{"id":16564,"date":"2020-04-01T09:15:22","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T16:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=16564"},"modified":"2020-05-13T17:53:50","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T00:53:50","slug":"the-hike-of-lessons-learned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/the-hike-of-lessons-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hike of Lessons Learned"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early 2015, a group of my friends decided to hike up Mt. Whitney, a peak of 14,505 feet in the Eastern Sierras of California.\u00a0 The idea came from our buddy John Marsden.\u00a0 He often was the catalyst of our adventures, and he liked it when his friends could join him on these trips.\u00a0 Many of us in this circle of friends were hikers, and have even done hikes together.\u00a0 Some of us hiked often, and some occasionally, but we all decided we were going to train to prepare to summit the highest peak in the lower 48 states.<\/p>\n

\"three
Larry, John and Jeff as they begin the hike.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was especially excited at the prospect of going on this trip.\u00a0 I was already an avid hiker and I was trying to accomplish as many hikes in the book Afoot and Afield in San Diego County<\/em> as I could.\u00a0 This book inspired me to hike areas I might not have tried otherwise, but Mt. Whitney was the temple of hiking.\u00a0 To reach the highest point in the United States, outside of Alaska, was an accomplishment I needed for my ego and my soul.\u00a0 A place that very few people have ever been or could ever be.\u00a0 I was committed to being ready for this journey.<\/p>\n

We started with a January 3rd<\/sup> meeting of the men who were serious about joining us.\u00a0 There were about five of us at first.\u00a0 John had already researched much about the hike and laid out his plan for the trip.\u00a0 We were to drive up to Whitney Portal first.\u00a0 It\u2019s the campground at the end of the road from Lone Pine that many call \u201cbase camp.\u201d\u00a0 We were going to camp two nights there and hike on one of the days to acclimate us to the higher altitude.<\/p>\n

At the February meeting, a new man showed up who was interested in hiking Mt. Whitney with us.\u00a0 He knew some of the members of our hiking team already because, like the rest of us, he was a member of a men\u2019s group called the Mankind Project.\u00a0 The new man, Larry, told us he had hiked for 20 years and is up for the challenge.\u00a0 He was 74 years old but, who am I to question his capabilities.\u00a0 The rest of the group welcomed him, and so did I.<\/p>\n

LESSON #1:<\/strong>\u00a0 When someone says he has been hiking for 20 years, it may be important to find out exactly when those 20 years were.<\/p>\n

We decided at the meeting to start the SoCal Six Pack with a hike up Mt. Baldy.\u00a0 At 11 miles, it\u2019s the shortest of the six hikes, yet it\u2019s a difficult 4,000-foot elevation climb to the 10,068-foot summit.\u00a0 The date was set for March 23rd<\/sup>.\u00a0 We were about to kick our training into high gear.<\/p>\n

\"hiking
John and Larry coming up Devil\u2019s Backbone.<\/span><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The day came and only three of us opted to hike Mt. Baldy.\u00a0 So, John, Larry and I drove up early in the morning so we could get a good start and have plenty of time to do the hike.\u00a0 The start of the hike was a dirt road at the east end of the town of Mt. Baldy that headed up to the Mt. Baldy ski area.\u00a0 The directions showed that there is a trail that heads off the dirt road.\u00a0 The word was that the turnoff trail is poorly marked.\u00a0 Apparently, some local environmentalists often take the signs down to deter hikers from ruining the pristine area.\u00a0 Well, they were successful.\u00a0 We did not see a sign, nor did we see a trail that ran off the dirt road.\u00a0 Luckily, the other end of the trail head for the loop can be found at the ski area, so we continued up the dirt road until we found the trail.<\/p>\n

On our way up the dirt road, Larry was stopping frequently to rest.\u00a0 These stops, in addition to his slow pace, made our progress to the peak in question.\u00a0 As we all chatted, we discovered that it had been many years since Larry had hiked.\u00a0 Apparently, his twenty years of hiking was not a recent span of time.\u00a0 What also came up was that Larry had some sort of respiratory issue that he would not elaborate on.<\/p>\n

