wazzu, dude! That just plain sucks! I can't imagine the frustration you must feel after all the careful planning and work towards this goal. Personally, I'm prone to gastro issues a little more than what would be considered normal, and what you went through has always been in the back of my mind before any big hike. You definitely get a mulligan on this one, man - there's some good Whitney karma coming your way!
Excellent job in shepherding Dave down the mountain, especially given the nature of your own troubles. Many people would have bolted for the Portal, but your sticking with this overly-exhausted, hallucinating hiker speaks to your character, and you get a big thumbs-up - you can hike with me anytime! You'll never know how you might have reacted if you were feeling fine - how you
did respond is what counted. Dave's brothers can go pound sand.
I really hope you get another shot at the mountain this year before it becomes ice-specialist territory. QS is still mulling over another shot at it - maybe you guys can coordinate before the snows come? If not, there's always next year, and we'll all be pulling for you. By now - after participating in the boards - you've probably figured out that a winning lottery permit is not the only way to get up Whitney.
