| After several attempts over
the past few years, I was finally able to obtain a permit to climb Mount
Whitney. The original plan was for 5 of us to go over Memorial Day
weekend but my brother Tom and friend John weren't able to make the trip
so Mike, Aimee, and I were left to fend for ourselves.
Though Mt. Whitney is the highest summit in the lower 48 states, there is a trail to the top and climbing it is usually little more than a very long and strenuous hike. As you'll see, the fact that snow hadn't cleared from the trail made the trip a bit more precarious and in the end, much more rewarding |
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| Aimee tries sneaking inside a pack for an easy ride to the top | Unfortuantely for Aimee, we caught her |
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| Ready to start the climb | Aimee makes sure her cup is still attached |
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| We stayed at outpost camp the first night. Its about 4 miles in and approximatey 2,000 ft above the trail head. Not only was it a great way to acclimate to the altitude, as the pictures below show it was also a beautiful place to spend the night. |
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| The next morning we hiked to trail camp, about two miles away and another 2,000 ft of elevation. Trail camp sits at the base of the hardest part of the climb so its the perfect place to stay if you're doing the hike over a few days. |
| Aimee standing in front of mirror lake |
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| We made it to trail camp by mid-afternoon the second day and quickly settled in. The views were spectcular, but we headed to bed early in order to be well rested for the long climb the next day. |
| ~ Climbing the Summit ~ |
| We rolled out of bed at around 5 AM the next morning so that we could climb the steep chute to trail crest while the snow was till frozen. As soon as the sun rose it warmed up considerably but our plan worked, and we were at the top of trail crest while it was still early. |
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| It was a workout, but we made it to trail crest! | A friendly marmot cheered us on |
| Once we left trail crest, the hike along the backside of the ridge to the summit was long and even a bit treacherous. The slick snow, steep slope, and long drop-offs certainly got our hearts pumping. |
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| Being on Mt. Whitney this early in the season only makes me shudder to think about what the conditions are like later in the year. Bagging and rucking may not be too asthetically pleasing, but it's the only way to assure that the back country remains enjoyable for everyone. Besides, if your friends are anything like mine you'll have an endless supply of jokes on the hike out. |
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