Just noticed a post on Whitney Portal Store message board by Doug. He wrote that Bob Rockwell passed away this morning.
Here's the link.Bob was a great contributor to the message boards over the years. He authored a study that changed my outlook on the water quality of streams in the Sierra: "
Giardia lamblia and Giardiasis, with Particular Attention to the Sierra Nevada". (I'm glad I got a copy of the document before it disappeared.) When I hiked with him, he always got a picture of people drinking directly from the streams.
He had several other great stories regarding Mt Whitney. One was the time when he was 15, that he hiked to the summit, spend a cold night in the hut, to watch the flash of an atomic bomb test in southern Nevada.
Another was his climbing Mt Whitney via his numerous shortcut routes, and repeatedly being passed by the same hiking group on the trail. I wish I had copies of those stories, but the site where he kept them was gone when his health failed.
I'll try to write more later.
Rest in Peace, Bob.
