit is greatly underestimated.

Any person who is a responsible wilderness adventurer will take it upon him or herself to gather facts and information prior to entering, whether it be the Darien Gap jungles of Panama, crossing the Sahara in Algeria and Mali, or attemtpting to visit the summit of Mount Whitney. The fist time I went to the summit in 2000 with my buddy we had the heaviest packs and the slowest movement of anyone who made the summit that day because we were laoded with gear for the unexpected. September 17, 2000 was a wonderful weather day and none of the extra gear was needed, but we planned for the worst and got the best.

Having visiteed the summit previsouly, a group of us tried Whitney in January 2001 and were turned back by the patheticly slow progress in the powdery snow. Despite the rigors, we had a great experience. We planned for the worst and got bad, but we never once expected outside assistance.

We went back in June 2001 with lighter loads, but had the "quartermaster arsenal" ready at Trail Camp. Again, much was not needed but we planned for the worst and got the best. On the return from the summit we glissaded down the chute, with me guiding a 16 year old directly behind me. I was amazed to encounter a couple at the start point who had never glissaded and asked me how to use their ice axes. Demonstrating with mine they "caught on" and went on ahead of us! All 5 in my party made it fine, as well as the two who had the 30 second lesson. I still think the "couple" used terrible judgement, but it was their life.

More government regulation can quickly destroy Whitney. My guide certification from Chile will have little meaning in our bureaucracy. I can only cringe when I hear of more regulations. If our brueaucracy takes over with a GS-4 interpreting the regualtions Ed Vistures, R. Messner and E. Hillary will never quaify to go to the summit alone.

As for the rangers in Lone Pine, in think they do a fine job. When a person walks in their office they have NO idea what the experience or training is behind each individual or people in their parties who never go into the office. With the crowds it is unrealistic to expect the rangers to "interrogate" each climber for their background.

When I visited the office this time, I picked up their brochure ((2 sided piece of paper) THE MOUTN WHITNEY TRAIL. It covers "Climbing, Trailhead Location, Trail Difficulty, Wilderness Risk, Weather, Season, Equipment, Water, Toilets, Wildlife, etc..." It more than adequately explains the seriousness of mountaineering. All you have to do is read it and apply the knowldege or seek out a "professional."

In the end, I am against another sign and more regulation. If one more sign must be posted it should be at the trail head entrance and state, "Mountaineering can be fatal, proceed at your own risk."

Posted by dstempke, 10-08-05
Forgive me, but I think a lot of the earlier points are being blown out of proportion. I still like the idea earlier of adding a checkpoint to initial when getting your permit to include something regarding safety or glissading. Let me expand this idea:

After I reserved my permits, I got an envelope in the mail that included a few pieces of paper. It included a lot of information regarding proper food storage, minimum impact regulations, directions on packing my bear canister, and there is also information on grazing regulations in case I'm bringing 20 llamas.

I don't think it would hurt to have a sheet in there to go over some safety tips. From looking at the information sent to me, it would seem my biggest worry would be where to poop and how to pack my food. We all know that this isn't the case...but not everyone would. This sheet could go over AMS, hydration, snow and ice, etc. I would even be happy to help put it together, although I'm certainly not an expert.

I have my wilderness permit in front of me and it has 8 things that I had to initial and the ranger went through them with me. It includes "Proper method of food storage," "Fire Closures," "Campsite selection," and others. I think here would be a good place to add a line that simply states something to the effect of: "Glissading without proper equipment and/or training can result in death." I choose "glissading" out of all the potential dangers because this is the most common result of death I know of.

The suggestions given earlier were to add something like this or a sign, and everyone jumped all over us thinking that if this were to happen the next logical step for the NPS is to put up a fence in every dangerous spot and 15 more signs on the way up the trail. I understand the slippery slope argument, and in a case such as this, I don't think anyone logically thinks it would apply in this situation. If you do, please understand that this is not what is being suggested.

I was told how to properly pack my food, and I followed the rules. That is the most that the rangers can expect of me. I don't expect rangers going campsite to campsite checking everyone's bags for lotion bottles and trail mix not packed correctly for the safety of our nourishment and survival.

Likewise, I think it would be beneficial for people getting their permits to initial that they were told glissading is potentially fatal. From that point, it is their choice on how they get down the mountain. I don't expect 10 more signs to remind me or to have a ranger checking for equipment at trail crest. Will it prevent future deaths? Maybe, maybe not. But my having to initial another line on a wilderness permit certainly won't ruin my next trip.

Best regards,
Darrell

Posted by dstempke, 10-08-05
And just to make sure its clear...I also think the rangers do a great job and I hope my suggestion doesn't imply otherwise.

Darrell

Posted by Memory Lapse, 10-09-05
Darrell,

I understand your reasoning and your opinion is noted.

The items listed on your permit are guidance and regulations for those activities that you will more than likely HAVE TO perform on your hike.

Glissading the chute is not required to navigate this trail. It is a personal choice that carries with it personal responsibility. I have read numerous accounts on this board of people glissading with crampons, should this also be included in your warning? Should warnings not to wear cotton fabrics in winter conditions becuase they can promote hypothermnia? Should we warn that taking pain killers such as Advil and Ibuprophen may mask symptons of AMS?

I wouldn't object to your suggestion but I venture to say that some other issue will arise where a similar solution will be suggested. Where does it stop?

Posted by dayhiker., 10-09-05
In Sunday's edition of the S.F. Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/

Hiker's caution turns into cautionary tale
East Bay man's death points to danger of sliding down snow

Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, October 9, 2005

Shortly before he died on the icy and rocky slopes of Mount Whitney on Monday afternoon, Stephen Tom told his hiking partner that the conditions were too treacherous to reach the mountain's summit and he would descend back to the base camp.

"He said, 'I have nothing to prove,' " said Jim Kramer, recalling the words of Tom, a 45-year-old El Cerrito resident, after they had finished a section of the trail that ascends more than 1,700 feet up switchbacks from Trail Camp to Trail Crest.

But Kramer continued to Whitney's 14,497-foot summit, while Tom -- whom friends and family describe as a cautious and calculated risk taker -- and another hiker they had met on the mountain decided it would be safer to sit and slide down a snow chute used by some people during their descent.

The technique, called glissading, could cut an hours-long hike to Trail Camp to as little as 15 minutes and avoid the nearly 100 icy and treacherous switchbacks on the trail. They had watched a hiker glissade the chute earlier in the day, and Tom was an experienced skier and snowboarder.

But the early fall snow was shallow, and after sliding on their backsides for a few hundred feet from the 13,777-foot crest, the snow-covered top portion of the chute gave way to ice.

"It was mind-boggling to me how quickly he could pick up speed. He went from in control to out of control almost instantly," said Michael McEntee, 44, a Mountain View resident who was descending with Tom.

Tom had hiking poles that he tried to use as brakes. He turned on his stomach, facing up the mountain, and tried to slow himself with his feet. At the bottom of the chute, Tom was moving so fast -- at least 50 miles per hour, the accident investigator estimates -- that he could not stop. He hit a refrigerator-size boulder on the edge of the snow meadow and died from the impact.

"You're up so high your perspective is skewed," McEntee said. "I don't think either of us imagined it would be possible to slide across that flat part into rock."

McEntee climbed to a rocky area after he saw Tom lose control. He called for help, and other hikers on the trail guided him to safety. He was uninjured.

The next day, two other hikers glissaded down the chute and lost control, said Sgt. Randy Nixon of the Inyo County sheriff's department. One hiker broke a leg, and the other was knocked unconscious after hitting rocks; both were rescued by helicopter.

"(Glissading) is one of those things that experienced climbers probably won't do," said SP Parker, an internationally certified guide who is a partner in the Sierra Mountain Center, a guiding company in Bishop. Several years ago, Parker led a group on the trail and saw five people injured -- two seriously -- in one day from sliding down the chute.

"It's tempting because it looks so easy," Parker said. "But it's one of the most dangerous things in mountaineering."

Anyone attempting the technique, which can also be done while crouching or standing, should be experienced and have equipment, such as a helmet and an ice ax for braking, Parker said. Tom, who had glissaded once before, 20 years ago, had no equipment besides the poles, his family said.

In the past 12 years, three people have died while glissading on the chute, and about a dozen have suffered injuries requiring helicopter evacuation, Nixon said. He said he does not know how many people have suffered minor or moderate injuries.

Many people have been known to perform the maneuver successfully. Kramer, who descended the chute later in the day, is one of them. He avoided injury by going slowly down the mountain -- it took him an hour -- though he sped up at the bottom and caught air off a boulder. To his horror, he said, he landed near Tom's body, which was not recovered until Tuesday.

In the summer, no special equipment is required to reach the peak of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states. Some people make the nearly 22-mile round trip from Whitney Portal to the summit in one day if conditions are optimal, but others prefer to backpack to one of the camps along the trail such as Outpost Camp, where Tom's group stayed, about 7 miles from the summit.

While weather conditions were good when the two started out Monday, two storms in the past few weeks had made for a slower and more treacherous ascent. The hike from Outpost Camp to Trail Crest had taken about five hours before Tom and McEntee decided to turn back.

At Outpost Camp the night before, Tom had been in typical form -- generous and caring, according to family members -- sharing his tent with a day hiker who was unable to descend the mountain by nightfall. The hiker's girlfriend, who had snow blindness from the trek, was invited to share the tent of some women at the camp.

"Stephen immediately asked if they wanted something to eat or drink, and he gave them miso soup and hot cider," said Mark Kramer, a close friend of Tom and cousin of Jim Kramer who initiated the trip but elected to stay at the base camp that day with a fourth member of the group.

"He was one of the most generous, thoughtful people you could meet. He was a solid, solid friend and a good person," said Mark Kramer, who met Tom when they went to college at UC San Diego 25 years ago.

Tom grew up in Oakland and Danville, graduating from Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. He later graduated from UC San Diego and received his master's degree from the Thunderbird Garvin School of International Management in Glendale, Ariz. He was employed in real estate management for General Electric in Concord. He enjoyed outdoor adventures and was excited to climb the mountain, Mark Kramer said.

"Stephen was doing three of the things that he loved most -- spending time with friends, challenging himself in physical endurance and roughing it in the wild -- when he died," said his brother, Daryl Tom of Danville.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by his parents, Leonard and Katie Tom of Danville; and brothers David Tom and Stuart Tom.

A memorial service for Tom will be held today at 6 p.m. at Wilson & Kratzer Chapel of San Ramon Valley, 825 Hartz Way in Danville. A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at 11150 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito.

The family asks that donations in Tom's memory be made to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Posted by Ken, 10-09-05
It is a small point, but deserving of being said.

The people who staff the "ranger station" are, in fact, not rangers. (Although that may happen from time to time). They are administrative people, I'm not sure how to characterize their titles, but generally, you will not find someone working there who has the knowledge and skill of a ranger.
_________________________
Good judgment comes from experience,
and experience, of course, comes from poor judgment.


Posted 10-09-05
Preface for those reading the Whitney Portal Store Message Board:

The San Francisco Chronicle, October 9, 2005, has a cautionary front page article about the accident. It can be found at
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/09/MNHIKER.DTL

On Monday, October 3, 2005, my hiking partner, John, and I, attempted to assist Stephen Tom of El Cerrito, CA, who attempted to glissade from Trail Crest down to Trail Camp. As previously reported, he was fatally injured in that attempt. This is my account of our experience, the conditions we encountered, and what we learned of the circumstances surrounding the accident. It also reflects my effort to process this tragedy, learn from it, and offer some thoughts that I hope will help others avoid a similar fate.

