Hmmm...."Be prepared for pretty much anything, and know how to use the gear and conduct yourselves."
If people did that, they would ruin all the fun for us commenters on all things stupid.
However, this is the crux of this part of the Whitney quota season. I got a permit and I'm going to do it. I really, really, want to glissade from Trail Crest in the afternoon shadows when the slope is icing up and getting faster. What rocks on my left?
WB, since you brought it up, I'll admit to a dumb decision I made spur of the moment at Trail Crest with aching knees not wanting to hike down the switchbacks. I have good skills with an ice ax, but all I had was a collapsed hiking pole to self arrest every 10 or 20 ft maybe. Off I went. I took it very slowly, and it wasn't icy, but it was stupid, no doubt about it. That hiking pole bent and never opened up again. When I got back home, I found out a guy died doing something similar just a week before I did it. He lost control and hit rocks at the bottom at high speed. Just glad I didn't end up shredded on a rock and then shredded again on a forum thread. I may still get shredded just for admitting this.
