Hiking Mt. Whitney

MT.WHITNEY: Elevation 14,508 ft.

The tallest mountain in the lower 48. In 2013, Grandpa Steve, my nephew Kyle, Uncle Jim and I attempted to peak this beast of a mountain. Unfortunately, the weather moved in and produced a massive rain, thunder and lightening storm that stopped us in our tracks. We were all disappointed that the storm moved in on the night we planned to hit the trail. For safety reasons, we opted to cancel the hike and head to Death Valley the next morning. Turns out that playing it safe and opting not to hike was a great idea. The storm wiped out the trail with massive flooding and left several people stranded on the mountain.

Having missed the opportunity in 2013 to climb Mt. Whitney due to severe weather, we set our sights on 2015...so this year...we try again. This time around, the trip will consist of me, Steve, and our good friend Tim Kordes. We set our goal to climbing Mt. Whitney in August if we receive the hiking permits.

Grandpa Steve has experience obtaining hiking permits, so in the beginning of the year he jumped on the computer and entered all three of us into the hiking permit lottery. In April, we received the exciting news...APPROVED FOR 3 PERMITS TO HIKE MT. WHITNEY IN AUGUST!!!! Step one complete. We celebrated the news with a small BBQ at the house and talked about how exciting the trip will be.

Shortly after receiving the news, I put in for time off of work. The time off was quickly approved. Grandpa Steve is retired so the only person he has to ask for time off is himself. Tim is also retired but works part time at REI. He put in his time off request and was also approved!

Now the preparation and training begins! Join us as we journal our preparation, training, and hikes along the way with the summit of Mt. Whitney being the ultimate goal.

Preparation Hike #1: Pleasanton Ridge:

As a celebratory/training hike, Grandpa Steve, Tim and I planned a day to head out to the Pleasanton Ridge and log some training time. The picture below is the 3 of us starting at the trailhead of Pleasanton Ridge Hike.

The Pleasanton Ridge Hike is not a hard hike, but a hike that allows you to log some training time in. I think you can hike a total of 16 miles round trip. That is approximately 2 miles longer than the Mt. Whitney Hike. The difference is, Mt. Whitney trailhead starts at 8,000 ft. and finishes at 14,508 ft. Pleasanton Ridge...I don't even think you ascend 1,000 ft.

None the less, we have to get our legs ready early and exposed them to any training or hiking in preparation for hiking Mt. Whitney.

We couldn't have asked for better spring weather. The picture above is of Tim and I along the trail. The trail is all green and the views are spectacular of the East Bay. Look at all the green on the hills...the green will not last though...we are in California...it will be brown soon!

Well, we spent about 5 hours round trip hiking. Below is another picture of Tim and I enjoying the view. Grandpa Steve took all the pictures on this hike so he's not in any of the hikes.

Great hike for the 3 of us. After we returned and reached our car at the trailhead, we found someone's iPhone that they dropped. We logged in some good training time and our good deed for the day...we were able to re-unite the phone with the owner later in the evening after the help of Siri.

Once we got home, we enjoyed some great burgers with family and friends.

One great thing about hiking...You really get to hang out with your buddies in some of natures best playgrounds. No distractions at all, just chatting away about anything and everything!

Preparation Hike #2: Cycle, Hike, Cycle...and Mountain Lions:

As we each continue to train on our own, we like to plan time together. Training together is a great thing and often times brings a lot of laughter. Today brought some laughter and some frightening moments.

Today, we elected to bike through Sycamore Grove, past Wente Winery, and to the Del Valle Dam. The training day did not go as planned. Here we are getting ready to leave.

This was the safest part of the hike. Unfortunately, while riding in Sycamore Grove, a mountain lion jumped out of the brush and across the trail causing Tim to abandon his bike mid-ride to avoid being mauled by the lion. Tim suffered some contusions and abrasions to his leg/knee. Tim, the warrior that he is, buckled up, jumped right onto his bike and began to cycle again. I was able to grab a picture of the lion as it ran between the trees.

Needless to say, we avoided being mauled by this lion. We continued our ride through Sycamore Grove and to the base of the Del Valle Dam. From there, we locked up the bikes and transitioned to hiking up the dam. Again, nothing too tough, just a little training. Here is the photo of us preparing to walk up the dam.

We walked up, sat around for a minute, then headed back to the bikes. Below is a photo from the top of the dam looking toward the lake.

