Adventure 005, Hike 043-Day 24 of the JMT

On the way down

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 005, Hike 043-Day 24 of the JMT

Team: YOLT

Date:  July 19, 2013

Location: Inyo National Forest

Hike Info:

Trail: John Muir Trail from Trail Camp To Whitney Portal

Distance: 6.3miles

Duration: 3:59 Moving

Elevation Rise: Almost None'

Gary and Sherri completes our adventure

Description:
Today is a lazy day. We do not get out of bed until late. Then we take off around 10am. Such laziness! But well deserved. Today is almost all downhill. But somehow, it is tough. Maybe all of the excitement has worn off. Or maybe the body just aches. But we make it down to Whitney Portal, meeting our son down there. See our blog for more.

(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.)

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.)

Adventure 003, Site 049-Smithsonian Institute Hut

Gary in front of the Smithsonian Institute's Hut

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 003, Site 049-Smithsonian Institute Hut

National Registry of Historic Places ID: 77000119

Team: YOLT

Date:  July 17, 2013

Location:

Coordinates: 36°34′43″N 118°17′32″W

Address: Lone Pine, California-nearest city

Description:

Date Built: 1909

Architect: Dr. William W. Campbell

We made it! All the way to the top of Mt Whitney. We knew that the Hut was up there on the summit-Gary even has been inside the hut way back in 1969, while Sherri's previous climb was limited to seeing the outside of the hut, as it is this time. Today, we put our names into the registry by the hut and enjoy the sight.



The official name of the hut is the Mount Whitney Smithsonian Institution Shelter. It was built to shelter supplies and equipment for the Mars observation of that year. Also it would shelter workers during storms—which is a bit ironic since there are signs around the hut now saying do not go into the hut during storms. You may be hit by lightening. But before that, Mt. Whitney was a militaty reservation to study weather. Today, we study weather from high flying planes, but back then, Whitney was the best you could do.



References:

• Yuba Net – 100 Year Celebration
  
• Smithsonian Magazine article-August 27, 2009
  
• Sierra Nevada GeoTourism
  
• Wikipedia
  
• National Registry of Historic Places: Documentation and Pictures
  

Overall Landmark References:

• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
  

Adventure 182-Reach the Peak

Gary and Sherri on top of Whitney

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 182-Reach the Peak

Team: YOLT

Date:  July 17, 2013

Location: Inyo National Forest

Description:
This adventure says for us to Read The Peak, Any Peak Will Do. But not for team YOLT. We want to cap off our experience with THE PEAK. And what peak will that be in California? Why the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. That will be Mt Whitney. This was the penultimate of our JMT Trip, 211 miles of walking to reach this point. For more, see our blog.

Adventure 011, Tagged Person 035, Evan

Evan, Gary and Sherri approaching Purple Lake

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 011, Tagged Person 035, Evan

Team: YOLT
Date:  July 2, 2013
Location: Duck Creek

Description:
We met Evan at Duck Creek. He hiked with us for a ways to Purple Lake, where He and Nicole took off. But before he did, we found out that he and his hiking partner was doing pretty good. But at Red's Meadow, his partner decided to quit the Trail. So Evan was working on doing the trail by himself. See Adventure 005, Hike 027 .

Adventure 005, Hike 027 – Deer Creek to Virginia Lake

Evan, Gary and Sherri approaching Purple Lake

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 005, Hike 027 – Deer Creek to Virginia Lake

Team: YOLT
Date:  July 2, 2013
Location: Inyo National Forest

Hike Info:
Trail: John Muir Trail – Deer Creek to Virginia Lake
Distance: 9.9 miles
Duration: 4:57 Moving
Elevation Rise: 2,089'



Description:
Our caravan of hikers has its parade rained and thundered upon. But we pick up another person, Evan, before we separate off. But Sherri and Gary stop at one of the prettier lakes along the way. Read about our trail on our blog.

Adventure 005, Hike 026 – Island Pass to Trinity Lakes

After climbing a saddle

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 005, Hike 026 – Island Pass to Trinity Lakes

Team: YOLT
Date:  June 30, 2013
Location: Inyo National Forest

Hike Info:
Trail: John Muir Trail – Island Pass to Trinity Lakes
Distance: 11.5 miles
Duration: 5:51 Moving
Elevation Rise: 1,772'

Start of day with Gary

Description:
What a glorious sunrise—to make the majestic sunset of the previous night. But this hike today is a series of ups and downs . Each by themselves is not terrible, but put together, they tend to be grueling. But there is some pretty good country out there to match the hardness of the trail. Read more in our trail blog.

Adventure 011, Tagged Person 024-Terri F

Ranger Terri F and Gary

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 011, Tagged Person 024-Terri F

Team: YOLT
Date:  June 30, 2013
Location: Shadow Creek

Description:
We had stopped for lunch at Shadow Creek when we noticed a trail crew working close by. Gary went over and talked with them, wondering if they had worked the downed trees from the previous year—yes and no. The no, they had not, but their company had. A few minutes later, Terri F, the wilderness ranger for Inyo National Forest came over to make sure everything was ok. We started talking, after she checked our permit. She, like other wilderness rangers, was a good source of information and friendly to boot. Enjoyed talking with her. See Adventure 006, Ranger 03 .

Adventure 006, Ranger 03 - Inyo National Forest

Ranger Terri F and Gary

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 006, Ranger 03 - Inyo National Forest

Team: YOLT
Date:  June 30, 2013
Location: Shadow Creek, Inyo National Forest

Description:
We had stopped for lunch at Shadow Creek when we noticed a trail crew working close by. Gary went over and talked with them, wondering if they had worked the downed trees from the previous year—yes and no. The no, they had not, but their company had. A few minutes later, Terri F, the wilderness ranger for Inyo National Forest came over to make sure everything was ok. We started talking, after she checked our permit. She, like other wilderness rangers, was a good source of information and friendly to boot. Enjoyed talking with her.

As a note, a couple of weeks later, when we came down from Whitney, we met her supervisor, Margaret.

Adventure 011, Tagged Person 034, Nicole R

Gary and Nicole R on top of Donohue Pass

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 011, Tagged Person 034, Nicole R

Team: YOLT
Date:  June 29, 2013
Location: Donohue Pass

Description:
We met Nicole a little before Donohue Pass, where we all were crossing on outlet to a glacial pond. Then caught up to her at Donohue Pass, where this picture was taken. During the next week, we would meet up with her off and on until she finally passed us for good at Goddard Creek See Adventure 005, Hike 024 .

Adventure 005, Hike 024 – Lake 10,185' to Island Pass

Gary and Nicole R on top of Donohue Pass

Capture California, the Game-2013
Adventure: 005, Hike 024 – Lake 10,185' to Island Pass

Team: YOLT
Date:  June 29, 2013
Location: Yosemite NP and Inyo National Forest

Hike Info:
Trail: John Muir Trail - Lake 10,185' to Island Pass
Distance: 6.7 miles
Duration: 4:37 Moving
Elevation Rise: 1,440'



Description:
This day, we left Yosemite National Park by passing through Donohue Pass. Then descending through the Rush Creek basin and then climbing up to Island Pass. A very good day, especially since we climbed the first of the major JMT passes and met a new friend along the day. Read more in our blog.