Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Musings on Searches and Trails

I generally hike Yosemite or Tahoe. For Yosemite, especially, the volunteer placed "ducks" on long granite traverses are essential. I've spent lots of time wandering around on endless granite slabs in the hot sun, and occasionally in the dark looking for the next part of the trail. Even on these named and maintained trails, getting lost is always possible.

As the area where this occurred is notorious for misdirection, I can't see how a series of ducks would not be helpful and potentially life-saving. Not signs or permanent structures that would violate the wilderness rules, just a series of small rock cairns at really critical points.

We don't yet know details of this tragedy, but reading previous trip reports on the Trip Report forum documents that this area is particularly problematic, moreso than the cables.