Well, as if we didn't escape near death once on this small training journey. On our way back, that lion spotted Tim a second time. This time, Tim saw the attack coming and once again abandoned his bike mid-ride. Unfortunately on this occasion, Tim's shoes were buckled into his bike and he fell to the ground with his bicycle. Tim suffered more abrasions and the lion took a swipe at his left leg. The lion's claw pierced Tim's left leg just below his knee cap (see picture below). Fortunately for Tim, Grandpa Steve jumped off his bike and poked the mountain lion in the eyes (like one of the three stooges), causing the lion to scream in pain and run off into the brush again. Grandpa Steve was so excited he fought off a mountain lion, he had to get a picture of Tim's injuries as a reminder of how brave he was saving Tim's life. I tried to get the entire lion attack on video but the entire event went by so fast.

Although battered and bruised during this training session, we survived and made it home.

It should be noted that the mountain lion did cause a puncture to Tim's bike tire. Here is a small video of the repair...and Grandpa Steve fooling around.

Preparation #3: Yosemite Falls Hike:

So, in preparation of Mt. Whitney, it is always good to drive into the mountains and challenge yourself on a small day hike. Mt. Whitney is normally a hike that is completed over a 3-day time period. We are going to do it all in one day. Mt. Whitney will be 22 miles round trip.

The trail head begins at Whitney Portal, which is 8,360 ft. 11 miles later and a 6,148 foot ascend, we will summit Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48. It will be a challenging hike and will test us, no matter what shape we are in. The elevation alone will beat us up. This will be a huge challenge. When I think of that challenge, I think of this...

If you want to breath the air at 14,508 feet, then you will have to work hard for it. A view of the world from the top of Mt. Whitney is a memory and experience worth having!

In an effort to continue our group training and building memories, we planned for Yosemite Falls Hike. So, at 3:00 AM, we left town and drove to Yosemite. We arrived on the Yosemite Valley floor around 7:45 AM. We made many stops along the way because there were way too many beautiful sites.  Here are a few...

Entrance to Yosemite

Coming into Yosemite Valley

El Capitan

Valley Floor

Yosemite Falls from the meadow

We parked at the Camp Four parking lot, had a little breakfast and made our way up the trail. Yosemite Falls Hike is considered the second hardest hike in Yosemite. Only 3.5 miles to the top of the falls, it is the switchbacks and uneven trail that is a real pain. Here we are at the trailhead.

As you hike up the trail, you are treated to some of the most spectacular sights Yosemite has to offer. The picture below is of Grandpa Steve and Tim. The weather was amazing and so were the people we interacted with along the trail.

Here we are getting closer to the base of Upper Yosemite Falls. Apparently, this is considered the halfway point of the hike. If you look at the top of the picture below, you will see the rocks to the left of the falls. That is where we have to go.

Again, just amazing views presented to us by the nature gods. Nothing beats breathing in the crisp air of the mountains.

We made it. About 4 hours into the hike, we made the summit. (Picture below) This is the view at the top of those rocks I mentioned earlier. The falls are to the left of the photo below, but this is the view on top of the falls. SPECTACULAR!!!

We walked up the falls about 100 yards and sat down, soaked our feet and ate lunch. This was the view as the water poured over the falls.

After about 2 hours at the top of the falls, we decided to head back down. On the way down, some thunder clouds moved in and treated us to some showers. During the break in the showers, we were treated with the mist of the falls. Below, is a picture of Tim taking in the view of the falls.

As we were making our way down, we couldn't help but stop and take in the beautiful scenery. It would be so nice to wake up and have this be your view out your back door.

We made it down in about 3 hours. Down is always faster but this trail was a bit rough and slippery. Once we hit the valley floor, we went back to the car and enjoyed a celebratory beverage and reflected on the day.

After about an hour and half of just relaxing by the car, we cleaned up and headed to Curry Village for some dinner. Of course, hamburgers are a must after a long hike. Can't leave out the delicious chocolate shake too. So that is what we had. It was very nice to sit and relax with good friends. On a side note, as Grandpa Steve was walking back from getting his shake, his glasses slipped into his whip cream. He quickly posed for a photo prior to cleaning.

As we walked to our car to head home, we were treated to this amazing view. Half Dome after dinner. A nice little view to remind us to come back and enjoy nature soon.

As we made our way out of the mountains, we drove and watch a beautiful sunset. I snapped this photo at the bottom of Old Priest Grade. Again, another good day and good memories to go along with it.

