@cowpie and jeff: thank you for the trip reports. Sounds really scary! I summited on the 21st after a failed attempt last year. I know what it feels like to fail and have to wait a year to make it up to myself.
Hopefully folks w/ common sense reading your TRs will get a better sense of what can happen if conditions on the mountain turn on a dime. Folks need to understand the weather doesn't wait or forgive to accomodate your need to summit. You need to pack thinking of the worst... can u survive the mountain if you start on a day-hike, but end up having to spend the night on the trail because of a broken ankle or worse yet a thunderstorm?!?
Plowing up the trail with children under those conditions is dum and IMO plainly irresponsible.
Glad you got off safely. And again... thanks for the TR... hopefully someone will learn from your harrowing experience.
Last edited by DonCoqui; 07/30/11 05:06 PM.