Mount Whitney Dayhike 09/23/2002 Summit Elevation: 14,494 ft. Difficulty: Extremely Strenuous Class: 1 Elevation Gain: 6,200 ft. Distance: 10.5 miles One Way Prologue Looking back now a few years later I realize that my first ascent up Mount Whitney really marked a milestone in my life. Prior to that point I was limited by fear of the unknown. Mount Whitney in my mind was the "big one". Could I do it? Am I ready? This was probably compounded by the fact that my first attempt would be a solo one. My hike up the Whitney Trail was a wonderful experience into that unknown. Little would I realize that upon reaching the summit an inner change would occur. It didn't occur all at once in some explosion of emotion, but rather slowly over days, weeks, and months. I suspect this is a similar experience that occurs to many or all who reach the summit. If I can do this, what else can I do? The world seems to open up and we are no longer limited by our own fears. Thus, I look back to my first experience on Whitney with great satisfaction and appreciation. Whitney remains a special place for me. It has become like a good friend that is always there ... a friend that I must visit often. - 6/23/05 MOUNT WHITNEY - MY FIRST ASCENT Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous U.S. It is also the most frequently climbed peak in the Sierra Nevada. This is the one peak that everyone wants to have on their list of accomplishments. I of course was no exception. Having caught the hiking bug only 5 months earlier, my hikes had increased in difficulty to the point where I knew that a Whitney dayhike was possible. Prior to this point, Mount Whitney seemed a distant and intimidating goal. The turning point occurred a week and half earlier while completing a dayhike of Mount Langley. If you want to know whether you can handle Whitney (as a dayhike) do Langley first. In many ways it is similar but easier. Because it is difficult to obtain a day pass on short notice for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, I began my dayhike on a Monday morning. Single or multi-day passes must be obtained from the Mount Whitney Ranger Station in Lone Pine. Information on this procedure is easily obtained off the Internet. The weather this time of year was excellent for hiking (although a tad cool in the morning). I arrived at the trail head at 5:45am. It was still dark at this time, but I had taken a look around the trailhead the previous day so that I would have no problem finding it. As popular a hiking spot as it is, there really didn't seem to be all that much activity around the portal at this time in the morning. I turned on my flashlight and headed up the trail. It only took about 30 minutes before the sun's approaching rise began to light the way. I reached Outpost camp at 7:26am. There were more than a dozen tents here with their occupants just beginning to wake up. This camp, although not all that far from the trailhead, is definitely a bit more cosy than the desolate Trail Camp above. Just above Outpost camp I reached Mirror Lake. By now I began encountering more and more hikers on the trail. At 8:45am I had reached the part of the trail above Consultation Lake. Fifteen minutes later I was at Trail Camp. This is the last place you can camp prior to heading up the dreaded switchbacks and up to the summit. As a result there were quite a few tents set up here. This spot is quite desolate however without a single tree in sight anywhere. It didn't look like a very comfortable place and I was glad I was doing this as a dayhike. Both camps have solar toilets. Next to Trail Camp is a small lake (well maybe pond would be more accurate). This is where everyone seemed to be filtering water before heading up. It is the last source of water on the trail. After looking at this source of water and it's proximity to the solar toilet, I was glad that I had filtered water from Lone Pine Creek lower down the trail. The water here looked a bit muddy and had a fair amount of algea. I stopped to rest here for a few minutes and ate a few snacks to gain energy for the next segment of the trail: the dreaded switchbacks. Prior to this hike, I had thought the "99 switchbacks" was the number of switchbacks from the trail head to the summit. How foolish of me. The "99 switchbacks" actually describes only the section of the trail that leads up from Trail Camp to Trail Crest (a distance of less than a mile as the crow flies). This is probably the hardest part of the trail and is where you really start to feel the altitude. I reached Trail Crest and the top of the switchbacks at 11:06am. It took me just over an hour and half from