Grandpa Steve made this small 4-minute video of our trip.  Here is a link to the YouTube video. Take a look.

A few more hikes planned before we begin the Mt. Whitney journey in August.

Preparation Hike #4: Mission Peak to Sunol Regional Wilderness Trail Hike:

Well, this hike did not go as planned. We were prepared to hike from Mission Peak to Sunol Regional Wilderness, which is an 11.6 mile hike. Our intention was to log a hike that would be the same distance as ascending Mt. Whitney.

As we woke up and prepared for the hike, the news came on an reported a fire in the Sunol area. We did not want to except no for an answer, so we still headed out. When we arrived at Sunol to drop off our vehicle, we were stopped by Cal Fire. Cal Fire closed the park for the day so they could fight the fire.

Tim "the firefighter" quickly started talking fire lingo with the folks at the entrance of the park. Tim then provided Grandpa Steve and I the layman's terms of why the park was closed. I'll make it easy for everyone reading this...there was a fire.

Disappointed because I could not see any smoke, we opted to drive to Mission Peak and hike to the top and around on some of the other trails Mission Peak has to offer.  Below is a picture of Mission Peak as you start on the trail. If you look above and to the right of the tree, the top of the mountain is the peak.

It was a hot day, but not nearly as hot as the last two days. We were treated to some good overcast cloud cover for portions of the day. We opted for some alternative trails that were more steep than the main Mission Peak trail. We are now a month away from Mt. Whitney and we need to prepare the legs for the all day hiking expedition. 

Above is a picture of the three of us at the summit of Mission Peak. Incredible views of the Bay Area and the cloud cover brought the temperature down for a bit so we could enjoy the hike with cooler temperatures. At the summit, we could easily see the buildings in San Francisco along with the two bridges. The elevation of mission peak is 2,516 ft.

In total, we hiked 7.8 miles, experienced a 2,100 ft. elevation gain, and enjoy 4 hours and 36 minutes together talking about Mt. Whitney and where we want to live when we retire. (Note: I am the only one not retired. Grandpa Steve and Tim have been retired for some time now...). Below is a picture of us at the completion of the hike! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a Habit Burger and chocolate shake.

Next stop, back to Yosemite for 4-Mile Trail hike. This will be a hike from the Yosemite Valley floor to the peak of Glacier Point.

Preparation Hike #5: 4-Mile Hike Yosemite National Park:

With upcoming vacations, work, and other chores, the three of us planned for one more group training hike in Yosemite. We chose a hike that is known for a steady elevation climb and would test the legs. After a little bit of research, the decision was made...Yosemite's 4-Mile Hike Trail.

4-Mile Hike Trail is 4.7 miles from Yosemite's valley floor to the top of Glacier Point. The hike begins at an elevation of 4,000 feet and finishes on top of Glacier Point with an elevation of 7,200 feet. The elevation gain is 3,200 feet during the 4.7 mile hike.

The intent was to try and simulate Mt. Whitney's 99 switchbacks just prior to summiting Mt. Whitney. The only difference is, Mt. Whitney's 99 switchbacks sit at 12,000 feet in elevation and finishes at 13,100 feet. A far cry from 4,000 feet to 7,200 feet. Nonetheless, this was our final group training ground.

Again, we left town around 3:30 A.M. Tim drove this time and we made it to the Yosemite Valley floor at 6:31 A.M. We made some good time on the way up. Once we arrived, we settled in and had a little breakfast before the hike. That breakfast was all carbohydrates and was to fuel us for the hike.

Here, Tim and I are at the entrance to the trailhead. The weather was just amazing. It was about 60 degrees when we started and within just a few minutes of hiking, we had to strip down to basic

t-shirts because it was so warm.

Below is Steve and I at the entrance of the trailhead.

4-Mile Trail Hike is considered a tough hike. It is a tough hike but the trail up to Glacier Point is fantastic. This trail makes the hike very manageable. Also, the views are insanely beautiful and you are shaded almost the entire hike up to Glacier Point. Here are some pictures of the views on our way up the trail.

This is a panoramic view of the midway point of 4-mile trail.

Here is a look back at the valley and El Capitan.

About two-thirds of the way up the trail, you round this corner and are treated to one of the most spectacular views of Half Dome I have ever seen. It was so quiet and peaceful with a very slight breeze. The breeze was strong enough to cool you down and make the hike pleasant. At the same time, if you stopped to take in the views, the breeze was strong enough to create a whisper in the trees. I see why this place is considered a majestic place to visit.

