White Baldy Elev 11,321' via Red Pine Lake

I was really excited to give White Baldy a try. A week ago, I hiked Pfeiferorn with Liz Kapcsos and while I was hiking, I made sure to scope out the route to White Baldy, as those two mountains share a ridge line. From the looks of it, White Baldy seemed like it would be quite a bit shorter and easier than Pfeiferhorn...boy was I in for a surprise!

The first 4 miles of the White Baldy hike uses the same trail as Pfeiferhorn, the Red Pine Lake trail. To get there, drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon until you come to a sign marking the White Pine Trail head on the right side of the road, about .7 miles before the Snowbird Ski Resort, and about 5.2 miles up canyon.

I parked in the parking lot at 8:59 am, got my gear together, and hit the trail at 9:03. The trail starts past the restrooms on a paved trail that looses elevation (don't worry, you'll gain it right back) for the first 100 yards or so until it crosses the stream on a nicely built bridge. Once across the bridge turn right and start up an old jeep road for a mile or so until you come to the trail junction sign, marking the Red Pine Lake and White Pine Lake split off.

You can actually get to White Baldy using either approach, but I chose the Red Pine Lake approach since that's the route I scoped out the week before, and because Red Pine Lake is the most beautiful lake I've ever come across. The Red Pine Lake trail leaves the jeep road and starts up a single track that crosses the river on another steady bridge.

The trail heads west from here and in about a half mile more, you are rewarded with amazing views down Little Cottonwood Canyon and into the Salt Lake Valley. Up to this point the trail has been on a nice grade, but now get ready for heavy breathing and throbbing muscles as the grade steepens. It was on this next portion of the trail that I saw 2 moose on the way down from Pfeiferhorn the week before. After a mile of steep hiking, the junction with the Maybird Gulch trail joins on the right and crosses a small stream on a footbridge. Continue straight.

The grade eases for a while as the trail meanders through meadows, and pines, before steepening again. After 3.5 miles from the trail head, the spectacular Red Pine Lake comes into view at about 9500 feet. I could write a whole post just on this lake, and maybe I will, but as this is about White Baldy, a short description will do. Red Pine Lake is a pretty emerald color but yet it is so crystal clear that it is easy to spot trout swimming up to 30 feet away in the lake and a few feet under water. The lake is dotted by pine trees on the north,west, and south sides, a rock slide on the southwest, and a steep meadow sloping down towards the lake, which the trail goes through, on the east.

Once at the lake, stop and take a moment to look at the mountains and ridges in the background. White Baldy is visible off to the left (east) side of the lake high above and the ridge you must climb to get there is right behind the lake on the other side. It is good to get your bearings at this point as the trail going up the ridge line is sporadic at best. Sometimes there are a few different trails that all seem to go in different directions, but they all end up in the same spot. But knowing where you need to end up makes it easier on the psyche.

I took the trail around the Lake on the east and peered down into the clear lake and spotted many fish swimming nearby. I noticed 3 hikers just up ahead of me and wondered where they were off to. As I came to the south side of the lake, Neil, one of the hikers, asked if I knew how to get to upper Red Pine Lake. I told him that I was headed in that direction and that they were welcome to come along. As it turns out, Bryce, another hiker, and I had a friend in common from my Thanksgiving Point days. The third hiker was a lady named Whitney. Our conversation had led me to mention that I had seen 2 moose last week on this trail, and they then informed me that they had just had an encounter with 2 moose not long before Red Pine Lake. We hiked up the steep trail, which crosses the small stream feeding into Red Pine Lake, for about a half mile and then I pointed them off to the left to reach the Upper Lake while I continued on the trail to get to the top of the ridge.

Once to the top of the ridge, I was greeted by a meadow which just a week earlier was filled with streams and rivers but which now was all but dried up. I could believe the difference a week made. I was also greeted by the daunting sight of White Baldy to the left and the summit ridge I would have to climb. Truthfully, it looked like a piece of cake from the spot I was at. I picked the low spot on the summit ridge relatively straight ahead and a little left and started crossing the meadow to reach the start of the boulders. (The route to Pfeiferhorn turns right on the ridge and continues ascending that ridge to the Pfeiferhorn summit ridge).

