Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Lightning Danger

powergui -- I think the numbers (e.g., 43 climber deaths in 50 years) were low. The figure of 20 hikers/climbers killed in CO alone from 1980-1991 can be checked. There is a Web site that tracks CO lightning casualties -- I'm sure they're all in there:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg/crh_ltg_stats_colo.html

I appreciate what Bob R taught us about Giardia, but I don't think lightning deaths are a myth.

In any case, I agree with you about the stakes! Better to hike/climb than golf! :-)

One final note on the subject of lightning -- it is spelled without an "e" (I see this a lot here).

trailwalker -- Very enlightening post!

What a brilliant stroke of wordplay!

To which,I give a thunderous ovation.

Thanks for all the electrifrying responses to my post.

I am shocked that none of the current posts are grounded in any scientific evidence.

This has been a real hair-raising thread; but I think we're going to get static from Doug for being off the mark, er, off-topic.

I too have watched hordes of hikers walk right up into the lightning storm building around Trail Crest. When I turn back they are shocked (no pun intended) that I am turning around when I am "so close to the summit." Better chicken than dead. At least I'm alive to climb again.

A few words to those who think it "won't happen to them." I saw on Discovery or TLC a show about lightning. If you are struck on the beat of your heart, your heart may start up again by itself although you are unconscious. If it strikes you between beats, it will knock out the electrical circuitry of your body and won't start unless a conscious person is immediately around to give you CPR. So make sure you "brave" folks don't group up and hope someone comes along who can bring you back to life.

Obvious thunder and lightning clearly mandates turning around, but one time up Whitney I reached Trailcrest to see a storm brewing around the Great Western Divide. I continued up to the summit, and after a few minutes on top, felt some faint electric shocks from the metal in my boots. There was no sign of lightning or thunder, not even around the Great Western Divide (where it was clearly raining at that point). Needless to say, I rushed down the mountain. I noticed a similar thing near the top of Forester Pass once. Does anyone know what causes this, and might this have been the prelude to some real electricity?