-
Where I Was On Wednesday
-
13 Replies
-
That’s what I call getting high on the job.
-
I thought I sensed you looming over the other 300 million of us (and panting for breath)….
-
Cool! I’ve been near there many times, but I never did the hike. Now go drive 135 miles down to Badwater and take another shot…
Wow! The elevation is off by 13 ft. lol!
-
WOW!
Very nice. Did everyone make it up and down?
Any vista pics?
I am working in the northern area of the parish here and some of the elevations are up to 120 feet. or so
.:-)
-
> Very nice. Did everyone make it up and down?
>
> Any vista pics?Here’s the team — me, son Peter (12) and wife Kari — at the hut the Smithsonian built in 1908. You can see a bit of Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park off to the left.
Here’s Kari and Peter standing at the top with the Owens Valley behind them (east).
The peak is guarded by a very well-fed yellow-bellied marmot:
We did the hike as a 2-day backpack, overnighting at Trail Camp (12,000′) on the way up. We left camp at 6:00 a.m., got to the peak around 10:15, and headed down at 11:00. Packed up camp and headed down, down, down, arriving at the trailhead at 6:00 p.m., exhausted but happy.
I’ve done a fair amount of Sierra hiking, but have never before encountered a trail that is so relentless in its vertical direction. In the roughly 11 miles from trailhead to summit there are only a handful of descents, and only one of them — the short piece that goes on the west side of the ridge leading up to the summit — is more than a couple of hundred feet long. It’s a very well-designed trail with a modest grade, but it’s quite a workout on the way up.
As an aside, this is the first time I’ve backpacked in 30 years. I reluctantly made the decision to use hiking poles in an effort save my knees on the way down, and I’m now a convert. I don’t like carrying stuff in my hands when I hike, but the complete absence of sore knees made me a believer.
-
The hiking poles are a great idea. My wife wished we had them on the way down from Lassen Peak last weekend. The downward jarring on the knees even got to me a few years ago coming down from Half Dome in Yosemite.
Strange creatures we surveyors are, everywhere we go a photo is recorded of BM’s, Control Stations, or Section Corners…
Here’s on top of Lassen from Saturday…
And the family…
Did you have to obtain a permit thru a lottery for the Whitney climb?
-
> Did you have to obtain a permit thru a lottery for the Whitney climb?
Yes, we applied in February and were notified of the award in April or May. We timed the ascent so that it came right after our annual visit to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. Having slept at 8,500 feet and hiked between 10,000 and 12,000 feet for 9 days prior to the Whitney visit, we were in good shape and avoided any altitude sickness.
-
I have a picture of me on top of Whitney somewhere around here. I think I was 6 or 7, late 60s.
-
> I have a picture of me on top of Whitney somewhere around here. I think I was 6 or 7, late 60s.
We saw a family with a 7-year-old heading up to Trail Camp as we were leaving. It’s hard to say whether or not he’ll make it to the top, but some of those little guys have a ton of stamina.
Peter was the youngest person we saw at or near the top. He got a lot of strokes from adult hikers for making the climb. I expect the Karoly brothers got even more attention when they did it at an even younger age.
-
I tried to climb Mt. Democrat in Colorado last summer, it kicked my ____.
Your plan of working upwards in altitude is a lot smarter than starting at 5,000 feet and trying to climb to 14+ in one day. I made it too the 13k+ pass below the peak but decided it was the better part of valor to give up the attempt. A lot of people of all ages climb that one which is private land, believe it or not. But a lot of people camp at the 12,000 foot lake below the mountain for a night or two before attempting the peak.
We did Whitney from the backside so it was at least a 1 week trip but fun.
My Dad was an enthusiastic backpacker and back country fisherman. The fishing doesn’t really interest me because I don’t care for trout (maybe I’m weird).
-
I did a little backpacking last summer after at least 20 years break. I borrowed a backpack from a friend. The new form fitting backpacks are way better; I was surprised at how much easier it made it to carry the load.
The instrument backpack is terrible compared to a good backpack. The load is too far back and that was part of the problem with the old traditional packs.
I can carry the same load for miles more with a good backpack.
-
>The new form fitting backpacks are way better; I was surprised at how much easier it made it to carry the load.
Since I modified my ancient external-frame pack to carry GPS gear some years back, I bought a new internal-frame pack for this trip. There are some superlight packs available now, but they don’t seem very durable to me. I opted for a heavy (5 lbs. and change) but sturdy Kelty. In the photo below, taken near Trail Crest, it’s substantially unloaded, carrying only the stuff I needed for the climb to the top.
The pack doesn’t have a separate sleeping bag compartment, which is kind of a pain, but I’m very happy with the fit and performance. It was quite comfortable on the trip up the mountain, but I got a little careless when I packed up camp for the hike down and didn’t balance the load well (stupid heavy 3-person tent!). I had to stop a couple of times to fiddle with things because my back was complaining, but I was too tired to unpack everything and do it right. I just gutted it out and vowed to pay more attention to load distribution next time.
The other thing I vow to do is find a way pack lighter the next time we go out. I ended up with 43 lbs. on the way up and 37 lbs. on the way down, all for a one-night stay. That’s way too much for this 57-year-old 132 lbs. surveyor.
-
Outstanding Jim!
Congratulations, great adventure and achievement for your family!!!
This hike will stay with your son and family forever! Great memories!
thanks for sharing,
and representing the profession up there!
dla
Log in to reply.