From here, it's a boulder hop for a while, stepping from boulder to boulder until finally, the grade steepens and using hands becomes a necessity. I should mention that once you start crossing the meadow, there is no trail from that point on and it becomes a route finding mission, which is pretty straight forward considering the goal is in sight. The final 30 or so feet is steep and I was beginning to wish I had stashed my trekking poles earlier so I could have both hands free for climbing.

As it turned out, I made the summit ridge at about 10,500', stashed my poles, turned left and started the class 3 climb. It really isn't that far of a climb and it doesn't seem that it should be that hard, but it seemed to take forever. I stayed on the ridge for the most part, bypassing any obstacles on the south side. A couple of times I had to back track as I had led my self into a class 4-5 situation. And while I'm always up for an adventure, I'm in no hurry to die. As I was climbing on the ridge I noticed movement in the cirque to the south. I looked and noticed that I had spooked a red fox and it was hurring down the rocks until it felt that it was safely out of danger.

I reached the false west summit first. From this point to the base of the White Baldy is more of a gentle class 3 or hard class 2 hike. Once to the base of the summit, class 3 climbing begins once again for just about 40 feet to get to the summit.

Once on the summit I signed the register which was nicely contained in a awesome mailbox. The last person who had summited White Baldy had done so 3 days prior and only about 30 people had summited all year; one of whom was Randy Winters - the Author of "Wasatch Eleveners," the book I read to research all my hikes. He had summited on July 14th.

I took pictures with my phone as I realized that I had forgotten to charge the battery in my camera so it wouldn't even turn on...Then I ate a couple of granola bars and pretzels and just took a while to enjoy the views of Red Pine and White Pine Lakes and all the surrounding peaks and valleys. I spent a half hour on the summit and headed down about 12:45.

On the way down the summit ridge, I once again noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and looked down and spotted a bighorn sheep just about 60 feet below me, looking back up at me. I watched him for a good amount of time and his hooves clicked on the boulders and he made his way over to a remaining patch of snow where he ate a little of it then scratched his head with one of his hooves just as a dog would. It was amusing, but I decided I better get a move on.

Again I stayed on the ridge proper for the most part occasionally dropping down on the south/west side. The problem was I got too low off the ridge and had to climb steeply up loose dirt to get back up to the ridge. Once I had done so, I realized that I had overshot the spot where I had stashed my poles so I climbed back on the ridge top to find them. I located them and started down.

Down climbing the loose rocks and talus was treacherous in spots and I fell on my back side on a few occasions. But I finally made it back to the meadow, then Red Pine Lake. I spotted a fisherman on the north side of the lake and stopped for a second to talk with him. It turned out that he normally catches rainbow trout at Red Pine but has heard that there are also some cutthroat in there too. He hadn't caught anything yet today though.

I finished talking and descended the remaining 3.5 miles without incident. Overall, it took me 6 hours and 25 minutes and it was about 10.5 miles round trip.

Below: White Baldy as seen from Pfeiferhorn...

Below: Red Pine Lake from the ridge...

Broads Fork Twin Peaks elev 11,330' via the North Ridge Robinson Variation

Back up in northern Utah and time for another hike! I decided on Broads Fork Twin Peaks. After reading about 3 different ways to summit, I decided on the Robinson Variation of the Broads Fork Trail head because it sounded like the safest route, and perhaps the easiest.

I left my Layton apartment a little after 8:00 am and reached the Mill B South Parking area at 9:01. The trail to Broads Fork is at the west end of the parking lot, marked by a small sign. There was also another paved path and restrooms at the east end of the parking lot. When I arrived, there were a half dozen or so cars in the parking lot, all of which were parked at the east end, so I figured I'd have the trail to myself. I was right!

I got my gear together and started up the steep trail at 9:06. The trail climbed steeply at first, and although I figured the grade would be more severe than I had been on for a while, I hoped it would ease a little from how it started. Broads Fork gains 84% of the total elevation gain of Mt Whitney, but in 1/3 of the distance, which means I was in for a steep trail...

I came to a small sign marking the Twin Peaks Wilderness area after a quarter of a mile on the left and then another large sign marking the same thing after 1/3 of a mile on the right. I could hear the sound of a large river up ahead, and soon the trail steepened and led me to a sturdy bridge that I used to cross it. The water flowing over the rocks from up above was a pretty sight so I took a picture and got on my way!