I have intentionally included as much detail as I could recall about trail conditions and the accident. The report is long. Please skip the report if you're not interested. Others, I hope, will find the details helpful.

Some details differ from this morning's Chronicle article and previous reports posted here, which is to be expected. Nevertheless, this is the information we gathered on the day of the accident.

Finally, as others have noted and I am glad to concur, the response from other hikers to several dicey situations was admirable. There could easily have been several fatalities that day. --Glen

My report:

This was to be my first ascent of Mt. Whitney. I had heard stories from many other runners about their treks up the mountain, and was eager to experience whatever it had to offer. What Whitney offered was grandeur far beyond my capacity to describe. The brilliant yellow aspen seemed to be lit from within. The granite walls soaring thousands of feet into the crystal blue sky were truly humbling. My cares and concerns vaporized as the horizon of the high country opened before me.

Although I felt physically equipped to make the one-day, 22-mile trip to the summit and back without an exhausting effort, I knew from past experience that the higher the mountains, the more suddenly storms blow in. Shirt-sleeve weather can change to a freezing white-out in less than an hour.

Wilderness medicine classes had taught me this, as had years of trail running that frequently took me to higher elevations--though none higher than 11,000 feet. This hike would take me 3,500 feet higher than I had ever been. It would also test my capacity to cope with high altitude hours longer than ever before.

I knew that trekking up Mt. Whitney in early October was stretching the envelope a bit. Fortunately, John and I were well advised by Ben and Denise Jones of Lone Pine on current conditions and on planning a late season trip. Two storms in the previous week left much of the trail above 12,000 ft. elevation covered in snow and ice. We took their advice to heart, knowing that it came from years of running and hiking in Death Valley, on Mt. Whitney and around the region, and helping many others to safely do the same.

John and I knew before our 4:30 a.m. start on the trail that it was unlikely we would reach the summit. We had hiking poles, but no crampons, to help us through the snow and ice we were told to expect on the 100 or so switchbacks up the 1,800 foot climb from Trail Camp to Trail Crest. In fact, we encountered tricky ice patches from Outpost Camp (10,365 elev.) to all the way up to Trail Camp (12,000 elev.).

Unhurried, we reached Trail Camp at 9 a.m. and could see that snow had drifted into the first 40 or so switchbacks above Trail Camp. This was confirmed by others who attempted to navigate them, but turned back because it was too icy. Hikers descending from the summit told us that crampons were a must for safe passage to the summit. As we suspected, north-facing trail sections were especially treacherous and, we were told, became more so on the narrow trail near Trail Crest.

To our surprise, the 40 some switchbacks visible from Trail Camp proved easier than expected. Some of the straight-aways were nearly clear. It was easy to find safe footing on dirt or scree. However, where boulders cast a shadow in the low morning sun, the snow was icy. Still, with careful placement of hiking poles and deep-treaded running shoes, we felt safe.

As soon as we rounded a corner at the base of a high, vertical nose of rock and stepped from east-facing to north-facing trail, everything was in shadow. It was mid-morning and warm enough, despite the approximately 12,600 ft. elevation, that our running shoes still found purchase in the snow. The first 30 or 40 yards up the noticeably steeper slope still seemed safe enough, particularly since those constructing the trail had the presence of mind to install a two-strand cable fence along the precipice.

Three steps further uphill, beyond the end of the cable, I realized I no longer felt safe. I called out to John, who was several steps ahead, that I was going to turn around. I was all too aware of the heightened exposure--greater risk. With no cable between me and the cliff to my right, a slip might mean a fall of 100 feet or more to a steeply sloped snow field below that would surely have sent me slamming into rocks at the base of the switchbacks a few hundred feet further down slope.

Past experience flashed through my mind in a millisecond. It had taught me that descending was always more hazardous than climbing. The degree of slope, coupled with the snow, dictated either stepping downhill sideways or leading with a heel strike. Anything other than a forefoot strike always leaves me feeling off-balance, not fully in control.

Time to get back to terra firma. Gingerly, I turned around. I very slowly planted my poles in the snow before each small, downward step. Spotting foot-deep footprints in the snow along the inside edge of the trail at the base of the rock wall, I angled toward them. I hoped that stepping into those holes would keep me from slipping. Concentrating on every step down, I drew even with the cable. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I knew I had made the right decision.

I clung to the cable, descended a few more steps, then turned to watch John return to relative safety behind the cable. We quickly agreed, it was better to be safe and hike another day.

Moments later, we rounded the rock nose into the sunny side of the cliff and began our descent of the switchbacks. John, with vastly more mountain experience, was more surefooted and pulled away. Since this was my first time using hiking poles, I forced myself to consciously select each pole placement. I had no experience to guide this process, to make it second nature. As I paused for a breather, I looked up just in time to see John skid to his butt. No damage done, but a quick reminder that the ice was still an issue.

Around another icy turn and I, too, lost control. I flailed to regain balance. There were no cliffs here, just plenty of sharp rocks. Terra firma was not to be confused with having both feet planted firmly on solid ground.

Halfway down the switchbacks, John, I, and several other hikers were stopped in our tracks by shouts from high above. The shouted words, however, were lost in the wind and rocks. I could distinctly hear just one word: "climber." Did someone shout "injury," too? I wasn't sure. I scanned the surrounding cliffs and slopes. No climber in view. The hikers above were waving--maybe to their friends below? I watched the hikers near me, but no one else seemed alarmed. Instead, the focus was on getting safely off the ice.

Our focus shifted quickly, however. From the bottom of the switchbacks, several of us noted a hiker rapidly descending and calling out. Soon his words were distinct. "Fall. Not moving. Over there. Above the rocks. "

Ken, part of a seven-man contingent that John and I had traded places with as we hiked up, had seen a man sliding on the snow out of control. We could all see slide marks beginning at the top of a steep chute near Trail Crest, nearly 1,800 feet above. A member of Ken's party who had turned around at the cable and was now with John and me, dropped his pack and headed down until he could either get cell phone reception or report to rangers what had happened. Ken, John, and I set out to see what aid, if any, we could render. The situation did not look good.