We continued on the trail from the ski area and up Devil\u2019s Backbone.\u00a0 This 2.6-mile section of the trail is a bit narrow with a very big drop on both sides of the trail.\u00a0 Over the years, a number of hikers have fallen to their death on this part of the trail, especially during the winter when conditions can be wet and\/or icy.<\/p>\n

This particular day showed some snow and ice on the ground along the backbone.\u00a0 We were aware of this condition before starting the hike so we were careful to stay on trail and go slow.\u00a0 Most of the hikers who died, or needed rescue, were venturing too far off trail.<\/p>\n

We successfully made it to the summit. Once there, John and I chatted about how much time it took to reach the top.\u00a0 We were concerned that we were unlikely going to get back to the trailhead again before nightfall at the expected pace.\u00a0 Since it was March, the days were shorter and it was getting dark around 6 pm.\u00a0 We needed a plan to safely descend back to our vehicle.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff
Me (Jeff at the top of Mt. Baldy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Being the stronger hiker of the group, I made the call to hike back down on the short leg of the trail loop.\u00a0 I was planning to quickly hike down to the car, and drive up the dirt road to the ski area parking lot.\u00a0 John was to hike with Larry back down Devil\u2019s Backbone while it was still light, and meet me in the parking lot before dark.\u00a0 There, I could pick them up and drive us down to town.\u00a0 With that plan agreed upon, I set off on my descent.<\/p>\n

LESSON #2:<\/strong>\u00a0 Be sure that all plans are actually agree upon.\u00a0 Repeat plans if necessary to assure everything is understood.<\/p>\n

\"wreckage
Remnants of the wrecked plane from 1949.<\/span><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My initial descent down the trail went smoothly and quick, but at some point I got off trail.\u00a0 I could blame the poor trails, or lack of signage, or the snow that covered some of the area, but it mostly came down to just trying to hurry and not paying enough attention to my surroundings. I veered off course, following a worn path that lead to an old plane crash, thinking it was the main trail.\u00a0 Research later showed that the wreck was from 1949 when two USMC F-6 Hellcats crashed together during a training mission.\u00a0 I continued until I could not see any signs of a trail.\u00a0 I knew I had to head downhill so I just kept going down until I ended up getting into Goode Canyon.\u00a0 This canyon is a steep and rugged descent with large boulders and very little access for hiking.\u00a0 My descent was more like climbing over, sliding down and squeezing around boulders than hiking.\u00a0 It was very difficult and I was getting exhausted.\u00a0 Luckily, my GPS was telling me that I was heading in the right general direction, so I pressed on.<\/p>\n

As I was trying to find my way to the car, John and Larry were making their descent back down.\u00a0 Unfortunately, as I found out later, they were heading down the same trail as I did, instead of heading back down the way we came up, towards the ski area.\u00a0\u00a0 This is where the trouble really started.\u00a0 John\u2019s account was that they decided to go the same way I did because they knew it was shorter.\u00a0 They got off trail the same way I did and saw the same wrecked planes.\u00a0 They continued downhill until the trail faded but figured that they would eventually hit the road if they kept on.\u00a0 Once down into the canyon, John realized that going up the steep canyon was too difficult, especially for Larry, who was very tired by this point.<\/p>\n

I made it to Glendora Ridge Road, about a mile west of the town of Mt. Baldy, just at dusk.\u00a0 I was exhausted and too tired to walk back to my car, but I needed to meet up with John and Larry as quickly as possible.\u00a0\u00a0 I was waving down passing cars to get a ride to my vehicle when a woman in a jeep stopped to ask what I needed.\u00a0 When I told her the short version of my story, she agreed to help me out by giving me a ride to my car.<\/p>\n

During the short ride to my car, I realized in our conversation that I could not have been luckier than to have Missy pick me up.\u00a0 She was a long-time resident of the area and an avid hiker.\u00a0 She and her husband Ron owned the Mt. Baldy Lodge and restaurant.\u00a0 After hearing my story, she dropped me off at my car and told me to contact her at the restaurant if I needed her help.<\/p>\n

