MT. WHITNEY
This solo trip by Marc to Mount
Whitney started after work on Friday October 31, 1997. I made the drive
up from Southern California (Tustin) at around six. Normally this drive
up takes under four hours. This time I got stuck behind two slow moving
semi trucks and could not pass for the life of me. The goal for Friday
night was to reach Outpost Camp (3.8 miles in). After two hours of packing
it, lack of sleep was catching up with me so I made camp at Lone Pine Lake
(2.8 miles in). At seven in the morning I had the pack back on and I was
off. The temperature was quite surprising. The Ranger had told me to expect
daytime temperatures in the low 40's and nighttime temperatures at the
peak in the low teens with lots of wind. That night at Lone Pine Lake was
very comfortable I do not think it dropped below freezing. The trail from
Whitney Portal was quiet baron as I saw about ten to fifteen people each
day. 
Soon
after beginning the morning hike, I ran into my first group of people and
they kindly took my picture (short of Outpost Camp). After a short break
I was at it again. I continued until my next break at a small ice covered pond next to Consultation
Lake (12,039ft). It was time to top off the water; this was the last water
before the peak. I punched a snow hole in the pond with my waterproof boots
and dropped in the hose from my water purifier.
Then
I starting to enjoy a mouth full of pure mountain ice water. So much for
lives small wonders, I was in heaven.
All good things in life must come
to an end. I put the pack back on and started off on the next section.
The next section included an ice and snow covered group of 96 switchbacks
cover 2.2 miles and gaining over seventeen hundred feet. Deciding that
I did not want punish myself mentally, I did not count switchbacks.
More Mt. Whitney