March 15: The Ides of March

Bewaaaaaaaare the Ides of Maaaaaarch...

Says the ghost of March 15th past.  Well, it wasn't quite the Ides where this story begins as much as it was two days prior to the Ides, but that makes it the 13th, which is an unlucky number too, so I'll let it slide.

This past Sunday, Dad led a Meetup group on a hike.  Meetup has been my dad's social lifeline--all his friends, all his outdoor activities, all his fun.  He normally leads this hike with his friend Dave, who is also retired/unemployed at a relatively young age and being supported financially by his wife.  They get along well.  Well, Dave couldn't make it, which Dad didn't appreciate since it was such last minute notice, but he went through with plans anyway.  It was a big group--17 people plus Dad--and they were taking a demanding and technically challenging route up a steep and craggy mountain.  This was a bring your cramp-ons and ice axe kind of day.

The sun was out and although it was only 25 degrees, it felt much warmer.  People get complacent when it's so beautiful.  They start to forget how dangerous it can be.  Clear blue skies, no breeze, and the group trekked off to make the daylong ascent.  In the group were a range of abilities, from expert climber to amateur enthusiast.  Some of them Dad had never met before, but were brought by friends.

They were sweating and exhilarated by the time they reached the saddle several hours into the day, and although that had been intended as their final destination, some in the group clamored for more.  Beyond the saddle the hike would become much more difficult--holding your ice axe like a 'T' with one hand on either side, you anchor it as a ladder rung at chest height you, set your stair step with the toe pick on one foot, then with the other, then pull out the ice axe, move it higher, and repeat.  It's slow going and very steep.  Knowing this hike wasn't for everyone, the decision was made to split up.  A third of the group did a smaller ascent up a different peak; a third did the intense climb; the remainder chose to stay at the saddle and relax in the sun.  One of the newbies, a late 40s woman whose friends had brought her along was in the latter group, but her friends (one of whom was an MD), chose to take the tough climb.

The doctor missed multiple phone calls from the friend that had been left behind while she was heading up the ridge.  This wasn't realized until they already begun their descent back the saddle, saw the Medivac helicopter, and began to worry.  At some point, Newbie fell--not far--off a loose edge while hanging out in the saddle, and tangled herself in the rocks.  Her arm, ankle, and face broken, she had tried to call her friend for help, but to no avail.  People were in a panic when they arrived at the saddle, and the injured party was still being loaded.  While they waited, two more Medivac helicopters arrived for two teenagers in a different group, who had fallen while climbing Flattop (you've done that climb!).

Today, the Ides of March swing into full effect as the emails fly pointing fingers and placing blame.  "Leaders should better assess the skills of the participants"..."They never should have split up"..."YOUR hike was a disaster; mine never end like this"..."We knew this was going to happen"...  An email from a very upset and guilt-ridden father to the Newbie apologized for his role and the responsibility he had for her injury...and somewhere (here), a legal-minded mother loses her shit over his admission of guilt despite clear evidence to the contrary (he's not a paid leader, people assume their own risk by going, her friends brought/left her, etc.).

Bewaaaaaaaare the Ides of Maaaaaarch...

In other Ides of March news, apparently San Fran does a "Brides of March" event every year where crazy women (and men) wear goodwill wedding dresses and pub crawl.  Sign me up!