Mt Whitney fatality early November

[Mtnman200]

While I certainly dont defend the noob comment, it was terribly insensitive, do we really have to rush to someones bag count, judge them, then make comments?
This board is the epitomy of ill informed credentialism. The count is kind of fun and has some uses but I dont know if its wise to make rash judgements on someones overall experience level or worth as a person because of it.

I'm actually not judging SephTR for his peak count; I'm judging him for his completely insensitive noob comment.

[nunns]

While I certainly dont defend the noob comment, it was terribly insensitive, do we really have to rush to someones bag count, judge them, then make comments?
This board is the epitomy of ill informed credentialism. The count is kind of fun and has some uses but I dont know if its wise to make rash judgements on someones overall experience level or worth as a person because of it.

I'm actually not judging SephTR for his peak count; I'm judging him for his completely insensitive noob comment.

+1. This almost has to be a troll. Honestly why else would someone make a comment like that?
It is one thing to try to learn from other's mistakes (even fatal ones) in a respectful manner.
Quite another to dismiss and/or discredit anyone based on peak totals.

Sean Nunn

[Ptglhs]

Yeah, I saw that. This is really not surprising but my point was that even experienced folks can slip and fall. If you think you are immune to it because you have twelve 14ers under your belt then that could be a problem, in my humble opinion. Also, we don’t know anything about this woman’s experience. Just because she was included in an article about the number of rescues and deaths as more people are getting into the backcountry doesn’t mean she was a “Noob”.

I agree. Accidents can happen anytime, even to very experienced hikers. Plenty of mountain climbing greats perished doing harder routes than I every will. It's not like they were inexperienced, and I doubt Anatoli Boukareev was unprepared, for example. Even in Colorado, a venerated individual in this Community, who had climbed every 14er and most 13ers lost their life on a repeat. If we convince ourself person X died because they made a stupid mistake and we'd never make that mistake, we're deluding ourselves. Be prepared, be aware, accept some risk while trying to minimoze it, and be grateful for the days we have in the mountains.

[Trotter]

Noob

Douche

[14erFred]

Prayers for comfort and strength for Cassie’s family and friends. May she rest in peace forever, and may her memory always be a blessing.

[nyker]

Such a shame to hear about this.

I won't speculate on the how/what/why's but what I can say is even on the standard Whitney Main Trail, if conditions are cold, snowy and/or dark it can be very disorienting even for someone experienced in the mountains.
From what I understand she was just going for an afternoon quick day hike, not a summit climb and slipped and fell not that far out from the Portal and was apparently just off the trail.
Most people expecting to be on a short ~1hr hike probably won't be bringing a pack filled with the normal layers and additional gear you'd bring for a lengthy summit climb or late Autumn ascent.

I've been on the rock there in many different weather scenarios and when it's iced over, the ice is often not evident and its easy to slip even on route, if you stray off route even a few feet
you're likely to encounter cliff bands with 50-100ft or more drops. This area is often at a transition point where ice starts where even if you brought microspikes you might not put them on yet.
Accidents happen to the best of us and they usually begin with a simple slip or trip which then isn't stopped. I'd say 100% of us have had seemingly innocent "trips" or "slips" in the mountains at some point.

The fact that she survived two nights out before succumbing, after falling and very possibly seriously injured and scared, with minimal food and water, wearing summer clothes in below freezing temps / negative windchill in an approaching storm
tells me she was a tough determined person.

RIP Cassandra. To her friends and family, our thoughts are with you.

[highpilgrim]

but my point was that even experienced folks can slip and fall.

I fully support that position and didn't intend to post the article as an offset to your point. I should have narrowed my quote to make that clear.

Rocks move, feet slip and snow slides...and more time in the field increases the likelihood of that happening. Paraphrasing Steve Gladbach.

[Barnold41]

Gotta love how the troll makes one comment and then never returns, only reading what everyone else has to say about their insensitive/rude/immature/douchey comment... what a miserable existence he/she must live.

[Hooray187]

May she rest in peace.

[SephTR]

Noob

How very compassionate of you. Do you consider someone with only 12 14er ascents to be a noob? I certainly do.

I’ll have you know I’m a Sierra Nevada hiker

[Mtnman200]

Noob

How very compassionate of you. Do you consider someone with only 12 14er ascents to be a noob? I certainly do.

I’ll have you know I’m a Sierra Nevada hiker

OK. That doesn’t fix your personality defects, however.

[mtn_nut]

Noob

How very compassionate of you. Do you consider someone with only 12 14er ascents to be a noob? I certainly do.

I’ll have you know I’m a Sierra Nevada hiker

Wow. So that fixes everything. Someone died and you're making judgments on them and then trying to justify it with your experience as a "Sierra Nevada hiker". You're a giant pile of shït.