In reading about this route, I read that the trail split after 2.2 miles in a meadow, but I encountered the first of a couple of trail splits prior to entering a "meadow" and after almost 2.0 miles and an elevation of about 8300 feet. The right fork of the trail is the Robinson Variation which leads off to the right side of the "meadow" (no grass, just plants) and into the east facing couloir. The left fork of the trail is the standard Broads Fork route.

I went right and followed a faint trail through intermittent willows and over boulders. A short distance after the first trail split, it split again. Again, I took the right fork as the left fork appeared to go towards the middle of the meadow. In places, I followed cairns to stay in the proper direction. To this point, the trail was very well defined and easy to follow.

Just through the meadow, I looked over to the left to see if I could spot the other trail. I noticed a large lake that I hadn't seen before and was also able to spot the other trail on the opposite side of the meadow.

By this time, I made it to a rock slide at about 8600 feet elevation in the couloir and saw cairns above. From here the trail just follows the rock slide up to the ridge for about a mile and 1500 vertical feet higher. It is very steep climbing. At first, the rocks are bigger and it's more of a rock hopping trek, but as I got higher up, the rocks became smaller and more loose and would slide with every step. The advantage of this portion of the hike is there are a ton of raspberry plants growing, so when I needed a break, I stopped for a second to refuel on raspberries.

The point to aim for on the ridge is on the right hand side, which is the low point at about 10000 feet elevation. Once I reached the top, I had my first views into the salt Lake Valley. They were amazing views! I took in the scenery, stashed my hiking poles, and then turned left and followed the ridge, dropping about 40 feet below it to the east (left) to avoid overly technical climbing. I read that parts of the remaining trek would be class 3 so I knew I would need both hands free to aid with climbing.

I made my way to the ridge top again so I could get my barrings and see about how far I had to the summit. When I got back to the ridge, I was surprised to see how close the Twin Peaks were, but also at how daunting the remainder of the route looked! I also noticed some scary storm clouds forming to the north and could see visible rain in the distance coming down from the clouds.

At one point, I couldn't see a possible way to continue because the route seemed to be blocked by pine trees along the ridge. But as I explored further, I saw that if I crossed a small chute, a slight climbers trail led through the trees and on towards the summit. I crossed the chute and made my way through the trees. I had no sooner done so than I was greeted with the sound of rolling thunder to the north.

I looked over at the clouds and then over at the summit not far away. Surely I could make it there and back before the storm arrived - if it even would arrive. I picked up some pine needles and threw them in the air to check the direction of the wind. The wind was blowing the storm away from me. I still couldn't make up my mind. I started taking a few steps toward the summit along the trail and then thought of my kids, stopped, and turned around to head back.

It was so frustrating to have struggled for so long up that vertical rock slide just to be forced back before reaching my goal. But I was glad I turned around soon enough. As I got back to where I stashed my hiking poles, more thunder rang out and it started hailing. By this time, I realized that I was not in a good place - a high, exposed mountain ridge in the middle of a lightning storm. I hunkered down for a little while and ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and tried to wait a bit for the storm to pass.

It stopped hailing for a second so I decided it was time to make my move and start my decent down the rock slide. As soon as I started, it started raining on me, making what big rocks there were, among all the little ones, that much more slippery. I got about a quarter of the way down and heard more thunder in the vicinity of the Twin Peaks Summit. I quickened my pace and finally reached the bottom of the rock slide.

I lost the trail and bushwhacked my way through dense bushes until I reconnected with it a short time later. As I reached the meadow, this time a loud crack of thunder sounded from right behind me in the coulier. Nothing gets my adrenaline flowing like being chased out of the mountains by thunder and lightning. I hurried back down the trail, all the while hearing loud crackles of thunder behind me. I finally made it back to my car at 2:27 after 5 hours and 21 minutes and 7.55 miles of hiking.

Deer Trap and Cable Mountain, Zion National Park

A week after my Mt Whitney summit, I thought it was time for another hike! A good neighbor friend of mine, Matthew Arscott, wanted to do Cable Mountain so Cable Mountain it was!

