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By the time the runners got to Paiute Meadow, they were 2/3 the way through. Too bad they didn't try it in July when it was dry.
This is a perfect example of the difference between ultralight and unprepared. All they needed was minimal shelter and a jacket to survive 24 hrs. Ultralight gear makes this so easy.
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"Ultralite" is a philosophy applied to a pretrip cost/benefit tradeoff (of dollars, pounds and judgement in when to cancel/bail vs preparedness). "Unprepared" is a call made in hindsight. If these clowns had gone in a dry part of July as SteveC suggests, they might have been "prepared" and 19 ounces "ultralight-cooler" than if they had followed SierraNevada's hindsight suggestion. Ultralight is a game of trading off preparedness, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and people will even disagree on when and where to place the line between win and lose. I think you should make the call from a viewpoint before you leave the trailhead. From then and there, a helicopter ride out is a lose. (After I'm sitting along the trail hypothermic I might consider a helicopter ride out a win.) These guys turned out to be ultralight -and- unprepared.
Dale B. Dalrymple
