Bee, I know the cliff they're talking about. I and my friends have many pictures at this location on the trail. I will look to see if I can find one to post. This missing hiker has been on my mind ever since I heard about this. His friends who left him behind make me mad. I hate hearing that his friends did not stay with him.
I remember a cliff as you leave Outpost camp to make your way down to Lone Pine Lake but it sounds like he may not have made it this far, if he did he would have found his friends. My friends and I walked along the meadow leaving Outpost and walked too far. When we turned right at what we thought was a trail at the end of the meadow we walked right into a cliff and abruptly stopped. Wow, what a shocker that was. We were glad e had daylight, if it were night time one or all of us could have been goners.
I believe if you are disoriented you should STOP and STAY at the first moment you realize something is wrong. Hopefully you're a smart hiker who carries emergency supplies.
