Knife Edge Rescue BSP

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Was visibility an issue? How the hell do you get lost on the Knife Edge?
 
If someone is headed down the knife edge from the south summit the trail starts out relatively flat side to side and is 4 to 6 feet running along the top of the ridge, its then turns a corner and the actual blazed trail is quite narrow in some places 12" wide but the reality is there shelf to the south side of the marked path (which is blazed at the highest point. If it is calm and am walking newbee's I will usually walk along the top of the ridge on the narrow trail and point the shelf out to them. There are what I call "chicken routes" around most if not all the tight spots. There are several slides headed down the south side that look like they might be reasonable escape routes. About 5/8th of the way to Pamola, the ridge gets steeper and there are series of pinnacles between this point and the Chimney. There is a distinct transition where the southerly shelf disappears and the ridge gets steeper on both sides. The only option at that point is to climb directly on the spine of the ridge for 10 to 15 feet up hill and there is no way around this spot other than technical The trail then transitions to either the top of the ridge or the north side until the last pinnacle where the trail heads to the south side and then drops down into the chimney. In the past taking new folks over the 10 to 15 foot section requires some convincing as up to then they had options. My guess is there were some clouds showers and wind on Saturday in the area so it was already interesting and when they encountered that spot they followed anyone of several herd paths that attempt to go around this spot but all dead end quickly. My guess is they "lost the trail" at this steep section and elected to head down slope via a slide.
 
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