It took Ken, John, and me an hour to negotiate the moraine north of the main trail. We found a very rough trail through the lower half of the moraine, but finally had to resort to boulder hopping for the final several hundred feet. We were now at about the same elevation as the cable, but the climb had been straight up. No switchbacks here. Ken was first on the scene. He looked back down to John and me and shook his head. John, a paramedic licensed in California, loosened the man's clothing around his neck and palpated for a carotid pulse on both sides. He found none.

We estimated the victim's age at mid- to late-30s (the SF Chronicle reported Tom was 45) . Evidence of bleeding from his mouth, nose, and one ear indicated probable head injuries. His position also indicated a possible back injury. On the snow field above, two distinct tracks suggested the man had controlled his slide with his heels for several hundred feet. (In retrospect, those tracks may have been those of another man who safely glissaded down.) What happened next was less certain to us, because signs of the downhill slide disappeared at the top of the moraine above us. Closer to us, the trajectory changed, veering to our left as we looked up slope. Then it changed again, and continued straight downhill to where the man came to rest. The tracks in the snow suggested the man tumbled out of control after clearing the top of the moraine.

How had this tragedy occurred? At first, we surmised he had fallen. Everything we had heard about conditions higher up supported this theory. Signs of a controlled slide, however, pointed to an intentional descent on the steep snow field--a glissade. Controlled or accidental, the result was fatal.

Ken headed down to provide an update on the victim's status. John and I remained on site to assist with an air evacuation effort, should conditions be favorable in the next couple of hours. An hour and a half later, about 2 p.m., as gusts started picking up on the ground, we were sure wind speeds aloft would prevent any air evacuation, so we hoisted our packs to head down. A short while later, we spotted a helicopter coming up the mountain, then turn around. Later we learned it had been stopped by high winds from the west.

After talking with witnesses on the way down, we learned that Tom had lost his life in an attempted glissade. He and another man had reached the summit, hiked down to Trail Crest, then became worried about the icy condition of the trail below. They had hiking poles, but no crampons. One man, I'm not sure if he was the victim's hiking partner, attempted to glissade, but immediately changed his mind and stopped his slide. At least two women witnessed this and pulled him back to safety from 20 feet or so below the trail.

I do not know if Tom witnessed this. In any event, he chose to attempt a glissade. Rangers familiar with the chute said this would have been about a 1,500 foot drop. Witnesses said he had no ice axe to control his descent. John and I noted that he wore what appeared to be rain paints, which may have accelerated his slide.

I have since wondered if Tom knew on how to change his course as he approached the moraine. Was that even possible, given that he had no ice axe?

Rangers informed us that, much to their chagrin, hikers regularly glissade down this chute. Rangers variously reported to us one or two fatalities in this same location earlier this year. (The Chronicle reports three fatalities in the past 12 years; I suspect this is a typo and that it should have read 12 months.) One ranger we spoke with was dismayed that there are Websites encouraging glissading down this very chute. I do not have specifics.

I have glissaded twice--on slopes with a much lower angle than this one--and found the experience both frightening and thrilling. But to glissade down the chute from Trail Crest, in my opinion, is positively death defying. I would never recommend it. It is hard for me to imagine that it could be done safely by anyone lacking superior mountaineering skills.

What might be going through the mind of the man who started, then abruptly stopped, his glissade attempt? And through the minds of those who witnessed this tragedy? I would argue that there are lessons here for all of us.

When I opted to turn around on the shaded, snowy slope above the cable, with the same snow field below me where another man's life ended less than an hour later, I never doubted my decision. I don't mean to sound smug: the risk was obvious. Friends and people we met on the trail had provided us with valuable information well before we encountered the hazard, so I had time to consider what I would do. My hiking partner, John, and I agreed ahead of time that safety came first. I was not driven to achieve a life-long goal of reaching the top of Whitney. Then again, Mt. Whitney is only a day's drive from my home, so I am free to return and try again.

The mountains challenge all who venture onto them--both the expert and novice. That is part of their appeal. Steep mountainsides, swollen streams, and sudden weather changes are conspicuous risks to be anticipated, though not always easily assessed. Other risks, though less conspicuous, should also be anticipated. As Doug Thompson and Elisabeth Newbold observe in their guide book, Mount Whitney: Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store, high altitude illness, dehydration, exhaustion, and hypothermia are all common conditions. Indeed, these conditions dictate that sufficient food, water, and clothing must be taken to survive all conditions Mt. Whitney and the Sierras might throw our way.

But still we come, many of us again and again, to drink in the astounding beauty, yes, but also to test ourselves, to learn about ourselves in ways that modern life, for many of us, as least, does not prepare us to learn.

Venturing onto the slopes of Mt. Whitney forces us to go back to basics. Even with high tech synthetics, light-weight sleeping bags to insulate us from freezing temperatures, electrolyte drinks, and high carb energy bars, we must still contemplate survival. How will I weather a sudden snow or thunder storm? What will happen if a bear devours all my food? What is the safest way for a group of three hikers to help one of the group who has an immobilizing injury? Two hikers? A solo hiker? How can I guard against the potentially lethal effects of high altitude illness?

Answers to these questions may be easy for you. But certainly there are other scenarios that, when coupled with the impaired reasoning ability that accompanies hypothermia and exhaustion, would challenge any of us. The point is, we owe it to our families, friends, hiking companions, and ourselves to carefully consider which risks we feel prepared to accept and which are beyond our abilities.

Perhaps the best way to prepare for a wilderness mountain trek is to have frank discussions with our trekking partners. Does everyone have ample food, water, clothing, and shelter? Do we have the necessary first aid and survival gear called for and the knowledge to use it? Do any members of the party have pre-existing medical conditions? If so, do they have their meds? Is everyone fit to tackle the trip planned? Illness or injury to one--or the poor judgment of one--can imperil everyone else in the party. At the least, until you know the symptoms of high altitude illness, dehydration, exhaustion, and hypothermia you are not ready for the wilderness.