Cable Mountain has, in my opinion, the best views of anywhere in Zion National Park. The view down on Angels Landing, The Organ, and Big Bend are amazing!

We left the house at 9:00 and after arriving at Zion and getting on the Shuttle, we arrived at the Weeping Rock stop, the start point for the East Rim trail and Cable Mountain, at 10:30.

We started quickly up the trail and I was quickly informed of Matthew's desire to do both Cable and Deer Trap mountains, and, if we had time, Observation Point. Knowing that Cable Mountain by it's self is 15.5 miles, I had to wonder if maybe time would change his mind...

We made our way up the switchbacks to Echo Canyon and did a little exploring there. I had explored Echo Canyon just a couple weeks earlier and had to wade through a couple of deep pools of water. It was amazing that one of those pools had completely dried up and another was significantly lower in just 2 weeks!

We continued on until we came to the turn off to Cable Mountain which is marked by a sign. Prior to getting to the junction, we looked up and saw the cable works not too far away. It was frustrating to know that we had to walk miles around the back of the mountain to get there when it looked so close.

We took the Cable Mountain trail to the right and continued on our way. We seemed to be heading in the opposite direction of Cable Mountain for miles, but it was a necessary evil to get back up and around the canyons near Cable Mountain.

There is a short portion of the trail that follows rock cairns which was the first time that Matthew had to locate the cairns to follow a trail. By this time, my hips were already getting sore. I obviously don't have the same quick recovery time I used to have!

We finally came to the turn off to Cable and Deer Trap mountains. Stave Spring is just about 150-200 yards past the turn off and as we were getting a little low on water, we decided to head up there and check it out and also fill up a couple water bottles. The cold water was flowing steadily out of the pipe that had been stuck in the ground to help with the access. We filled up our bottles and made our way back down to the junction.

After about a mile and some time exploring a small waterfall along the way, we came to the spot where the Cable Mountain and Deer Trap Mountain trails split. Matthew wanted to do Cable Mountain for sure, so we headed that way first. After another 2 miles we arrived at the newly remodeled cable works at 2:44. Some time between this summer and last, a restoration project had been done on the cable works which was obvious from the new lighter colored beams in place. Also, the cables were removed from the structure.

We ate some snacks and enjoyed the awesome drops - about 2000 feet straight down - before leaving about 3:00. As we were leaving I was trying to figure out how I could convince Matthew that we should head back instead of trying to tackle Deer Trap Mountain too, but he was so excited to try it. So when we came back to the cable/deer trap junction, after asking him what he wanted to do, he predictably wanted to do Deer Trap Mountain.

The Deer Trap Mountain Trail is much more overgrown and less used then the Cable Mountain Trail. I was wishing I had worn pants as my legs were getting whipped by the tall grass overlying the trail. We had to go up and over 2 small draws and my legs felt every step. Finally at 4:45 after about 3 miles, we came to the edge of Deer Trap which gave us a great view of Zion Lodge below and to the north. We were both shocked to see that we had come so far south, especially considering the fact that the Weeping Rock trail head is two stops past the Zions Lodge stop!

We snapped some pictures but knew we needed to hurry back so we didn't run out of daylight. So we left at 4:52 to make our way back. Thunder started cracking around us in the distance and it started to drizzle here and there which felt good. As the thunder got closer, we reviewed lightning safety procedures and quickened our pace.

My legs were definitely not so politely reminding me that I had just hiked Mt Whitney a week ago and I knew that Matthew's had to be screaming at him too. But we pressed on making really good time.

We got back to the Weeping Rock shuttle stop just before the shuttle arrived at 7:47 and made it back home just before 9:00 after 21.5 miles and a full 12 hour day!

Mt Whitney Elevation 14,497' Highest point in Continental US

At 14,497 feet in elevation, Mt Whitney is the highest point in the Continental US. The 22 mile hike can be a daunting 1 day attempt, but it was worth every second.