I drove my car up the dirt road toward the ski area in hopes of finding John and Larry on their way down.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I was greeted by a locked gate.\u00a0 I decided to park there and hike up to see if I could meet up with them.\u00a0 I hiked all the way up to the ski area, which was no easy feat since I was still pretty exhausted from my adventure up to then.\u00a0 No sight of my hiking friends anywhere. I did not feel I could safely hike up Devil\u2019s Backbone in the dark and in my physical condition, so I hiked back to my car and drove to the Mt. Baldy restaurant.<\/p>\n

Once there, I found Missy and asked for her help.\u00a0 She had keys to the locked gate so we drove her jeep up to the ski area and looked for the hikers.\u00a0 They were not to be found.\u00a0 Even at a slow pace, I expected they would be there by then.\u00a0 I was growing more concerned now.\u00a0 It was late and had been about 5 hours since I left my fellow hikers.\u00a0 Were they already back and roaming around town somewhere?\u00a0 We drove back down to the main road and went to a couple of spots where Missy said we would be able to see their lights on parts of the trail if they were coming down that way.\u00a0 That was assuming they had lights.\u00a0 We saw nothing.\u00a0 We drove into town and looked around to no avail.<\/p>\n

LESSON #3:<\/strong>\u00a0 Before embarking on a serious hike, make sure all hikers in your party have the 10 essentials.\u00a0 They include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Navigation:<\/strong> A map and compass, GPS or some other devices so you don\u2019t get lost.<\/li>\n
  2. Sun Protection:<\/strong> Sunscreen and sunglasses protect against sun damage.<\/li>\n
  3. Extra Clothing:<\/strong> Especially for any possible cooler weather in case you get lost.<\/li>\n
  4. Illumination:<\/strong> A flashlight or headlamp could save a life in the dark.<\/li>\n
  5. First Aid:<\/strong> Bandages, bug spray, medicines, antiseptic, etc.<\/li>\n
  6. Fire:<\/strong> Bring matches and\/or other fire starters in case you\u2019re lost in cold weather.<\/li>\n
  7. Tools:<\/strong> Have a multi-tool at least.\u00a0 A knife, screw driver, or scissors can be handy.<\/li>\n
  8. Nutrition:<\/strong> Bring more than you will need on the hike in case you get lost.<\/li>\n
  9. Hydration:<\/strong> Bring more water than you will need for the expected hike.<\/li>\n
  10. Shelter:<\/strong> Consider an emergency tent, space blanket or other protection.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Missy had another thought.\u00a0 Maybe they came the same direction I did, and got off trail, like me.\u00a0 She drove to a couple of spots where someone might come out if they were off trail.\u00a0 We did not find them anywhere.\u00a0 It was getting late.\u00a0 It was getting dark.\u00a0 And it was now serious.\u00a0 It was time to call for rescue.\u00a0 We went back to the restaurant and Missy made some calls.<\/p>\n

    The Mt. Baldy Volunteer Fire Station was soon all a buzz with volunteer firefighters, sheriff, local search-and-rescuers and others wanting to help.\u00a0 They quickly set up an incident command and dispatched the local volunteer search-and-rescuers to work their way up the trail to see if the hikers could be found.\u00a0 Additionally, the Fontana Sheriff\u2019s Air Rescue helicopter 306 was\u00a0dispatched to search the mountain and the canyon areas.\u00a0 I stayed at the fire station to wait for\u00a0any word, and to provide any information I could.\u00a0 I also took the opportunity to call the wives of both men.\u00a0 I let them know what happened and that there was a full search-and-rescue operation going on.\u00a0 I told them I would keep them informed of further information. They didn\u2019t seem to panic, but they both were obviously distressed by the news. \u00a0I couldn\u2019t help but think they didn\u2019t know everything I did about Larry\u2019s condition, and it was better to keep it that way for now.<\/p>\n

    It was after midnight and reports from the search-and-rescue team, as well as the helicopter, came in with negative results.\u00a0 I was very uneasy about what might have happened to the guys, especially considering Larry\u2019s age and physical condition.\u00a0 As a retired career firefighter and rescue specialist, I have been in many, many situations where I was challenged with finding, rescuing, and treating victims of a variety of emergencies.\u00a0 I can generally handle this type of situation with relative calm.\u00a0 This is different. I am emotionally involved in this one.\u00a0 These are my friends and I feel somewhat responsible for the outcome.<\/p>\n