Be safe and hike another day. --Glen

Posted by Jim in Huntington Beach, 10-09-05
Can't wait to see the resulting lawsuit that blames the government for "negligence" (no signs/no safety talk/equip. check/etc.).

Jim

Posted 10-09-05
Glen and I were the two of the three who made it over to check on Mr. Tom after his glissade was witnessed by other hikers above us. Ken got to him a minute before us, stayed for a few minutes and headed down. As a CA paramedic, I was able to assess his injuries and determined he was expired. This was important as on our way down (after determing no helicopter would make it up that afternoon), rangers making their way up trail were able to accept my 'determination of death' and change the search and resuce into a recovery effort.
I have read the discusions on this incident and the heated back and forth on how much we vs. the 'goverment' need to be responsibe for our actions. I respect everyone's opinions but suggest when a bad choice is made, especially on Whitney, others are put at risk. The two women who helped the other hiker back up to the trail after he aborted his glissade, the hiker who went for help, the helicopter pilots who tried to get in for a rescue, and everyone who helped the two hikers who glissaded down on Tuseday and were both injured, and more who will be put at risk thenselves when they see the seat marks in the snow and assume others have made is so why can't they--and then those who are put at risk in rescuing them.
Glen and I talked abut the importance of correct and timely information from the rangers when you pick up your permit. We asked about conditions and were told no technical gear was needed to summit. A word in time there could save a life--and it cost nothing. Me? I vote for a 'no glissade' notice on the paperwork given with permits AND signs at the start of the switchbacks and at Trail Crest. I saw Mr. Tom up close and personal. I don't want to see anyone else in the same position with the same injuries.

Posted by oskar, 10-09-05
re: John Vonhof's post

AMEN!

Posted by Ken, 10-09-05
for those in the audience who don't know him, John Vonhof is the author of the famed book, Fixing your Feet, who contributes a lot to the hiking/climbing community. I don't recall him posting here, before. Welcome, John, and good on 'ya, for what you tried to do.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899973...=books&v=glance
_________________________
Good judgment comes from experience,
and experience, of course, comes from poor judgment.


Posted by AxeMan, 10-09-05
Two things:

In support of the people in the Ranger's office (at least on Friday, Sept. 30) they had current photos of the switchbacks and were warning hikers that the conditions were extremely icy on north-facing sections and completely covered in others, plus a majority of people were turning around at the cables. Those summiting were using poles and/or axes and crampons. I can't see how their responsibility can, or should, go beyond that.

Second, the last time I glissaded down the chute (first week of June), I was fully equipped and kept my pace slow and steady. At one point I did hit an ice patch and accelerated; as I flipped and started digging in, the axe popped right out of my hands from the speed. Luckily, I was able to retrieve the axe (a good leash, obviously) and arrest. But again, this was accomplished from experience. Some have made points about self-arresting "with hiking poles" which is extremely misleading. Mr. Tom's fate is a truly sad event, but for those trying to glean some helpful information, poles won't save you on an uncontrolled glissade. Given the conditions now, even with full gear, I wouldn't attempt the chute. I think those bragging about it are only making the situation worse.

Posted by Ken, 10-09-05
Although I think the point is being made, somewhat, let me be overt: Glissading is a technical mountaineering skill, it is NOT part of backpacking, and is done with proper gear.

Think about this: One of the premier hang-gliding spots in the world is just off the road to Cottonwood Lakes, Walt's Point. If someone decides to try to glide using a couple of kites, and dies in the foolish attempt, should we expect signs at Walt's Point advising against jumping without a hang-glider??
_________________________
Good judgment comes from experience,
and experience, of course, comes from poor judgment.


Posted by ChrisClark, 10-09-05
Glen & John,

What a terrible trajedy and story to share with us. Thank you for what you did on the mountain.

Chris

Posted 10-09-05
My God, I've read most of the posts, and I've gotten the impression that most of you are highly inexperienced and don't belong on any mountain. Please do yourselves a favor and take a mountaineering course or you too may end up dead doing something as stupid as glissading w/o an ice axe. This is a tragedy.... for the sport of mountaineering; when someone dies doing a "darwin award" stunt, it will only complicate matters for the people that have taken the time to learn the craft and do it safely (red tape, fees, trail/mountain closures). Why does it always seems like people expect to get their hand held by the forest service? get realistic! There are hazards in the mountains, even on the Mt. Whitney Trail, duh!!! Read about them before you go. Learn about mountain safety and skills. Don't be a lemming. Anyone that doesn't seek proper training is the one dropping the ball, not the Forest Service.

Posted by Poly2002, 10-10-05
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/09/MNHIKER.DTL&hw=whitney&sn=001&sc=1000

Hiker's caution turns into cautionary tale
East Bay man's death points to danger of sliding down snow
- Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, October 9, 2005

Shortly before he died on the icy and rocky slopes of Mount Whitney on Monday afternoon, Stephen Tom told his hiking partner that the conditions were too treacherous to reach the mountain's summit and he would descend back to the base camp.

"He said, 'I have nothing to prove,' " said Jim Kramer, recalling the words of Tom, a 45-year-old El Cerrito resident, after they had finished a section of the trail that ascends more than 1,700 feet up switchbacks from Trail Camp to Trail Crest.

But Kramer continued to Whitney's 14,497-foot summit, while Tom -- whom friends and family describe as a cautious and calculated risk taker -- and another hiker they had met on the mountain decided it would be safer to sit and slide down a snow chute used by some people during their descent.

The technique, called glissading, could cut an hours-long hike to Trail Camp to as little as 15 minutes and avoid the nearly 100 icy and treacherous switchbacks on the trail. They had watched a hiker glissade the chute earlier in the day, and Tom was an experienced skier and snowboarder.