Mt Whitney had been on my list of hikes to do for quite some time and with free time right now, I thought I better give it a shot. Obtaining a permit was quite a process. I missed the February lottery system for giving out permits which meant that all 160 spots per day were completely filled from July through September. The Ranger told me that there were occasional cancellations, so between checking the Mt Whitney website and constantly calling in to find out about any last minute cancellations, I was pretty much on a first name basis with the staff…

I ended up getting the permit about 5:15pm on Tuesday for Friday of the same week. So I determined that I would leave the next morning so that I could get somewhat acclimated to the altitude.

I left about 9:15 Wednesday morning and got to Lone Pine to pick up the permit at the ranger station/information center at the corner of Hwy 395 and Hwy 136 at about 3:15 (2:15 CA time).

As a child, my family loved to vacation at Rock Creek, just about an hour and a half north of Lone Pine and at an elevation of 9750 feet. I decided that it would be a fun trip down memory lane, a great way to get acclimated, and a good way to take a short day trip the next day to Yosemite.

After spending the next day in Yosemite, I drove back to Lone Pine that night and tried, to no avail, to secure a camp sight at the Whitney Portal. The Whitney Portal Campground is located adjacent to the trail head to Mt Whitney, up Whitney Portal road – the only road with a stoplight in town. The camp sites were all taken there so I went back down 2000 feet in elevation to Lone Pine Camp Ground at 5900 feet.

I set up camp and got to bed early, as I knew I would have to get up early the next day to make the attempt on Whitney. I had read that only 1/3 of the hikers that attempt to summit each day make it. That number seemed incredibly low to me, but I would find out why the next day!

I woke up at 4:53, took down camp by 5:35, and arrived at the trail head (elev 8360 ft) where I had to park in the overflow parking, at 5:53. I started on the trail at 6:01 and it was already starting to get light outside. The trail head is easy to spot located by a strange looking wood structure on the North (right) side of the parking lot as you’re driving in. Restrooms are located just across the road from the trail head and there is a little store just up the road a few hundred feet.

As I started hiking, I realized that it wasn’t nearly as cold as I expected it to be, and I quickly shed some layers of clothing. As the sun crested the White Mountain range to the East, the suns rays seemingly turned the pine forest a brilliant orange color, and I was already remembering how beautiful the High Sierras were.

I quickly came to and crossed a small creek on my way to the North Fork Creek Sign about 1 mile into the hike. I arrived at the creek at 6:22 and my GPS marked the elevation at 8627’.

As I continued, I passed a sign indicating that I was entering the John Muir Wilderness and another sign with hiker information on it. Soon after this section of the hike, waterfalls dominated the landscape and the sound of the water crashing down dozens of feet could be felt throughout my body. The 2010-2011 winter saw record snowfall so the creeks were high and powerful.

My next point of interest I came to was Lone Pine Lake located at 9920’ and about 3.06 miles in, according to my GPS (My pre-hike research indicated that it was 2.8 miles and elevation 9900. As there was consistently a discrepancy in the mileage and altitude between my GPS and what I had read before I left, I’ll continue to put the researched value in parentheses after my GPS reading). Leading up to the lake is a unique and fun “train” of logs to aid in crossing a large, but shallow, stream/marsh. I never actually saw the lake as the main trail passes by on the North, but a sign marks the way down to the lake. I arrived here at 7:22.

Past the lake a few hundred yards is a sign indicating that I was about to enter the Whitney Zone. Hiking beyond this point requires a permit and all solid waste must be carried out with you in the baggies provided when picking up the permit. Although I had read that there are frequently rangers present checking for permits, there was not one there on my attempt. I noticed a drop in temperature as I entered a small canyon immediately past the lake and saw the first snow pack remaining from winter.

After another 30 minutes of hiking through more breathtaking scenery and rock hopping across another river, I came to Out Post camp, another primitive camping spot, which is marked by a sign. One of the first things I noticed was that the people camped there who were just getting up in the morning were limping around as if in considerable pain. I stored that memory away in my memory bank, and would reflect on it later… My GPS recorded the elevation as 10255’ (10400) and 4.33 miles (3.8).

After leaving the camp site, the trail once again meandered by a stream and waterfall which drained from Mirror Lake close above. The emerald colored Mirror Lake to me was the most beautiful lake I came to. The trail makes it’s way around and above the south (left) side of the lake and views of the lake got better and better as I hiked higher on the trail. At one point I lost the main trail on the way up for about 100 yards or so, but ended up back on the main trail before I knew it. I had no trouble staying on the main trail on the way back down. I arrived at Mirror Lake elevation 10554’ (10640) at 8:10 after 4.79 miles (4.0).

