Bob and Dave
at the Top

1987

Our Hike

We drove up to Lone Pine the day before and started our hike about 4 am after the drive up to Whitney Portal from Lone Pine.

I (Dave) had a horrible altitude sickness headache (easily the worst headache of my life) by the time we reached Trail Crest because of the lack of acclimatization and any thought of continuing up to the peak was  long gone.

We ate lunch and then Bob started towards the peak.  It was beyond belief to me that Bob actually intended to continue, but when I saw that he was actually going to the top I went with him.  If my brother was going to the top so was I.

We made it to the peak  in about two hours of tough hiking and we got back to Whitney Portal well after dark.

A few days later, Bob told me he couldn't believe I intended to go on to the top from Trail Crest.  He had a horrible altitude sickness headache and he was joking about continuing. When he saw that I intended to keep going he just went along, and that's how two mutually deluding brothers made it to the top in 1987.