But the early fall snow was shallow, and after sliding on their backsides for a few hundred feet from the 13,777-foot crest, the snow-covered top portion of the chute gave way to ice.

"It was mind-boggling to me how quickly he could pick up speed. He went from in control to out of control almost instantly," said Michael McEntee, 44, a Mountain View resident who was descending with Tom.

Tom had hiking poles that he tried to use as brakes. He turned on his stomach, facing up the mountain, and tried to slow himself with his feet. At the bottom of the chute, Tom was moving so fast -- at least 50 miles per hour, the accident investigator estimates -- that he could not stop. He hit a refrigerator-size boulder on the edge of the snow meadow and died from the impact.

"You're up so high your perspective is skewed," McEntee said. "I don't think either of us imagined it would be possible to slide across that flat part into rock."

McEntee climbed to a rocky area after he saw Tom lose control. He called for help, and other hikers on the trail guided him to safety. He was uninjured.

The next day, two other hikers glissaded down the chute and lost control, said Sgt. Randy Nixon of the Inyo County sheriff's department. One hiker broke a leg, and the other was knocked unconscious after hitting rocks; both were rescued by helicopter.

"(Glissading) is one of those things that experienced climbers probably won't do," said SP Parker, an internationally certified guide who is a partner in the Sierra Mountain Center, a guiding company in Bishop. Several years ago, Parker led a group on the trail and saw five people injured -- two seriously -- in one day from sliding down the chute.

"It's tempting because it looks so easy," Parker said. "But it's one of the most dangerous things in mountaineering."

Anyone attempting the technique, which can also be done while crouching or standing, should be experienced and have equipment, such as a helmet and an ice ax for braking, Parker said. Tom, who had glissaded once before, 20 years ago, had no equipment besides the poles, his family said.

In the past 12 years, three people have died while glissading on the chute, and about a dozen have suffered injuries requiring helicopter evacuation, Nixon said. He said he does not know how many people have suffered minor or moderate injuries.

Many people have been known to perform the maneuver successfully. Kramer, who descended the chute later in the day, is one of them. He avoided injury by going slowly down the mountain -- it took him an hour -- though he sped up at the bottom and caught air off a boulder. To his horror, he said, he landed near Tom's body, which was not recovered until Tuesday.

In the summer, no special equipment is required to reach the peak of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states. Some people make the nearly 22-mile round trip from Whitney Portal to the summit in one day if conditions are optimal, but others prefer to backpack to one of the camps along the trail such as Outpost Camp, where Tom's group stayed, about 7 miles from the summit.

While weather conditions were good when the two started out Monday, two storms in the past few weeks had made for a slower and more treacherous ascent. The hike from Outpost Camp to Trail Crest had taken about five hours before Tom and McEntee decided to turn back.

At Outpost Camp the night before, Tom had been in typical form -- generous and caring, according to family members -- sharing his tent with a day hiker who was unable to descend the mountain by nightfall. The hiker's girlfriend, who had snow blindness from the trek, was invited to share the tent of some women at the camp.

"Stephen immediately asked if they wanted something to eat or drink, and he gave them miso soup and hot cider," said Mark Kramer, a close friend of Tom and cousin of Jim Kramer who initiated the trip but elected to stay at the base camp that day with a fourth member of the group.

"He was one of the most generous, thoughtful people you could meet. He was a solid, solid friend and a good person," said Mark Kramer, who met Tom when they went to college at UC San Diego 25 years ago.

Tom grew up in Oakland and Danville, graduating from Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. He later graduated from UC San Diego and received his master's degree from the Thunderbird Garvin School of International Management in Glendale, Ariz. He was employed in real estate management for General Electric in Concord. He enjoyed outdoor adventures and was excited to climb the mountain, Mark Kramer said.

"Stephen was doing three of the things that he loved most -- spending time with friends, challenging himself in physical endurance and roughing it in the wild -- when he died," said his brother, Daryl Tom of Danville.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by his parents, Leonard and Katie Tom of Danville; and brothers David Tom and Stuart Tom.

A memorial service for Tom will be held today at 6 p.m. at Wilson & Kratzer Chapel of San Ramon Valley, 825 Hartz Way in Danville. A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at 11150 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito.

The family asks that donations in Tom's memory be made to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

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Posted by 67brickie, 10-10-05
as Forrest Gump said "Let me say this about that."

Mark Patton has it right - too many signs already. Just think about all the ones which are summarily ignored every day, let alone about things which can be considered "hazardous". Do signs saying pavement is "slippery when wet" stop people from driving too fast in such conditions? Do warnings about the chemical noxious vapor hazards of mixing household cleaning liquids stop people from trying their own combinations? Though everyone knows guns can be (possibly) inherently dangerous and should always be regarded as loaded, "unfortuante accidents" happen every day with consequent loss of lives. Warnings abound in nearly every aspect of our lives - from the possible contraindcations printed on prescribed or OTC medicines, to the innane printed warnings on your plastic dry cleaning bag about not letting it get into the hands of youngsters or around pets 'cause it could smother them. Who pays any attention to them? Rather, the personal risk assessment and judgment factor is what typically dictates what we do and how we do it. Earlier this summer, a few weeks before my Whitney summit, I drove a scaled-down Indy race car around a mile and half oval at speeds up to 160 mph. Before I did it, I was (as someone here stated about glissading) both excited and scared. I signed the proprietor's disclaimer and waiver and so the decision was all mine, not government, or the track owner or the proprietor who supplied the race car - MINE only.
I absolutely dumb-lucked into the three day permit time period I was assigned for the Whiteny Zone. Had those dated been any earlier, I had already made up my mind I would not subject myself or my hiking companions to the potential dangers of snow-packed, icy switchbacks or anything above them. Getting to the summit was the goal, but staying alive was paramount. I am a hiker/backpacker. I do not and did not have any desire or need to attempt to experience a dangerous slide-down-on-my-rear technique just to descend from someplace I had no business being in the first place. That stuff is technical mountaineering, not hiking. Like all others posting here, I don't want to see anybody die or be injured on Whitney or any other outdoor or wilderness venue. But when they make the judgment to go in the first place, then they better also have informed themselves of what they will and will not do if faced with unsafe conditions. Mr. Toms did that, without the requesite skill. I'm terribly sorry for him and his loved ones and friends.
Ben Franklin is noted as observing "Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn by no other." Let all resolve to learn from previous mistakes, and not be fools.
Brickie