    After about two hours of searching, the helicopter pilot radioed that they had to discontinue the search.\u00a0 His maximum flight hours were about to be reached, and he had had no luck spotting the hikers.\u00a0 They were going to have to stop for the night and resume at daybreak.\u00a0 Soon after hearing that, the local volunteer search-and-rescuers radioed that they made it all the way up to the summit and were unable to find anyone.\u00a0 They were going to continue to search down the loop of the trail.\u00a0 I was starting to get a bit emotional about the possible outcome. All we could do at this point was wait for daylight.<\/p>\n

    During the evening, the lost hikers continued to make some progress down the canyon.\u00a0 It was very difficult for both of them as they pushed through the obstacles of large boulders and prickly bushes.\u00a0 John would push ahead and then wait for Larry to catch up.\u00a0 John\u2019s fear of being stuck overnight was driving his behavior to keep pushing.\u00a0 At one point, both hikers discussed bedding down for the night but they were not equipped for camping.\u00a0 Even so, the conversation calmed John and they decided to continue as far as they could.<\/p>\n

    The obstacles became harder to navigate as they descended down the canyon.\u00a0 John would get so far ahead that he would lose sight of Larry so they would yell back and forth at each other to keep in contact.\u00a0 John would yell at Larry, explaining how he got through an area in hopes that Larry could navigate the same way.\u00a0 Both men were getting extremely tired by this time.<\/p>\n

    John worked up the east slope of the canyon, trying to find a trail of some kind.\u00a0 The slope was covered in gravel and the footing was very difficult.\u00a0 At one point, John slipped on the gravel and ended up sliding downhill for quite a way.\u00a0 When he came to rest, he called out to Larry and got no response.\u00a0 He tried again but nothing.\u00a0 John thought that maybe Larry found the trail and headed back.\u00a0 John did not hear from Larry again for the rest of the night.<\/p>\n

    John decided to continue to work his way down the canyon along the east slope as long as there was light, hoping he would soon see a trail or the road.\u00a0 He continued for a while until darkness approached.\u00a0 John thought he could see a road ahead but it was at least two miles away through very rough terrain.\u00a0 Exhausted, he looked for a place to bed down for the night, thinking he could get injured if he continues in the dark.\u00a0 When it gets dark on a mountain, it gets DARK.\u00a0 Many people may not appreciate that unless they have experienced it.\u00a0 Trying to climb boulders and navigate around prickly bushes is dangerous when there is no light.<\/p>\n

    John found a good place to rest for the night.\u00a0 It was quite chilly so he opened his emergency space blanket and wrapped up in it to stay warm.\u00a0 John then took out his flashlight and set it on a rock next to him, then made stock of his supplies.\u00a0 He had plenty of water for the night and some food.\u00a0 His biggest fear at this point was not the dark or the cold, or even being alone\u2026it was the possibility of bears.\u00a0 Now John debated what to do with his food.\u00a0 Should he keep it close or should he place it farther away from him.\u00a0 Bears have a great sense of smell and can detect food from quite a distance so generally campers keep food in special metal boxes or up a tree.\u00a0 John decided to keep it in his pack and not open it.<\/p>\n

    Throughout the long night John\u2019s senses were heightened.\u00a0 He did not get much sleep worrying about bears, if he would be rescued, where his buddy Larry was, and the dropping temperature.\u00a0 To calm his fears, he started to sing made-up songs to himself in a key that would definitely crack a window.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make it out of here, out of here.\u00a0 Tomorrow will come in eight hours, just a long eight hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

    After a few hours, John heard a sound that got his attention.\u00a0 It was the sound of a helicopter.\u00a0 John was so excited\u00a0that\u00a0he reached for his flashlight to signal the approaching aircraft.\u00a0 But it was not there.\u00a0 He looked all around but could not find it.\u00a0 He kept looking at the approaching helicopter, then looking for the flashlight.\u00a0 John became angry. \u201cWhere the hell is my flashlight?\u201d\u00a0 It was nowhere to be found.\u00a0 He gave up looking and concentrated on the helicopter.\u00a0 He saw that the copter had a search light, so John moved to an open area where he thought the helicopter could see him better.\u00a0 For the next two hours the helicopter flew overhead.\u00a0 It flew up and down the canyon area and into other smaller adjacent canyons.\u00a0 Then it would disappear to search other areas.\u00a0 John would get excited when it was searching around his area and curse it when it left.\u00a0 When the helicopter was near John, the search light seemed to hit everywhere except where John was.\u00a0 He was getting very frustrated.<\/p>\n