Trail Camp. This seemed a logical resting spot. There were about 15 to 20 people stopping to catch their breath. I stayed here about ten minutes and then headed up the trail. Not far from Trail Crest the trail meets up with the John Muir Trail which leads to the summit. My original plan was to climb up Mount Muir on the way to Whitney. This involves climbing up some class 3 rock leading up from just past where the trail links up with the John Muir trail. This is easier said then done. From the trail it is not entirely clear exactly where to head up nor which peak is Mount Muir. I finally decided to finish Whitney first and then from that vantage point see if I could better ascertain exactly where Mount Muir was. Thus, I continued on. At 12:59pm I finally reached my goal: the summit of Mount Whitney. Due to the altitude, the last couple of miles, although involving only a gentle incline, were slow going. Of course it probably didn't help that I hadn't acclimated to the altitude and started out that morning from a motel in Lone Pine. But finally, I had made it! I was standing on top of the world (or at least the highest spot I will probably ever see). I had come and I had conquered. I had also walked in the footsteps of my grandfather (and his father) who had made this same journey long before. I too could now count this as one of the most significant accomplishments of my life. Quite a number of people were gathered on the summit. If one was looking for solitude, this wasn't the place to be. The view from Whitney is amazing (as was the view from Langley). I stayed on the summit for an hour (long enough to see most of the crowd on top leave). As I started to leave I suddenly realized I hadn't signed the summit register. Imagine that! Having come all this way and then not having signed my name into the register. Must have been the alititude (well at least it's a convenient excuse anyway). After signing the register I started to head down. On the way, I tried to get a fix on Mount Muir and felt fairly confident which peak it was. Unfortunately, just as with coming up, it was hard to tell where the right spot was when you're down on the trail looking upward. By this time I realized I really didn't have time to spare. Also I was so tired that my body and mind talked me out of it. As as result, I chose to leave this for another time (a decision that will likely guarantee my eventual return). As with most trails, the return seemed twice as long as the climb up. In fact the last few miles seemed as hard or harder than the climb up. It's not that you're out of breath at this point. It's just that your muscles have been pushed far beyond their normal limit and all you want to do is to stop and collapse instantly into sleep. I remember thinking to myself constantly that I will never do this again. A few days later, however, and this difficulty was all but forgotten. I finally arrived back down at the trailhead at 6:51pm (slightly sooner than I had estimated) just as darkness approached. Before heading back down to the motel, I stopped at the Whitney Portal Store and picked up a T-shirt (a mandatory requirement). This goal accomplished, I headed for my car. Having seen the warnings and photos at the trailhead, I had fears that I would return to my car only to find it mauled by bears. Fortunately this was not the case. I was glad the motel was no further away than it was. I was more tired than I had ever been in my life and I don't think a hot shower ever felt so good. When I awoke the next morning the adventure the day before seemed like just a dream. I climbed Whitney? Surely not. Then I tried to stand up. As I nearly fell over from sore and stiff muscles, one fact was abundantly clear. It was no dream. Log: 5:45am - Left Trailhead 6:10am - Reached John Muir Wilderness Sign 6:38am - First rays of sunlight hit mountain tops 7:05am - Reached "Entering the Whitney Zone" sign and Lone Pine Lake? 7:26am - Reached Outpost Camp 7:41am - Reached Mirror Lake 8:45am - Reached Consultation Lake 9:01am - Reached Trail Camp 9:29am - Started up Switchbacks 10:00am - Reached railing 11:06am - Reached Trail Crest 12:41pm - Reached back side of Whitney 12:59pm - Reached top of Mount Whitney 2:03pm - Signed register and began heading down 3:18pm - Reached Trail Crest 4:07pm - Reached Trail Camp 5:15pm - Reached Mirror Lake 6:33pm - Reached John Muir Wilderness sign 6:51pm - Reached Trailhead Stats: Total Ascent Time from Trailhead to Summit: 7 hrs 14 mins Time Spent on Summit: 1 hr 4 mins Total Return Time from Summit to Trailhead: 4 hrs 48 mins Total Time Spent: 13 hrs 6 mins hrs 48 mins Total Time Spent: 13 hrs 6 mins