My personal experience with winds over 100 mph while mountain climbing

The very worst experience with the wind mountain climbing in my life was likely in 1969 climbing Mt. San Gorgonio in the Winter in the snow when I was 21. I haven't really climbed any mountains in the winter time since then because I almost died doing this at the time. However, in 1970 I wasn't climbing Mt. Shasta but just going up to tree line when again I almost died and froze to death in the winter of 1970. I was young and thought I was immortal just like my friends (what can I say?).

So, two near death experiences in two years. Sounds like young men that had more guts than brains, right?

So, luckily we all survived these experiences because we were young and resilient. Any of these things now at 74 likely would end my life though. So, there's something to be said for being "Older but Wiser" as time goes on.

The winds over 100 miles per hour near the summit of San Gorgonio were gusts so I kept falling down and injuring myself on the rocks on the path to the summit. On top of this there was ice blowing on the summit of San Gorgonio that was making my face bleed as the pieces of ice hit my face. So, I took the plastic I had brought to slide down one side of the snow on the mountain down to a lower altitude and covered my face so it would stop bleeding then. But, the sound of the ice hitting my plastic on my face was deafening and difficult to bear also. I finally gave up this suicidal experience and walked to the edge and slid down about 1000 feet in altitude to 2000 feet in altitude using my snow shoes as a brake to slow my descent.

The point is you cannot stand upright in over 100 mph gusts because they will knock you down over and over  like they did me. I suppose you might crawl along the ground but I don't think that wouldn't have been very useful unless your life depended upon it.

So, the point I'm making here is that over 100 mph gusts are barely survivable for even a  6 foot 5 inch young man in good physical condition who is used to climbing mountains in 1969 and 1970.

Basically, if you are in a suburban or city area with gusts over 100 mph you need to be looking for signs and branches and aluminum roofing blowing by carried by that wind that could likely cut you in two or at the very least ruin your day or week or month.