Missing Mt. Whitney Hiker: Last Picture from Badwater

[bbb]

There's an overdue hiker who made his way through Death Valley to Mt. Whitney last week in case anyone has any information. It sounds like the hiker's family is coordinating with Inyo County and other area authorities:

[Candace_66]

Unfortunately, not a happy ending. His body was found yesterday, June 19th.

https://www.latimes.com/local/californi ... story.html

[wbdeford]

Yes, very sad. Hit me kind of hard for it being someone I didn't know. It's been a tough couple weeks in the Sierras. A friend of mine was good friends with this man:

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/dave ... -obituary/

I just found this update a minute ago. This one hit me also, even though I knew he was probably dead.

Emotions are really strange things. Now I need to text my friend to make sure she is OK.

[D.A. Wright]

https://www.sierrawave.net/missing-man- ... t-whitney/

[Candace_66]

Given the location of the body, I'm guessing he was using the Mountaineers Route. I wonder if he had all the proper equipment to do that under the current conditions?! By any route, and under any conditions, that was a very ambitious plan.

[Aedwards27]

Really a terrible ending, I had been following this story since it broke.

Sadly, I think we're going to see situations such as this increasing, especially after reading this article. https://www.outsideonline.com/2330916/m ... -accidents

Personally, I have serious issues with mountaineering due to vertigo (exposure is something I cannot due), so I cannot imagine even attempting some of the peaks in the Sierras.

[wbdeford]

Really a terrible ending, I had been following this story since it broke.

Sadly, I think we're going to see situations such as this increasing, especially after reading this article. https://www.outsideonline.com/2330916/m ... -accidents

Personally, I have serious issues with mountaineering due to vertigo (exposure is something I cannot due), so I cannot imagine even attempting some of the peaks in the Sierras.

I think it will hit some sort of natural limitation not too much above what it is now. If deaths start becoming more frequent, restrictions will be tightened.

[wbdeford]

Given the location of the body, I'm guessing he was using the Mountaineers Route. I wonder if he had all the proper equipment to do that under the current conditions?! By any route, and under any conditions, that was a very ambitious plan.

I suggested that and others countered that he may have become disoriented from the thin air and gone the wrong way. As I understand it, you need a different permit to use the Mountaineers Route. There was a death last year where the main gear was left at the main trail, so the conclusion in that case was he wasn't thinking clearly. Some of the pictures of where it happened I find terrifying. Definitely beyond my limits. I've done a lot of cross country in DVNP, but when it's Whitney, it will be via the main trail and after the snow melts. Here is the story from last year, which also has new comments from Dao's death: http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthread ... on_Whitney

[D.A. Wright]

From what I read, it appears he crammed Whitney into his itinerary. The article mentioned he needed to be home and at work the following day; his plan was to summit, drive to Vegas then take a night flight home and go to work the following morning. Apparently he summited (eyewitnesses). My thought was he pushed himself too far and unfortunately paid dearly.