Here is Tim on a brief break taking in the view. We are almost at the top of the trail when we stopped and looked back into the valley. To the left of Tim is Yosemite Falls. At this point in the hike, we were above the falls.

After about 4 hours of hiking and taking in the views, we made it to the top. We stopped, chatted with some folks who were visiting Yosemite from New Zealand, then ate some lunch. Here is a picture of us having lunch at one of the best lunch seats in the world.

Lunch Time

Half Dome

After enjoying the company from people all over the world visiting Glacier Point, we walked over to the Glacier Point Store for some ice cream. There is always time in a day for ice cream. If we could arrange it, there should be ice cream at the top of every mountain in the world.

After our ice cream, we made our way back down the trail. On the way down, we came across a sign encouraging people to drink water. Let me provide a little bit of history so you can understand the sign. Steve never drinks enough water and every time we go hiking, I can be heard shouting to Steve, "Steve, you drinking water?" Tim actually commented to us one time that he appreciated my reminders to drink water. Steve laughed and said he wished I would shut up. It drives him nuts and even though this back and forth has gone on for several years, he always asks me, "Why do I need to drink more water?" The last time he hiked Mt. Whitney, he only consumed about 22 ounces of water. This is dangerous and shocking.

Over the last couple of hikes, he has been really good and consuming water. On one hike (Yosemite Falls), he was so good that he saved all his water for the final mile. He could be seen sneaking his water spout to his mouth and sucking down water as fast as he could. He tried to hide that he was trying to drink the water fast in order to ensure his water bladder was empty. Once he was caught, it led to a ton of laughter.

So, as we descended down the trail, we ran into this sign. I used it as proof and made him kneel and take a photo next to it as a reminder that I am not pulling his leg by encouraging him to drink water.  

"Steve, you drinking water?"

About a half a mile descent and this is the view.

Only a 3 hour descent and we made it back to the valley floor. In all, a 9.4 mile hike, 3,100 foot elevation climb and stunning views. I would rank this hike as amazing. The views, the trail, the reward of summiting Glacier Point, and the ice cream. Most important, good times with good friends and family.

Although we finished our group training for Mt. Whitney, we will continue to train individually until the day we leave.

Next Stop, Mt. Whitney!

Preparation Time is Over - The Time Has Come: Mt. Whitney:

Today, we left town for Lone Pine at 2:33 A.M. for our Mt. Whitney trip. We drove through Yosemite entrance and then towards Tiago Pass. It was very dark and we could not see to much. We did however happen to catch a vehicle that was off the road, upside down. There was no one around and based on all of the vehicle damage, skids, and damage to the tree, the accident was very fresh. We stopped the car and got out to help. We all checked for occupants and fortunately, there was no one in the car. There was fresh blood so we looked around the surrounding area in case someone got ejected. Again, we found nothing. As we walked out toward the roadway, we did come across some fresh foot prints in the damaged dirt. It was obvious the person was able to get out of the vehicle and get some help. We hope they are okay.

We loaded back into the car and continued our journey into Lone Pine. Along the way, we stopped off at Whoa Nellie Deli for some breakfast. Breakfast was great and we enjoyed the views of Mono Lake.

Mono Lake

After a little over six hours, we arrived in Lone Pine and were treated to the spectacular view of Mt. Whitney. We elected to go straight to the ranger station and pick up our hiking permits. While inside, we came across this display of the mountain range. The display is old and we were reminded that the elevation is actually 14, 508 feet (a growing mountain).

Model of the mountain range.

Picture of Mt. Whitney covered in clouds.

After getting our permits, we checked into our hotel room and by chance our rooms were ready. We unloaded and headed up to Whitney Portal. Above is a picture of Tim as we enter the park. If you look just over Tim's left shoulder, you can see the peak of Mt. Whitney.

Here is the 3 of us at the entrance of the park.

Above, we are entering the Mt. Whitney trailhead and headed 2.8 miles to Lone Pine Lake. The elevation at the trailhead is 8,360 feet. The hike had an elevation gain of 1,706 feet to 10,066 feet. Below is a picture of Tim and I making our way up the trail.

After about 2 hours of hiking, we were treated to the serenity of Lone Pine Lake. Below is a picture of Grandpa Steve relaxing and enjoying the nature.

