Fatality at Muir

Darn... This is really bad.  Don't want to see people get hurt, much less die.  That patch between Anvil Rock and Camp Muir.... in good weather, it looks like you can reach out and touch Muir.  It doesn't look like a half hour, 500 vertical hike.  It just looks so managable.

But I have been up there in nasty weather.  And have used GPS to track down to a Pebble Creek waypoint when I didn't plan on it when going up.

I have seen plenty of folks hike up there in tenny runners, shorts and a tank top.  - crazy.  I never wear shorts up there and carry heavy windpants that unzip down the sides so I can put them on over my boots (kind of like ski boots).  I pack enough that I feel I could spend the night if necessary.  Well.... I have spent a planned night at Anvil Rock in hign winds... not really fun.  But I had a tent.  Miserable in the tent but alive.

It was nice during the day and v+ nasty at night.  July -  Hard to dig a pit even with a pick and shovel.  For survival without a tent you would need a serious deep pit or some rocks to hide under.

Here are some pics:

... Looking up from Anvil Rock to Camp Muir.  Hard to belive that's a 500 ft. climb. 
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... looking downhill
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... The edge at Anvil Rock.  I might be tempted to slip into one of those cracks in emergency.  But this shows why the snowfield is so dangerous in a white out.
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... looking down over the edge at Anvil Rock.
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... Backside of Anvil Rock... could get out of the wind there if you don't mind heights.
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Reading these suggestions and past stories is very informative.
My pack has a cell-foam pad fitted in it (hence my thoughts about sitting on it) and I always carry an emergency bivy, puffy pants, coat, candle, and nesbit stove along with the standard 10 essentials, multiple pairs of gloves, extra socks, hats etc. and several heavy duty trash compactor bags--which I discovered two weekends ago are not only exceptionally waterproof, but windproof as well. (Although not very fashionable.)
All this gear seems like overkill much of the time, especially when baking under the hot sun on a nice day, but more than once I've emptied nearly my entire pack finding all gear but the emergency bivy and stove necessary . . .

Very good suggestion and logic regarding the shovel though. That usually gets dumped once things are really stable and the avalanche danger greatly subsides; but it certainly would be invaluable in the event that one needed to construct a shelter.

Thank you very much for sharing your insight and experiences.

July -  Hard to dig a pit even with a pick and shovel.  For survival without a tent you would need a serious deep pit or some rocks to hide under.

Good point about the snow hardness in July (and later). Even with a shovel you might not be able to dig a cave. I doubt the snow was quite so hard this week. A tarp with stake-out loops could be really useful. Even if you can only dig a trench, a tarp could make the difference. You'd want to stake it out over the trench with rocks, ice axes, or whatever, then pile snow around the edges to keep the wind out.

The key is to create a dead air space. Being out in strong winds without some kind of shelter is deadly. I'd rather have a good shelter than a down parka, for instance.

Personally, besides a first aid/emergency kit (done up with everything from emergency glow sticks to waterproofed matches) and other common essentials, I always carry a space bivy/blanket.  These can not only make an excellent tarp or insulating layer, but they are strong enough that they can carry a person if need be.  They also will allow a person to ROCKET glissade - whether for fun or necessity.  I usually vote for the bivy over the blanket as I always put my sleeping bag inside it to keep the down dry, but either one is a huge bonus - and as mentioned, they are too light not to carry one.

For my day trips, I bring along a huge synthetic parka that comes down to my knees, and a huge completely waterproof cagoule goes on over that if necessary. That comes down to my shins. This system has kept me completely dry in some really soaking weather, and allows me to be either stationary or on the move. This is lowland forest type stuff that I do though I think it would work well for mtneering, if a bit heavier than down.

I think if I started mtneering again, I'd forgo the bivy bag and make one of those Zdarsky tents that Lowell describes on his site:

www.alpenglow.org/tech/zdarsky-tent/

Oh yeah, and the little square of ensolite pad to sit on, like has already been mentioned.

I bring a miniature flare gun with me that is no bigger then my index finger. It wont protect me from hypothermia but if I need to be located it would do the trick. I also bring a emergency down coat that packs really small in case my gear gets soaked. On another note I have been on Muir getting September turns when we got stuck in a white out. We navigated very slowly using the GPS and a little bit of common sense (being familiar with the landscape) but in the back of my mind I had the fear of falling into the Nisqually basin.