Wonder if there are any creeks this size in the Whitney area that might pose similar conditions? Wallace, Tyndall?
Yes, there are quite a few all around. Just look for conditions.
Several years ago I was descending the Whitney Trail about this time of year, solo. After passing Trailside Meadow, there is an opportunity to glissade the steep slope down to Mirror Lake. I have done that quite a few times, and decided to this time in spite of the snow being soft and melting fast. There was a good sized stream under the snow now.
About halfway down there is a rimaye (similar to a crevasse or bergschrund, but with snow on only one side and rock on the other) a few inches wide. Gravity pulls you toward it, and I was using my ice ax to try to steer around it. Unfortunately, I got too close and the snow collapsed, and I fell into the rimaye. My first thought was of injury to my back and head striking the rocks, and then of being swept along like the Squaw Valley woman.
Well, after a vertical fall of about 10 feet, I did bounce down in the stream about 40 feet and stopped, miraculously unhurt. But I was very worried about being able to get out. The "cave" was big enough to stand up, so reaching up to dig out wasn't an option. And the thought of descending into the dark abyss was abhorrent.
So I looked at climbing back up. But the slope seemed to exceed 45 degrees (it probably didn't), rocky, and there was a vertical wall at the end where I had fallen through. All with this stream rushing through, and I was somewhat drenched by now.
Long story short, I was able to climb back up and negotiated the wall to get out into the light again. The only casualty was loss of my Tilley hat; it had gotten swept down by the stream. I went back after the snow had melted, hoping to find it on the shore of Mirror Lake, but no luck.
Another time I was descending the North Fork below Lower Boy Scout Lake, south of the stream since that was still the preferred route. Here there was no stream below me, and I was with others. I stopped about 8 feet down, and with the help of friends, was able to get back up.
-----
By the way, the streams are flowing very full now. I took this picture on June 7:
I didn't have a camera yesterday--8 days later--but the water extended to the bottom of the picture, and the stream covered the lower several inches of the main log. More than in this picture from June 18, 2009:
EDIT: By the way 2, the mosquitoes are out, at Whitney Portal and above.