Posted by MattW, 10-10-05
I was at the ranger station to pick up our permits on 10/7 for a 10/9 hike. I was looking at the maps that they had for sale and asked one of the rangers which was the best one. He told me that since I was going to be on the main whitney trail that I didn't need a map. I found this strange since I expected the rangers to be extra cautious. Also, when talking to them about the conditions of the trail, they underestimated the difficulty/danger versus what folks were saying on this board. I didn't realize, as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, that these rangers in the staion are not rangers but administrators.

Posted by Nextdrink, 10-11-05
I tried this year in July and found it to be one of the harder things to do.I thought the 12000ft. level was good.The other people I hiked with both got ill so we turned around.Why anyone would do it in Fall or Winter is beyond me.Sure I am going again this year and I am going to make it up to the top.But I can say its not worth my life.I have seen a couple of post commenting on attitudes.Im sure we all have our on ways of dealing with stuff.Maybe an attitude is what we need to kick that Mountains butt.BE SAFE.....
Good luck to all who try!!!!!

Posted by joeldgold, 10-11-05
Very sad to hear that another life was lost on Whitney. I was part of an 11 man team up the chute in June, wherein plenty of time was spent ensuring that everyone had the proper equiptment and some experience on the snow. Fortunately the conditions were perfect and everyone summitted safely.
As I was decending down the chute, even with 10 Whitney and 7 other 14er's completed, I remember thinking how dicey a glissade could be in the wrong conditions with the rock band to the right and many other boulders at the bottom.
I also remember my 1st ascent 17 years ago, looking down the chute (but taking the switchbacks) and thinking how terrifying it would be to go directly down it.
Those two guys must have been sketched to attempt to glissade as they did. My condolences to the family of the victim, Mr. Tom.
In my opinion the manner in which Whitney is being challenged these days invariably will lead to this kind of tradegy. Unlike other mountains that I've climbed where people generally won't try a summit,like say Mt. Williamson unless they are competent, Whitney is viewed by most as a physical challenge and not mountaineering one. With the mule trail up to 14k, many will continue to attempt the summit with nominal skills.
It is a very tough call on what can be done to mitigate number of rescues and fatalities. I agree that posting warning signs at any place where a hazard exists wouldn't be plausible. There's just too many places even on the trail where you can be injured. I also feel that the Forrest Service does plenty to push safety. There always been literature at the stattion advising of the risks involved and they've even placed a large kiosk at the trailhead showing some poor guy apparently involved in an accident to make a point to be cautious. A few times they have been way off in their advise, but I never presumed it was there job to provide that information. This year on another mountain they were advising people that a route was impassable. Having a fair amount of experience, our group tried it anyways and found it to be 100% clear. Other people we met at the summit were angry at the information when they found out how we summitted. My point being the rangers are damned if they do and damned if they don't and we shouldn't expect them to be mountain guides.

Posted by mark, 10-11-05
After following this column now for the better part of two weeks, I can only offer my sincere sympathy to the family of Whitney's latest casualty. However, with every wilderness calamity, afterwards it seems that people always look to point fingers, blaming someone, and trying to somehow relieve the injured from admitting that the complete responsibility always belongs with the individual.
Mount Whitney is, in many ways, unique. The peaks close proximity to Southern California civilization and with this relative easy access and the availability of valuable forums such as this one; the mountain calls out to many and entices the masses to try. Internet campground reservations for the Portal are just a click away, as well as a lottery system being in place for possible and free admission to the trail. Gear outfitters such as REI and the like, tout their wares, bombard us with color advertisements, and make available all the equipment to dream of, and then perhaps, even surmount a trophy that can be either an easy walk or a trap, depending on the conditions or weather. TV commercials tell us to "just do it" regardless of the risks and they never mention any possible ramifications of failure. SUV owners can picture themselves driving across perilous terrain, without any training or better yet, without any preparation or even a care. We live this life in 2005.
Then something goes wrong and instead of admitting ineptness, carelessness, or perhaps acknowledging that it could just be a horrendous accident, we always want to assess blame - somewhere:
  • We need signs!
  • It is the Ran gers fault!
  • The equipment was faulty!
  • Nobody warned us!
  • The weather changed!
  • It snowed!
  • Too steep
  • Too hot
  • Too cold
  • Ice
  • Too high
  • The water
  • The cables
  • The burgers


Well people wake up. This is a big mountain, it is high, and things change on it constantly. There are obvious dangers -- ice, exposure, altitude, climate, etc... and maybe we should realize that before making the attempt, we all must prepare for these dangers adequately, and then take the responsibility for our own actions. On one hand, we get angry at the Ran gers for taking too much of our valuable time when picking up permits or curtailing night permit availability, and now we want to blame them for not warning us? How many signs, letters, phone calls, or emails do you need before comprehending that a 14,500 ft mountain can be somewhat dangerous?
With freedom comes risk -- with wilderness comes responsibility. I am truly sorry for the human loss -- a sad tragedy -- but I take umbrage in knowing that he was probably doing what he wanted to at the time. Nobody forced him onto the mountain -- nobody said he could not go -- nobody made up any outrageous rules for his adventure. That is the way it should always be.

