I'm mainly a backpacker/hiker in the eastern US. My favorite trips are the hardest of the hard. I'm pretty hard core and go out in crazy conditions all the time and there have been several times that I have found myself in situations where the margin of error was nearly closed and things could have easily gone from sketchy to disasterous.
I've become quite comfortable and confident with my abilities and experience and therefore complacent to a degree. When you see three guys who were very experienced and talented at climbing and mountaineering, it is tragic to say the least. This is somewhat a wakeup call for me and maybe everyone. You can never be too prepared, too safe or too lucky when the things you love to do come with risk factors. This is not to say we shouldn't do what we love, for to stop doing what we love in the face of risk only defeats the purpose.
In light of the recent events, I will surely take the memory of these three men along with me on all of my future adventures.
Hood proved to be their ultimate summit and may they enjoy the view from the top forever!
