One factor common to Wade Brunette (from Washington) and the Nebraska contingent is that they were from out of state, and were making a special, concerted effort to do something that they had dreamed of for years. In both cases there was undoubtedly the underlying thought that, "If I don't do this now, who knows when I'll have a chance to come back and try again?"
That's not to suggest that those living closer to the Eastern Sierra don't make bad choices as well at times, but most don't have the added pressure of "now or possibly never" banging away in their heads.
Both cases were also a first attempt on Whitney, although all involved had a reasonable to impressive degree of mountaineering experience. This makes me wonder if a certain level of under-estimation was at play in the "Whitney Walk-up" mentality.