Just past Mirror Lake, I encountered the first of a few snow fields that I would have to pass through. It was pretty fun and easy going, and once past the snowfield, I came to a granite cirque filled with boulders with lush vegetation growing by the stream in the middle. After about ¾ of a mile, I came to Trail Side Meadow elevation 11242’ (11400) which is marked by a sign indicating that there is no camping in the area at 8:47 and 5.44 miles (5.0). This would have probably been the last reliable place to filter water in a drier year, but I was able to filter some later from snow melt because of the snow that still remained.

I hiked up through another snowfield to get up out of the cirque that contained Trail Side Meadow. Off to the south I saw Consultation Lake, which was still partially frozen, at 11670’. The trail doesn’t pass near the lake and as much as it would have been fun to go explore it, my tired body was telling me to keep moving. I arrived at Consultation Lake at 9:11 after 5.95 miles (5.5).

After another half mile, I came to Trail Camp, the camp that many hikers use as their base camp for their Whitney ascent. There were many tents set up, many on rock or half dirt half rock. The only spots for tents were extremely small. Trail Camp is located at an elevation of 11963’ (12000) and I arrived there at 9:33 after 6.44 miles (6.0). After not eating breakfast before I left, I was getting a little hungry so I took 20 minutes for lunch. As I ate, I could see people making their way up the infamous 97 switchbacks. It looked like a daunting task as they disappeared out of view for a while only to reappear a little later a lot higher up.

Once finished with my sandwiches, I followed the trail which took me through the camp in between two snowfields low on the opposite slope. I thought about trying to count the switchbacks at first, but then decided I’d need all my mind power to get through the climb at this high altitude. I decided to keep a slow and steady pace, only stopping to take pictures. This technique worked well as I passed many people on the way up. About a third of the way up, I couldn’t help but think about my Mom since she was the one that introduced me to the High Sierras and would have loved to have been on this hike with me. I’m sure somewhere she was smiling down on me.

The snow runoff created a large stream which at times disappeared under the rocks. The only way I knew it was there was because as I would walk over the rocks which it was flowing under, I could hear the loud rumbling of the water beneath me.

About halfway up the switchbacks, I came to a section of cable rails that I had seen on the internet as I had done research on the hike. Despite all the snow on other parts of the trail, there wasn’t as much as I expected at the chain section. Just previous to the chain section however, snow blocked the main trail. This added a little bit of adventure to the hike as I had to free climb about 10 feet to get to the beginning of the cable section. I was able to walk on rocky ground while not even touching the cables as the snow in this section which usually necessitates the cables was melted for the most part.

Shortly past the cables, I looked off to the right and realized that I had been steadily gaining elevation as the huge snow filled cirque immediately below Mt Whitney came to view. Although the 2 miles of switchbacks are uphill the whole way, it is a gentle grade and I didn’t stop at all other than to take pictures.

Just before reaching Trail Crest was the one treacherous snow field to cross. I didn’t realize just how treacherous until I was about half way across and thought, “I wouldn’t want to drop my hiking pole down there…” (off to the right was about a 60% grade down hundreds of feet, and although it was snow, it would have been impossible to stop without the proper gear). From that point on, I was extra cautious to take every step slowly along the foot wide slushy trail.

At 11:37, after 1 hour 38 minutes and 2.4 miles of switchbacks, I reached Trail Crest and had amazing views for the first time of Sequoia National Park to the west. A sign welcomes you to the top indicating the elevation to be 13600’ which was very close to what my GPS said – 13595’. However all the research I did on the internet said the altitude was really 13700’. Either way from this point on I would be relying on 1/3 less oxygen then I was accustomed to and the going would be a bit slower.

Immediately past Trail Crest the trail descends. I even wondered if I had somehow taken the John Muir Trail which I had read comes up from Sequoia National Park instead of the Whitney Summit Trail. But my fears were soon quelled as I came to the sign marking the junction of the Whitney trail with the John Muir Trail to the Crabtree Ranger Station – a back country ranger station located below in Sequoia National Park. I continued on the Whitney Summit Trail.

