Well, I too am done trying to discuss solutions here. One by one everyone trying to organize a response to this trail defect has given up to the relentless "no can do" responses.

Hopefully Inyo will respond to the letter and phone calls discussed in this thread and build on the rock piles started by the Search and Rescue Team. I believe something will get built here some day to fix this trail defect, the only question is when and how many more times SAR will have to come back to this spot.

As for hiker education, its always a good thing, but it doesn't help people from losing a faint trail switching back over solid granite with no markers. It can happen to anyone. BTW, many of these "dumb hiker" stories might mean well, but in general its not very effective to mock people when teaching them.

Lastly, there are rocks lining both sides of the trail about 100 ft downhill from this spot, as seen in Google Earth. There are plenty of rocks in that area just below the dangerous spot leading over the cliff. That's all we're talking here folks. A simple trail improvement as seen all over the wilderness, even 100 ft away. But let's just leave it to the experts to carry a rock 100 ft and place it along the solid granite trail where there are no rocks available.

Peace out.