In the news - truly a sad account of unprepared "experienced" hikers being hit by a freak 2 foot snow storm. 2 are rescued and one dies below muir camp. Thius was on a day hike. How can a storm of that magnatude just hit without some warning?

Anyway it does say something about being prepared for sudden snow and cold while in the Pacific Northwest. It froze 2 nights ago at my house in Bend and I only live at 4,000 feet elevation.

I have been to Muir camp and with the steepness of that slope, I can see where descending in a snow storm could mean death, but freezing to death is just unacceptable. These guys own the gear to summit but left it at home.

The one time I was hit by a freak storm that dropped to minus 5 overnight, I had the extra clothes to be perfectly warm. A lot of people have said that I carry too much weight in insulation, but I did not die. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Anyway these guys can be "climbers" or "hikers" and as climbers they have the gear to survive and as hikers they didn't.

Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />