On July 22nd I left Layton at 03:30 in the morning and headed for Woods Cross. I picked up my younger brother Nate and then headed for Tooele to pick up our older brother Steve. We left Tooele at 05:00 for Lone Pine California. After 9 hours of driving we arrived in town around 14:oo. We made our first stop at the Visitor's Center to pick up our reserved permits for the Mount Whitney Trail. We then headed for the Comfort Inn to check into our room and then to Carl's Jr. for dinner. After eating we headed to the trailhead to get familiar with it during the daylight hours.
Mount Whitney is California's state highpoint, ultra-prominence (one of the fifty's finest), and the highest peak in the lower 48 states! It sits at an elevation of 14,497 feet above sea level. To give perspective Salt Lake City sits around 4,250 feet. Lone Pine sits at 3,700 feet. The trailhead starts at 8,200 feet.
The trail is 22 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 6,300 feet. by far it is one of the hardest and most sought after hikes in the lower United States. Overall hiking time for us was 17 hours. Most granola's do it between 10 and 15 hours. We aroused from bed at 01:00 on the 23rd and started the hike at 02:40.
This is Trail Camp. 6.2 miles into the hike. This is where most people who backpack the trail camp out. As we arrived into the area almost 60 other people were getting ready to head up the 97 switchbacks on their way to the summit.
We stopped for brunch, filled our packs with water and watched the 60+ people heading up the switchbacks. This is the hardest part of the trail. So they say!
Trail Crest, 13,600 feet above sea level. It is also the saddle before the final ascent of the summit. At this point we have met several other hikers. A British man from Houston hiking the John Muir Trail (200 miles long starting at Mount Whitney and ending in Yosemite). Two brothers from Sonoma who we joked with at every switchback "Just another 20 minutes." An old couple backpacking. College students, old gents, tree-hugging hippies, 12 year olds, and many people who have hiked the mountain many times before (freaking billy goats!).
At Trail Crest looking down towards Whitney Portal (trailhead) and up towards the summit.
At 13:00 we summited. The picture below will show Lone Pine and the road to Whitney Portal Trailhead. The Smithsonian Institute built a rock shelter atop the summit in 1909 to study constellations. They abandoned it 20 years later. It has weathered many years of hard abuse but still stood to welcome the hurting crowds of hikers.
As we stood atop the summit we had only a second to ponder. Due to the altitude the headaches set in and the nausea had the best of us. Out of the three Steve was the worst. We didn't spend long enjoying the view because "Summiting was optional, getting down was mandatory." -Ed Viesters (greatest American mountaineer who has summited Mt. Everest multiple times, without oxygen!).
We made it down before dark, barely. We felt good and actually enjoyed the accomplishment of completing the hike. We met many people, never saw a bear, felt some great pain, and completed a very prestigious hike. As we crawled into bed that night at the Comfort Inn we thought to ourselves "We could not of done it without our parents help." We are very appreciative of their love, and credit card! They were gracious enough to pay for our hotel room which took a huge stress off our shoulders and allowed us to concentrate on the hike. We love you mom and dad!!
On the way home the next day driving out of Lone Pine towards Bishop we passed a cemetery that had a flag flying. We caught it just in time to see Mount Whitney in the background. As we pulled over to get the picture it was hard not to think how great this nation is. All the beautiful country we have and the opportunity to explore it. I am so very thankful for the men and women who not only paid that ultimate sacrifice but are currently serving to help protect us from the evils around us. Those who have served and those who are getting ready to serve, like my brother Nate. Words can not describe the way I feel about our country and the freedom we have to do the things we enjoy, like, painfully climbing atop gods mountains.