    Eventually the helicopter flew off.\u00a0 John figured it was low on fuel and probably wouldn\u2019t return until morning.\u00a0 John found an area under a big pine tree with a bed of pine needles under it that he thought would be comfortable and warm and bedded down again.\u00a0 He slept from 2 am until 6 am, waking just before sunrise.\u00a0 John gathered his supplies and looked for another area where he could be seen by the helicopter that he expected would begin the search again soon.\u00a0 He tied his emergency blanket to his hiking pole thinking the reflective silver blanket would be a good signal device.\u00a0 John waited.<\/p>\n

    At about 6:30 am the original Sheriff\u2019s rescue helicopter, and a smaller spotter helicopter, were sent up again to look for our hikers.\u00a0 The search-and-rescue team had been hiking all night, but now they moved into Goode Canyon.\u00a0 After about an hour into daylight, the smaller helicopter spotted John Marsden.\u00a0 Using their loud-speaker they asked about John\u2019s condition and told him to stay put before taking off again.\u00a0 John figured that helicopter was not suited to rescue so he waited patiently to see what came next.\u00a0 After what seemed like hours, a larger helicopter showed up.\u00a0 It seemed the smaller helicopter was showing the larger one where John was, but then they left again, flying back down the canyon.\u00a0 Shortly after, the larger helicopter returned, only to fly off again.\u00a0 This was frustrating John.<\/p>\n

    After several minutes, the larger helicopter reappeared.\u00a0 It hovered overhead for a while until John saw a man being lower down with a cable.\u00a0 The rescuer landed nearby, unhooked and greeted John.\u00a0 John was never so happy to see anyone in his life.\u00a0 The rescuer didn\u2019t waste time and prepared John to be lifted into the helicopter by putting him in a special rescue suit.\u00a0 John was hooked up to a cable and lifted up to the hovering aircraft.\u00a0 Feeling safe, John was now having fun.\u00a0 An interesting bit of irony here.\u00a0 On the hike up the day before, we had talked about things we had never done in our lives.\u00a0 John said he had never been in a helicopter. \u00a0Be careful what you wish for.<\/p>\n

    The lost hikers\u2019 wives, Debbie and Jackie, both decided to drive up and meet me at the fire station.\u00a0 They arrived in tandem around 7 am.\u00a0 I let them know that Jackie\u2019s husband had been found but they were still looking for Larry.\u00a0 Jackie was obviously relieved.<\/p>\n

    \"Larry
    Larry is a bit banged up from falling while trying to continue.<\/span><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Right after Debbie and Jackie arrived, Larry was found by the team searching on foot.\u00a0 He was in an area hard to see from the air\u2026tired, cold and a bit injured.\u00a0\u00a0 Because of his injuries, he had been rescued first.\u00a0 The search-and-rescue team worked with the air crew of the rescue helicopter to get Larry ready for the 90-foot lift into the helicopter, and to Cow Canyon Saddle where he was checked out by paramedics and transported to the fire station.<\/p>\n

    When Larry arrived at the fire station around 7:30 am, he was in good spirits but he had cuts and bruises on his face and neck, as well as a swollen black eye that completely blocked his vision.\u00a0 He told me that he kept falling while trying to maneuver over the boulders in the dark.\u00a0 His wife, Debbie, showed emotions mixed with happiness that he was found, and anger that he took the risks that he did.\u00a0 He was made to promise on the spot that he would not go on the Mt. Whitney hike with us.\u00a0 He agreed.<\/p>\n

    John was airlifted out around 9 am to the same area where the paramedics checked Larry out, and gave him a clean bill of health.\u00a0 A sheriff asked John some questions for his report.\u00a0 After that, John asked if he could meet the rescuers to thank them.\u00a0 He went to where the rescuers were gathering to thank them when one of the rescuers asked to see the bottom of his boots.\u00a0 The rescuer said that those were the boots they had been tracking for about 1\/3 of the way down until they lost the tracks.<\/p>\n