Grandpa Steve relaxing.

Tim and Steve enjoying the cold water.

Our view.

Steve at Lone Pine Lake

Tim and Steve enjoying some R&R

We spent about 2 hours just relaxing at Lone Pine Lake. Once we decided it was time to go, we packed up and headed down the trail. Along the way, we stopped off and refilled our water bladders with freshly filtered ice water from nature. It was nice!

Steve and Tim filter the water.

Around 6:00 P.M. we made it back into Lone Pine for some dinner at Season's Restuarant. Of course, we had steaks!

Steve digging in.

Tim enjoying his steak.

After we finished our dinner around 8:00 P.M., we were all exhausted from being up since 12:30 A.M., so we went back to the hotel to SLEEP! More tomorrow!

Mt. Whitney - Day #2:

Today was the start of day two of our Mt. Whitney trip. We elected to sleep in and just take it easy today and prepare for the hike. After eating breakfast, we all elected to sit outside and enjoy the view of Mt. Whitney. I had to run to my room to get more coffee, when Tim and I returned, we were able to sit down and ask, "Is this seat taken" without getting a response from Steve. Tim and I sat there quietly and after about a minute, Steve looked up and said, "Oh hey guys." Steve dosed off while readying the paper.

Grandpa Steve sleeping as we walked up in the morning.

The weather is so warm, so we moved into a shaded area. When we did this, Tim placed his room key card on his phone. About 20 minutes later I hear, "Steve, what happened to my phone." I looked down and did not see anything wrong and looked at Tim with a puzzled look. Tim asked how the picture showed up on his phone. I reached down and moved the card to show him it was not a photo but where he placed his key card from the room. Of course a lot of laughter erupted for several minutes after that.

Tim placed his room key on his phone...and thought something happened to his phone.

I moved the card to show nothing was wrong with his phone.

After relaxing, we drove over to the film museum that shows the history of Alabama Hills. This museum shows all the movies made in or around Lone Pine and Alabama Hills.  When you first arrive at the museum, you are treated to a 15 minute movie about the history of Alabama Hills.

Inside the movie museum.

Tim took this photo without my knowledge...or consent.

Here are a few films that were made in Alabama Hills.

Joe Kid

GIJOE - RETALIATION

Gladiator

During our tour of the museum, Tim and Grandpa Steve cuddled up next to John Wayne. John Wayne's face says it all about how he feels.

Grandpa Steve, John Wayne, and Tim

Iron Man

Tremors was also filmed in Alabama Hills. Grandpa Steve reached into the mouth of one of the monsters and got bit. He ignored the sign that read, "DO NOT TOUCH."

OUCH

Punishment for the two boys who do not follow the rules.

After finishing up at the museum, we headed over to Alabama Hills. It was so hot so our tour was short. Below is a photo of a rock formation that displays a heart.

Love Rock

This is a photo of the Parana Rock.

We return to the room and as the day went on was lost sight of the mountain range of Mt. Whitney. There is a fire just west of Mt. Whitney and the smoke is moving in fast and the smell of smoke is getting bad. Our fingers are crossed there are no obstructions to us climbing Mt. Whitney. Below are two comparison photos from the morning and evening.

Photo take of Mt. Whitney from our hotel room at 4:00 P.M.

Photo of Mt. Whitney from our hotel at 7:00 A.M. Very little smoke.

We have finished dinner, packed and prepared for Mt. Whitney. We have trained since March and have waited for a long time for this moment. It is now 6:33 P.M. and we are headed to bed. We wake at 11:30 P.M., eat and leave the hotel by 12:30 A.M. The time is now. Wish us luck and our goal is to summit at 10:00 A.M. and be off the mountain by 5:00 P.M.

Mt. Whitney...22 mile hike...14,508 feet...see you shortly.

Mt. Whitney - Hike Day:

We woke up at 11:30 P.M. on August 4th and ate some breakfast and gathered our things for the hike. After checking and triple checking our stuff, we left the hotel at 12:55 A.M. on August 5th. The weather was great and was actually very warm in Lone Pine as we left town.

We arrived at Whitney Portal, parked and put on our day packs. At 1:30 A.M., we began our hike. Everyone felt great and I had a lingering earache that seemed pretty contained at that moment.

Grandpa Steve, Tim, and I starting the hike.

