My cousin swore by taking the 'shortcut' over the ridge on the Timberline Trail loop. We got caught in a whiteout.

3 comments

3 Comments

Read a story last year about a hiker who tried that same ridge shortcut. They got turned around in bad weather and had to be rescued. The regular trail switchbacks exist for a reason, mostly to keep you safe when conditions change fast. Taking off-trail shortcuts in alpine areas is just asking for trouble. It might look fine when you start, but mountain weather can turn on you in minutes. That whiteout is a perfect example of why sticking to the marked path is the real time-saver.

jamesmason3mo ago

That rescue story probably cost taxpayers a lot of money too.

nancy27512d ago

@ivan_perez nailed it, the regular trail switchbacks are there for a reason and that shortcut gamble almost cost them. Mountain weather changes faster than people realize and whiteouts turn any ridge into a total death trap no matter how fast you think you are.