Day ?- Mile 790: A Date with a Lady Named Whitney

Hey hey,

I'm back, I was reluctant to have to leave the mountains, but alas, I had to come to town to resupply so lucky for all you avid readers it also means I get a chance to update you on the comings and goings of our lives!

I have to begin by saying that the Sierra Mountains are absolutely amazing. When we first left Kennedy Meadows I was extatic to finally see grass again, after almost 2 months of being in the desert, seeing nothing but sand and scrub, lush green meadows were the stuff of dreams. But the Sierras delivered on the grass and much more. The hiking has been great, we've seen and experienced some pretty sweet stuff, we watched hundreds of cliff swallows jet in and out of little mud nests under a bridge, we've seen marmots and deers, and the most spectacular views of my life. But things really got good once we approached Whitney and the PCT joined with the JMT (John Muir Trail). It had been my plan since before coming out here to climb Whitney at night and watch the sun rise from the summit. We had fallen a little bit behind out planned pace however, and it didn't seem likely that the timing was going to work out, and we would have had to summit the mountain the next day. I must admit, I was pretty bummed about it. So I walked and I thought about it and decided that I wasn't going to pass up an experience like that. I decided to leave Jesse and the guys for a while, push to Crabtree Meadows where I would set up base camp, nap for a few hours and then push my way up the mountain at 1 am. And that's exactly what I did. Fortunately for me, even though my regular crew wasn't into the idea I wasn't alone in my endeavor. So I teamed up with Agassi, Snow Turtle, Bolt, Navi, Natty, Bacon Bit, Fall Risk, Hollywood and The Indiana Boys, we got as much sleep as we could manage, threw on our headlamps and made our way up the mountain. The trail we climbed was the easiest route up the mountain, but it was a steep 7 mile, 3000 foot climb. It was rocky, icy at points and we were in a race with the sun. On top of that, the thinning air really took a toll on me.  Breathing was more laboured, I suffered from bouts of dizziness and nausea and because of these things, I almost stumbled right off the edge of the mountain a few times. But I sucked it up, stayed determined and fought on. It was around 4:15 that I began to see light peaking over some peaks, and I still wasn't at the summit. So I put myself in high gear, pushed as hard as I've ever pushed myself and got to the summit as the clouds were just begining to turn orange. I had made it, I was the first one at the top (besides Itchy and Scratchy who were ballsy enough to spend the night up there and all that was left to do was sit and wait for the sun to really make an appearance.

I really have to say that this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I sat on the edge of the mountain 14,500ft above sea level, the highest point in the lower 48 states. I just sat and watched as the sun rose over the horizon, filling all the valleys and nooks, revealing an expanse of mountains all around me that I hadn't seen on the dark climb up. It was absolutely breathtaking. We all sat and relished in the view for a while but there was more hiking to do, so down I went. After a long labourour walk, and a lot a chats with day walkers and JMTers going up, I took a much deserved nap and continued on.

With Whitney behind me it was time to climb Forester pass, the highest point on the actual PCT and make my way through King's Canyon. What an amazing place it is. I have never seen water more beautiful in my life. It's an amazing shade of green and crystal clear. Seriously guys, words and pictures don't even do justice to the landscape I've had the priviledge to walk through. If you ever have the opportunity to hike the Sierras you have to all promise me you will take it. It will change your life. I could ramble on all day about it, but I need to find a hitch back up the mountains and get to the trail again. In a few days I will be in Mammoth Lakes where I will redevous with the guys and be joined by my girlfriend Kim. I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about then. So stay tuned.

Happy Trails,
Mike

Ps. I don't have many Whitney pictures because in the low light my Iphone pictures didn't really turn out. But once Kim joins me we will actually be able to take some decent pictures.

At the summit



Triumphant, waiting for the sun

View from the top

Forester Pass

Bullfrog Lake