We started our hike knowing we had 11 miles to the top of Mt. Whitney. The elevation gain was from 8,360 feet to 14,508 feet. Knowing what was in front of us and having the goal to summit the mountain, we all decided to hike slowly using the phrase, "The turtle wins the race". So our pace was to conserve energy and save that energy for the 99 switchbacks.

We had the trail all to ourselves in the very beginning of the hike. Along the way, we turned off our headlamps and enjoyed the beautiful skies of the southern Sierras. There were so many stars out and the moonlight bounced off of the large rock mountains. After 2 hours and 15 minutes of hiking, we arrived at the "Whitney Zone" sign. The Whitney Zone is about 2.7 miles into the hike and sits at 10,000 feet. No hikers are allowed beyond this point without a permit. Today, we had our permits and could pass on through.

Entering the Whitney Zone

Once past the Whitney Zone sign, the trail became very rocky and similar to the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. It is easy to navigate but consists of larges steps and large rocks on the trail. Below is a photo of Tim and I making our way up the trail to Outpost Camp.

Night Hiking

After getting through Outpost Camp, we made our way to Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is approximately 4 miles into the hike and sits at 10,640 feet. As continued up the mountain, just past Mirror Lake, the sun began to rise. This was a very beautiful sight. It was so quiet outside and we were treated to a wonderful sunrise from this majestic mountain.

Sunrise on the Mt. Whitney Trail

After enjoying the sunrise, we turned and continued our hike to the next stop, Trail Camp. The trail did not get any easier. As you can see in the pictures, there was a steep incline and lots of rock in the trail. I was feeling horrible at this point. I had a massive headache and my vision was starting to blur. I continued to push through and move on and reassess my condition at Trail Camp.

Trail up to Trail Camp

Along the way, the sun would be shadowed by some clouds and provide some nice air conditioning for us. This portion of the trail I would describe as the trail of false peaks. You think that you are almost about the reach Trail Camp but you get to what you believe is the top, only to learn there is more up hill to go.

The trail of falls peaks

On the way up, the sun would hide behind the clouds and give us some beautiful colors. Here is a picture looking east just before Trail Camp.

Sunrise at Trail Camp

After 6 hours of hiking, we arrived at Trail Camp. Sitting at 12,000 feet, Trail Camp is a popular place for those tackling Mt. Whitney in 2 days to camp out. People will spend a day hiking up to trail camp and set up a tent to spend the night. In the morning, they will wake and tackle Mt.Whitney on day 2. Trail Camp is the last place to fill up with water. It is recommended that you drink 3 liters of water from Trail Camp to the Summit of Mt. Whitney.

We opted to take a longer break to prepare for what is known to be the hardest portion of the hike, the 99 switchbacks. It is impossible to explain the views around Trail Camp. Having the opportunity to rest at 12,000 feet and stare up at the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states is awesome. The picture does not do it justice but as you sit and look up at these peaks, they are huge!

Resting at Trail Camp

While Tim and I rested, Grandpa Steve ran around and took pictures. Below is a panoramic view he took of Trail Camp looking up toward Mt. Whitney. You can see Tim and I getting a well needed rest before the switchbacks. I needed this break. I was feeling worse than before and was seeing gray dots when I opened my eyes. My head was pounding and I was very lethargic. My vision continued to be blurry. At one point, I told myself that I was only going to get worse and needed to turn around to be safe.

I felt really bad with that thought and did not want to take this experience away from Tim who was doing just fine. So in my head, I broke down the hike in segments. I had already hiked 6 miles and it was only 2.2 miles up the switchbacks. In my mind, I rationalized the hike and thought to myself that I have hiked farther than 8.2 miles in a day before and have climbed a mountain over 13,000 feet in the past. So, I elected to just put my head down and hike. I promised myself that I would reassess my condition after the 99 switchbacks at Trail Crest.

After our well needed rest, we loaded up and took on the final two phases of the hike. The switchbacks are exactly what they have been described, TOUGH!!! In 2.2 miles, you climb 99 switchbacks and an elevation gain of 1,600 feet. The switchbacks seem never ending.

Heading up the switchbacks

As you hike along the switchbacks, you can't help but realize the sheer drop off on the outer edge of the trail. When on the switchbacks, you have to stay on the trail. There is barely enough room to allow another hiker to pass by. The drop off is so steep at one point that there have been cables installed to help the hikers. The picture below is of Tim and I taking a rest at the cables. At this point in the hike, I was no longer talkative due to how I was feeling. I needed to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other.

