A 360° panorama from Mt. Whitney summit.
Our campsite, site #19 in the Lone Pine campground at 6000’.
We hiked partway up Mt. Whitney last year, and ever since we’ve talked about our chances of doing the entire 22-mile route in one day.
We were unsuccessful in getting overnight permits in the annual lottery, so we drove down early to the Lone Pine ranger station and got a couple of unclaimed day permits.
Enjoying a bowl of spaghetti by the stream.
We camped along the Whitney Portal Road at the Lone Pine Campground, mostly to avoid the bear problems that frequent the trailhead campground higher up.
The temperature was unseasonably warm in the 90s, but our campsite had a cold stream running behind it where it was nice and cool.
Our campsite included a 30’ high boulder with a view of Whitney.
Our plan was to get up at 3:00 and be on the trail by 4:00. Who’s idea was this?
We start out at 4:15 in the morning. “Only one more hill, Honey!”
We woke up to relatively warm conditions. We gobbled down some instant oatmeal, jumped in the truck and drove up to the trailhead.
0400 is a popular starting time; all around us were other hikers moving through the darkness. You could hear the clanking of equipment and low voices as people were gearing up in the campground. There were headlamps visible on the trail high above us of others who had started an hour earlier.
After two hours of hiking, we put away our headlamps to watch the sunrise.
We hiked for two hours straight, from the trailhead at 8,300’ to about 10,500’ just below Mirror Lake.
We took a short break to eat some trail mix and watch the sunrise, and then push on to Trail Camp.
Watching the Owens Valley wake up, on the granite above Mirror Lake.
Once you get above Mirror Lake you leave the trees behind.
Hiking into the sun.
Nancy was charging up the trail, hiking like an angry goddess with fearsome calves and lungs of Olympus.
The small lake at Trail Camp. The summit is in the middle of the photo.
If you look very closely, you can see hikers winding up the switchbacks.
Our goal was to travel as light as possible. We only carried a quart of water, an extra layer and a bunch of power bars. I brought my water filter, taking advantage of the last source of water at 12,000’ at Trail Camp.
After resting at Trail Camp, you start up the notorious 97 switchbacks to Trail Crest (yes, there are 97—I counted them).
A 49-year-old on the 49th switchback.
We didn’t find the hike up the switchbacks that tough; counting each one gives you a sense of progress.
A 50-year-old on the 50th switchback.
We played “musical trails” with other hikers on the way up, repeatedly passing each other as we rested or took pictues.
Grinding up the switchbacks, with the Sierra Crest, Mt. Muir and Whitney summit beyond.
Around 13,000’, with Consolation Lake below.
As you get near the crest, you’re rewarded with spectacular views of the trail and valley below you.
Making the crest at 13,600’.
After one last, long switchback, you reach the Pacific crest, and then hike down about 200 vertical feet to meet the John Muir Trail.
Beginning the long, rocky traverse along the crest.
At this point you begin the hard part of the hike, a two and a half-mile traverse along the crest on a very rocky trail.
A view of the Hitchcock Lakes to the west.
The summit never seems to get any closer—still almost two miles away.
Nancy didn’t suffer any effects of altitude sickness, but my head started pounding anytime I tried to push the pace.
About a half-mile from the summit.
We lucked into a great day of weather for hiking, with very little wind and cool temps.
Success at the summit.
Nancy thought she would never climb Mt. Whitney in her life, and was so amazed to make it to the summit that she actually shed a few tears.
The Smithsonian Institution Shelter.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Smithsonian Institution Shelter at the summit. When we got our permits in Lone Pine, they gave us a couple of granola bars to commemorate the event.
Pre-newlyweds! It’s all downhill from here.
We used this special occasion for another special occasion, exchanging rings and deciding on a date to get married.
As soon as we got done eating, the birds moved in to clean up the crumbs.
We spent less than an hour on the summit, since we wanted to get down before dark.
Traversing back along the crest.
For me, the hike down seemed a lot longer going down than coming up.
Back at Trail Crest, relieved to be done with the traverse.
It was a long, long, long hike down.
Nancy working her way down the switchbacks. The icy section is at about 12,700’.
Even the switchbacks seemed to go on forever. At times I began to wonder if we were still on the right trail.
Finally back at the trailhead, almost 16 hours after we started.
The hike down was harder than we expected on our old bones, took longer than we expected, and we had to put our headlamps on and hike for about an hour in the dark.
I think I was too tired to feel much of anything when we finally reached the bottom. Final tally: 22 miles of hiking and over 6,500 feet of vertical gained.