Posted by VersatileFred, 10-11-05
This topic is beginning to sound like Hikers Walking Into Lightning Storm. Someone Tell Me Why! That topic was posted a couple of months ago.
_________________________
Orientation Notes for Whitney First Timers


Posted by Wes B, 10-11-05
Mark, Thank you! I admit that I have to agree that individuals bear their own responsibility when they take on any outdoor experience. And I mean "any outdoor experience"! After following this thread for the past week, I must say that your response definitely says it all. The ran gers are definitely not there to hold our hands. And I certainly wouldn't want them to myself.

Posted by jfkstuff, 10-12-05
I see many have opined who weren't present that day, and some have inaccurately speculated about the mountain conditions and the decisions made. I would like to provide a first-hand perspective since I ascended to Trail Crest with Stephen Tom on October 3 and then glissaded down the same chute four hours after he did, unaware of his fate until I found his body at the bottom. My name is Jim, and I hiked to Trail Crest and had lunch with Stephen and Mike before I ventured on alone to summit. On the way up to Trail Crest Stephen demonstrated amazing hiking prowess, endurance and sure-footedness; he was an accomplished hiker who had hiked many times before. On the switchbacks he commented that we were lucky to have such a gorgeous day and if it had been as cold, snowy and windy as people said it had been the previous day we wouldn't have ascended past Trail Camp.

Before I left Stephen and Mike at Trail Crest for the summit, we had a lengthy, detailed discussion analyzing the safest way to descend, including whether it would be safest to retrace our steps along the switchbacks or to glissade (as we had seen someone do on our way up, and as we'd heard others had done safely the previous night when conditions were much worse). I wasn't sure what route Stephen and Mike had ultimately chosen until I returned from the summit and saw their glissade tracks. I peered down the chute, saw a powdery snow trough without any sign of trouble, so I proceeded as well.

I should mention that before I headed up to the summit I encouraged Stephen and Mike to join me. Stephen responded that he didn't have anything to prove by summiting and felt it was safest to start heading down at that point since the weather conditions were ideal, he was rested, could take his time and he didn't want to chance that the weather and daylight might deteriorate over the next few hours. He was a cautious, calculated hiker.

While at the summit I noticed the plaque in the cabin doorway that warned of the potential hazards of lightening. I suggest that a notice at the chute would save more lives. I know some of you are adamantly against signs. Please don't get me wrong; I'm not recommending that a sign be placed everywhere on the mountain where someone can twist an ankle. However, there is already a sign at Trail Crest with the marginally useful information that it's at an elevation of 13,777 feet. If that existing sign were simply amended to include a more useful statement to the effect that the majority of fatalities and serious injuries on Mount Whitney were inflicted glissading down that particular chute, and that conditions at the bottom were often considerably icier than one can determine from Trail Crest, I "guarantee" you than none of us would have chosen to glissade. We were not out for a joy ride or to take the easy way down; we wanted the safest route. Some have suggested that people don't heed warning signs; I disagree.

I felt safe enough partway down my glissade that day to take a photo that shows there is nothing but Stephen's deep, powdery snow trough in front of me for as far down as you can see. Unfortunately, while descending, very abruptly and without warning, the trough disappeared and turned to an icy sheet. Stephen and I both had hiking poles. I used mine and kicked my heels into the ice to descend slowly and made it to the bottom unhurt. I wasn't with Stephen when he descended so I can't say what he did differently. However, two other hikers were badly injured the following day glissading the same chute "with ice axes!" Possibly they saw the deep, snowy troughs at Trail Crest that we did and were also lured into thinking it was an advisable way to descend. Again, an addition to the existing sign would clarify any uncertainty for future hikers unfamiliar with these tragedies.

Although I knew Stephen for only 24 hours, I went to his memorial service, which was "standing room only." There I saw ten other hikers whom Stephen also met for the first time during the same 24-hour period and befriended. When my time comes I hope I have even a fraction of the admiring friends stand up at my service as Stephen had at his who publicly proclaim what an honor it was to know me and be my friend. Clearly, he will be sorely missed by many. Stephen, buddy, I look forward to meeting you again at the ultimate summit.

Posted 10-12-05
There is a simple fact to this unfortunate accident and that is that a judgment call was made and the results were catastrophic. It seems that there are a lot of posts about inexperience or poor judgment or just simply being stupid but the fact is that a fellow hiker made a decision on the information he had and unfortunately it cost him his life. If you spend much time in the outdoor world whether on a mountain or on a river or any where else you will inevitably loose friend or at least acquaintance. And the response seems always to be the same- CRITICISM. I agree that in almost every case of serious injury or death a poor decision was made and that the rest of us should learn from the unfortunate event. Poor decisions similar to ones that we all (at least any of us who spend a good amount of time outdoors) have made at some point. I am sure that the criticism and critique is to make the ourselves feel like the accident won't happen to us because we would not have made that "dumb of a decision." We rationalize the death so we do not have to internalize to ourselves that death is waiting for us. We should all learn from this unfortunate accident and the decisions made, but for any of us to pass judgment seems to tempt the inevitable. Good climbers, boaters, and friends die and often because of bad decisions they made. What we should learn from this accident is that none of us no matter how experienced are above making a poor decision in the wrong moment that may cost us our life.

Posted by scotthiker2, 10-12-05
gistme,

You are right on the money. I suspect Mt. Tom was evaluating (to the best of his ability) whether it would be more/less risky to slide down the slope or hike down the icy switchbacks. He made a decision after deliberating for a while and it turned out bad. No one can say for sure that he would not have met a similar fate on the slippery switchbacks.

I for one am very greatful that I do not hike with some of the posters on this thread. On this thread alone, I have observed the following:

1) The "slippery slope syndrome" for what would happen next iff a warning sign is posted.

2) Criticism of "posters blaming rangers" when I have seen no post of that kind. There has been some recommendations put forth, but nobody is blaming the rangers for this tragedy.

3) Presenting one's "resume" in an attempt to gain acceptance of your beliefs.