DAY ONE
Most of the day, beginning at 0530 hrs, was consumed by the eight hour
drive from Davis to Lone Pine. Since I essentially went to bed after having lunch with my Dad in Lone Pine, it seems like a better decision to say a few things about Mount Whitney
The mountain is the the tallest in the lower 48 states, and currently there are four ways to reach the peak. From the east, the trek takes about 6 days, and spans over 70 miles. One may also take the mountaineering route and climb up the face directly, which is by far the shortest route. There is one other lesser known path, but our group decided to take the most popular route, The Mount Whitney Trail. This path has an elevation range of 6,000 feet over the course of the 22.4 mile journey.
I tried to find the distances between the landmarks, so that I could show you an elevation profile, but that data seems to be beyond my googling skills right now, so the topo map above will have to do for now.
Interestingly, the Inyo National Forest website mentioned that so many people visit this place, that last year alone the hikers packed out 1.3 TONS of human waste! In case you were wondering, the peak is named after Josiah Whitney, chief inspector of the California Geological Survey in late 1800's when the mountain was first scaled. Prior to 1861, Mount Shasta was believed to be the tallest mountain in the United States. It stands 14,496 feet above sea level.
Like most of the Sierras, it is an absolutely breath taking place, as you will see tomorrow. Even my amateur photography skills had a difficult time taking a bad picture...
drive from Davis to Lone Pine. Since I essentially went to bed after having lunch with my Dad in Lone Pine, it seems like a better decision to say a few things about Mount Whitney
The mountain is the the tallest in the lower 48 states, and currently there are four ways to reach the peak. From the east, the trek takes about 6 days, and spans over 70 miles. One may also take the mountaineering route and climb up the face directly, which is by far the shortest route. There is one other lesser known path, but our group decided to take the most popular route, The Mount Whitney Trail. This path has an elevation range of 6,000 feet over the course of the 22.4 mile journey.
I tried to find the distances between the landmarks, so that I could show you an elevation profile, but that data seems to be beyond my googling skills right now, so the topo map above will have to do for now.
Interestingly, the Inyo National Forest website mentioned that so many people visit this place, that last year alone the hikers packed out 1.3 TONS of human waste! In case you were wondering, the peak is named after Josiah Whitney, chief inspector of the California Geological Survey in late 1800's when the mountain was first scaled. Prior to 1861, Mount Shasta was believed to be the tallest mountain in the United States. It stands 14,496 feet above sea level.
Like most of the Sierras, it is an absolutely breath taking place, as you will see tomorrow. Even my amateur photography skills had a difficult time taking a bad picture...
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