Slightly off Whitney location but pertinent. A good friend of mine, a former US Forest Service Park Ranger, was killed when hit by lightning at the 12,500' level on Pikes Peak back in 1995. There were no clouds in the sky, no rain, no visible lightning in the sky anywhere, yet he somehow was killed as a lightning bolt traveled through the ground to where he was standing, taking photographs, as he had switched from Ranger duty to becoming a professional photographer.
I knew him well and he was one of the most cautious persons I have known. We always turned back when hiking if he felt the conditions were dangerous, but somehow his luck ran out at age 38 & I miss his talent in taking wonderful pictures ala Laura.
There was another person with him who sustained no injuries and verified the conditions as cited above.
