Adventure 005, Hike 042-Day 23 of the JMT

On Top of Mt Whitney

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 005, Hike 042-Day 23 of the JMT

Team: YOLT

Date:  July 18, 2013

Location: Inyo National Forest

Hike Info:

Trail: John Muir Trail from Guitar Lake To Trail Camp

Distance: 9.41 miles

Duration: 6:52 Moving

Elevation Rise: 1,892' (we went up at least 3,500'-GPS is off)

Description:
Today is the day-the culmination of the last 22 days of walking the John Muir Trail. We will finish up on top of Mt Whitney, the tallest place in the continental United States.

Gary wakes up at 2:30 and watches the lights of other hikers climbing Whitney to see the sunrise. Sherri wakes up an hour later. Neither can get back to sleep. So by 4:30, we are up and eating breakfast. By 6, we are on the trail. The first 2,000' climb up to Trail Crest is surprising fast, maybe not easy, but we do better than we expected. So we decided to continue on to Whitney. The next 1,000' up has us huffing and puffing for two hours. How slow can we go? But we make it to the top and enjoy our well deserved time up there.

In talking with our son, he says that our daughter is coming over the High Sierra Trail to meet us. But we are two days ahead of schedule. So we are in a quandary about what to do. We decide to only come down as far as Trail Camp before heading out on the 19^th. For more, see our blog, like usual.

(As a note: As of Oct 31st, the blog entries has not been edited, nor pictures added for Days 15 through 24 of our JMT experience. We hope to have that done sometime in November--I said it would be done in August so do not hold your breath.)