Panoramic view from the switchbacks

The photo below is looking up from one of the switchbacks. It is straight up and you cannot see the other switchbacks. Believe it or not, there are people walking above us on the switchbacks. They are cut into the mountain and right on top of each other.

Looking up the switchbacks

On the second half of the switchbacks, we had a view of Mt. Whitney's summit. In the photo below, it is the highest peak in the center of the picture. You cannot see it in the first picture below, but there is a hut on the summit.

Mt. Whitney Summit

The picture below is a zoomed in shot. If you look closely, you can see the roof of the hut on the summit.

Although I was feeling absolutely miserable, we make it to the top of the 99 switchbacks. Trail Crest sits at 13,600 feet and provides some of the most amazing sights and views. Below is a picture of Tim and I at Trail Crest.

Tim and I at Trail Crest

At Trail Crest, you can look both West and East. The picture below is of Grandpa Steve standing on the ledge of a rock with the his back to the west. If the wind blew to hard or Grandpa Steve slipped, he would have fallen several hundred feet down the mountain. The backside of Mt. Whitney is very steep with huge cliff drop offs. On this portion of the hike, you have to be sure footed.

Grandpa Steve living on the edge

Looking West at Trail Crest

After reaching Trail Crest, we took a few photos and rested for a short minute. As I rested, I realized my condition was only getting worse. I did not want to wait around so I made the decision to continue walking the trail to the summit. Once again, I rationalized what I had left. I told myself I only had 2.2 miles left to the summit with only a 900 feet elevation change. So, I put my head down and started walking.

Below is a photo looking back toward Trail Crest and the John Muir Trail connection. The peak on the left is Mt. Muir. This picture gives a clear view of the terrain and the sheer drop offs.

After hiking 1.4 additional miles, my condition was so bad I needed to stop and rest. The best way I could describe my condition was a pounding headache and the feeling of being very drunk. I had very limited control of my extremities and my balance was off. At 13,998 feet in elevation and only 8/10th's of a mile left to the hut, I had to stop. I sat down and pulled out some food. I figured I could eat some food that would give me some final energy to make it to the hut. After about 5 minutes, I could feel my body rejecting the food. I started to feel nauseas and really really weak. I was really worried at this point about my safety. I felt so bad but looked at Tim and said, "I need to turn around. I'm not going to make it." I felt so horrible that we were so close and unable to touch the hut. Without hesitation, Tim replied, "We came as a team, we go down as a team." Grandpa Steve walked to us and I delivered the bad news that it was too unsafe for me to continue. Grandpa Steve agreed and told me that I need to walk without my pack back down the switchbacks. Grandpa Steve grabbed my daypack and put it over his daypack and told me he would carry mine for me. Both Tim and Grandpa Steve were such team players and without hesitation were there for me to see that I was okay and cared for on our long way down and back to Whitney Portal. Their actions meant the world to me and showed me how great these two men were. We had 10.2 miles back to the car.

Tim and I sit at the turn around point on top of Mt. Whitney

Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine

Below is a small condensed version of our trail on Mt. Whitney. We took the trail on the left that passes, Lone Pine Lake, Outpost Camp, Mirror Lake, Consultation Lake, Trail Camp, and Trail Crest.

Below is the backside of the mountain that faces west. The trail we followed goes past Mt. Muir, Keeler Needle, to the hut on Mt. Whitney.

We started our hike at 1:30 A.M. and stopped at 13,998 feet at 12:30 P.M. Due to my condition, we turned around and headed back down the mountain. As I headed down in elevation, I believed I would start to feel better. I was wrong, nothing changed. I continued to get worse and worse. The hike down was so challenging and was a test of my strength. Fortunately, I had Tim and Grandpa Steve by my side to help me through the final hours of the hike. Two awesome guys helped me get through to the finish line. We finally made it back to Whitney Portal at 9:30 P.M. This year's hike of Mt. Whitney consisted of 20 hours and 20.4 miles of hiking. But we made it back safe and sound.

The inevitable Mt. Whitney struck again. This is the third time in a row that Mt. Whitney prevented us from touching the hut. In years past, it was the weather, this year it was my sickness prior to the hike that kept me from reaching the hut. I learned a valuable lesson, if I am sick before the hike, don't risk it, listen to my body.

Mt. Whitney...she is a beautiful and majestic mountain that commands respect but invites you back by the challenges she presents to you each and every time.  See you next time Mt. Whitney!