6/13/20, mile: 767, elevation: 10,643 ft.
Four am departure for Whitney. It’s freakin’ cold AND dark. Five others depart with me for the 8-mile hike/climb to the summit. For the majority of the hike, it’s straightforward, just keep walking uphill. One of the nice things about this little side trip is that I leave almost all of my stuff at camp, so my pack is SOOO light. What a relief. I try to pace myself but at the same time I want to make sure the snow conditions don’t deteriorate while I’m on the mountain. The others seem to maintain the same spacing ahead of me, so at least they give me something to aim for. Once past the turn off to reach the summit, the snow starts to appear on the trail. It’s nice and firm, so the microspikes really work well. On one segment, the runout of the snow patch is ugly looking enough for me to put my ice axe into my hand. Yes, it takes time to get it off my pack, but it’s a worthless tool when strapped back there. And lets not forget the altitude. Breathing is certainly getting hard and a slight headache is coming one. I snack and drink as I go to try to stay ahead of the altitude issues, but it’s hard when it’s so cold and the clock is ticking.
The last stretch is just a snow covered slope, the trail almost completely covered. Me and others just march up the slope, making sure that the microspikes get a good purchase. It’s exhausting. Every couple of steps, I stop to catch my breath, but then get cold and have to move on again. The sun is rising, but we’re in the shadow of the mountain. What few sun spots we get we take some time to gather the solar energy, but the clock keeps ticking.
Finally at the top, I’m an emotional wreck. I can’t believe I did this. It’s a beautiful day, and it’s only the six of us at the top. Due to my emotional state, I kinda stay away from the others, instead hiding behind some of the boulders to get out of the wind yet sit in the sun. It’s still below freezing up here, despite the sun and the time approaching 10am. I get some obligatory pictures, make some calls (choking through my tears again), then finally sit against the hut to eat some food. Despite sitting in the sun, my water bottle still starts to freeze. I’m better off than some of the others using a hydration bladder; their hoses froze solid. Around 10, the others have had enough of the cold and depart. I’m all alone on the summit of Mt. Whitney now. It’s eerie. It’s awesome. It’s also cold. I stay for another 30 minutes or so and then start the mad dash down the mountain.
The snow is still hard, so no glissading for me. It’s so much easier hiking downhill and I’m able to shave some time. I don’t really take a break, but just keep hiking for the 4-hour return trip (vs. the 5-ish it took to go up). I’m tempted to take a break, but I’m also starting to think of the rest of this Sierra journey. There’s a lot more to come, I can’t get caught up in relaxing too much on trail.
Back at camp, we all tell our stories, talk to the new hikers to give them the beta on the mountain conditions. After a 16 mile day and an early start, I’m exhausted. I lie in my tent, but don’t really sleep, but the rest is still nice. Tomorrow I head for Forester Pass, the highest point on the PCT.
Savior out.
Congrats Ron hell of an accomplishment. Erin Beavers
Sorry I accused you of quitting. Congrats on the progress so far and Whitney
Reminded me of the times we did Whitney in Boy Scouts. Enjoy your trip to Forester Pass.