The views from the trail between Trail Crest and the summit were amazing! Guitar Lake down below really looks like a guitar! And once Mt Whitney comes into view, its giant gentle slope on the west side is revealed. Also visible was the summit hut. Despite the altitude, I received my second wind here and realized that I was so close to summiting the highest point in the continental US.

After continuing on the west side of the summit ridge for about a mile and a half, and crossing one last snow field, I reached Whitney’s west summit slope and quickly made my way up. I had my head down, trying to ignore the fatigue that was starting to set in when I looked up to see about 100 yards in front of me the same summit hut that I had seen earlier from the trail – only this time much bigger!

I had reached the tallest point in the continental US! It took me 7 hours and 15 minutes and 10.9 miles. The sense of accomplishment was great! I signed the summit register located just outside the hut and made a tribute to my mom with a comment I left in the space provided. I was one of the last to summit that day as I got started a little later than I had planned. I remembered that only 1/3 of those who try to summit everyday make it, but I was the 60th person to summit and there were a few other names after mine when I left.

The conditions on the summit were perfect – in fact, in all my summit attempts in my past, it was probably the warmest on Mt Whitney. To start the day I was worried about thunderstorms, which had started a wild fire 20 miles south just a week earlier. But this day there was not a cloud in the sky.

I took some pictures and looked around for 38 minutes on the summit, then I decided I better start heading down. The altitude was starting to have a little of an affect on me with a slight headache and by just slowing me down in general.

The trek back to Trail Crest seemed to take forever as would the remaining 8.8 miles. It had been a while since I had been on a long hike and my legs were feeling it. On the way back, near Lone Pine Lake, I spotted a deer just a few feet off the trail. It seemed to be pretty tame as it just allowed me to meander on by without so much as flinching.

I finally made it back to the parking lot with a ton of mosquito bites at 7:29pm. The final piece that made my trip complete, however, would take place as I returned to my car. Everywhere I camped there were bear boxes to keep your food locked up and away from the bears. I had overheard a few conversations about bears in the area and, in fact, when I picked up the permit, the ranger told me that they had been having trouble with a bear chasing hikers around their car to get their food as they were leaving for/returning from their hike.

Well, I hadn’t even seen a sign of a bear for the 2 days I had been up there, although I have to admit I was a little nervous to see if any damage had been done to my car since I had left food in the trunk (not advisable) because there were no bear boxes in the overflow parking that I could see. Anyway, just as I returned to the car, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye towards the middle of the parking lot.

As I looked up I muttered, “Oh boy…” There was a black bear walking and sniffing around the cars about 30 yards away from me. I quickly got the keys to my car out of my pack in case I needed to make a quick get away. My next move was to grab my camera. By this time, the bear ad disappeared from sight and I was a little nervous not knowing where it was and somewhat disappointed that I hadn’t been quick enough to get a picture.

Not to worry though – just as I had those thoughts, the bear appeared again and looked over at me and started walking in my direction. I quickly snapped a couple of pictures and jumped in the car. My adventure was now complete!

In total the hike registered 21.8 miles and took me a total time of 13 hours and 28 minutes. The scenery was breathtaking but the hike left me completely sore and drained, just in time for the 6 hour drive back to southern Utah.

Lone Pine Camp Site.

A waterfall that drains from Mirror Lake

Half moon visible through rock formations

Crossing one of the snowfields

There was another sign like this warning of lightning posted on the summit hut

A look at the gentle west slope of Mt Whitney in the distance as seen just past Trail Crest

Inside the summit hut

A look at the 97 switchbacks from the summit. If you look closely, they can be seen in the middle of the picture just above the snowfield.

Iceberg Lake from the summit

Guitar Lake (on the right). Looking into Sequoia National Park

A general overview look from the switchbacks looking back at where I had hiked. Trail Camp is below in the middle of the picture just to the right of the lake. The big Lake on the right is Consultation Lake. The small lake off in the distance is Lone Pine Lake.

A closer look at Trail Camp

And yet another closer look...

Mirror Lake from the trail above

The "where's waldo" picture. Also, Lone Pine Lake can be seen in the background.