    John was then transported to the fire station where the command post was.\u00a0 He ran over to me and we hugged, relieved we were both safe.\u00a0 John told me that most of the time he was lost, he thought it was me in need of rescue.\u00a0 He thought Larry had already made his way out.\u00a0 John hadn\u2019t even noticed that his wife was there at first.\u00a0 Once we were all together, hugged, and realized we were safe and relatively unscathed, we met with the Incident Command team to give them all the particulars for their incident report.\u00a0 We thanked the team profusely for their efforts and I professed we would happily donate to their organization soon.\u00a0 Each of the rescued hikers loaded into his vehicle with his wife for the drive home.\u00a0 John, Jackie and I decided to stop for breakfast while Larry and his wife headed home.\u00a0 It was interesting to see our story on the news while we were eating our breakfast in the restaurant.\u00a0 John exclaimed \u201cDamn, I\u2019m a star but not the way I thought it might happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

    On my drive home alone, I was able to contemplate the 30-hour episode.\u00a0 I realized how it could have gone so much worse than it did.\u00a0 Larry could have gotten seriously injured from one of his falls.\u00a0 One, or both of them, could have encountered one of a number of wild animals in that area.\u00a0 In his physical condition, Larry could have suffered from dehydration or exposure to the cold.\u00a0 None of that happened, so it\u2019s a happy ending with an interesting story to be told.<\/p>\n

    I saw Larry once more, a couple of months after that fateful trip.\u00a0 The three of us met at a coffee shop to discuss what happened, and the lessons learned.\u00a0 Larry quit hiking after that day, as requested by his wife, and they moved to Memphis soon after.\u00a0 He died of cancer on September 5, 2019.\u00a0 John and I completed the Mt. Whitney summit, along with three other friends, on September 16th<\/sup> of that same year.\u00a0 We definitely applied the lessons learned from the Mt. Baldy hike.\u00a0 John and I still see each other. We travel and hike together, and talk about this event now and then.\u00a0 Mostly, we each learned some lessons as a result.<\/p>\n

    LESSON #4:<\/strong> If you get lost while hiking, stay in one place so search-and-rescue can find you.<\/p>\n

    LESSON #5:<\/strong> Don\u2019t split up with fellow hikers when you get lost.<\/p>\n

    In a less technical aspect, I learned that living sometimes has a price, but do it anyway.\u00a0 The only other choice is dying and that will happen soon enough.\u00a0 Just do the best you can to be prepared before setting off on an adventure.<\/p>\n

    I also learned to be thankful for those willing to help.\u00a0 Missy spent all night trying to help me find my friends.\u00a0 She fed me, drove me around to search for my friends, made the necessary contacts for a rescue, and was supportive. She was so amazing.<\/p>\n

    The entire rescue effort, volunteer and paid members, selflessly worked all night to help find the men.\u00a0 Even after a long career of a similar service, my perspective in this situation was different.\u00a0 And so, my appreciation is so very heartfelt.<\/p>\n

    I still hike, go on adventures, and travel a lot.\u00a0 I try to be prepared before I go.\u00a0 I still pay the price occasionally and I\u2019m still learning lessons, but overall\u2026 life is an adventure and I\u2019m enjoying the journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In early 2015, a group of my friends decided to hike up Mt. Whitney, a peak of 14,505 feet in the Eastern Sierras of California. The idea came from our buddy John Marsden. He often was the catalyst of our adventures, and he liked it when his friends could join him on these trips. Many of us in this circle of friends were hikers, and have even done hikes together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":16569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1639,16],"tags":[38,3504,3013,3502,2553,3505,3503,3501,3506],"class_list":["post-16564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-lessons","category-travel-usa","tag-california","tag-devils-backbone","tag-eastern-sierra","tag-hike","tag-hiking","tag-lessons","tag-mt-baldy","tag-mt-whitney","tag-rescue"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hike of Lessons Learned - Traveling Archive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jeff Beeler recounts a hike with friends up Mt. 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