Rogue,
I was on Ontario Ridge two weeks ago in white out and got turned around...thinking I was heading west when I was to east. This is and area I've hiked many times. White out contributed us being a 1/2 mile off on our ascent to a lower ridge. If they lost their tracks back to Trail Crest, they could have really put themselves in the jackpot. Not even mentioning what could have happened on the lower part of the mountain.
With that said, what is called white out in the papers usually is not white out but limited visibility...like that incident with the skier up on San Jacinto last winter. I was out that day and conditions were marginal not white out. The biggest problem there was he should not have been out by himself.
