RE: sample preservation
Ranger had samples in cooler, I assume ice pack was in there.
also, it took me 3.5 hrs to descend from TrailCamp to Whitney Portal even with my gimpy 8 month old swollen total knee. titanium did fine but soft parts hurt a bit. Ranger could get down quicker.
Bee - RE: clouds . Monsoonal south flow has been going on for 10 days. We had temps 40-50 at night on JMT, even camping at 11k. Was ugly 83F heatwave climbing Mather. Ugh.
On Whitney we had 2 hrs of rain hail lightning on 8/8, lesser storm on my summit day 8/9. Descended to Lone Pine and drove north..... after Bishop at around 8pm saw strange white cloud hugely billowing up toward the north plus lightning off to its right - it was a lightning strike brush fire in the Mono Lake area. My cousin in Lee Vining has some pics - maybe later, I am now at McCarren with flight delay. Harvey
