August 19-How come nobody talks about Glen Pass?

Miles Hiked: 14.41  Total: 193.07
Elevation Gain: 4462 ft

“I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot. As long as I live, I will hear waterfalls and birds, and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of floods, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.”
~John Muir
SON OF THE WILDERNESS - pub. 1945

[John]
We probably should have taken a day off, but we both were looking forward to getting to Whitney and the real food, showers, and laundry we knew would soon follow. So, tired we may have been, but we kept at it.

It was a long 9 mile slog from where we camped to the summit of Glen Pass. A few miles into it, Christi threw down her poles and tossed off her pack, stating the obvious: “I’m sick of climbing!” A sentiment I certainly understood, but I would not have wanted to bother picking up my poles or pack had I elected to toss mine onto the ground.

Trail leading toward Glen Pass

We both found Glen Pass harder than expected, probably because nobody ever says anything about it. It was probably the long slog getting there, more than the boulder hopping at the top, but our trail friends, Karen and “kids” certainly agreed when we chatted on the descent.

Regardless, Rae Lakes were beautiful on the way up and we enjoyed a hot couscous lunch at the upper lake before hitting the switchbacks for the last couple miles. Well, maybe “enjoyed” is a bit strong for food of which we were both tired, but the weather, water, and views were great! And, the views at the top of Glen were to die for, looking down on Rae Lakes and back toward Pinchot Pass and looking southeast toward Forester Pass.

Looking down from Glen Pass trail

It was unusually dry and arid as we descended toward the Kearsage Pass Trail junction. We were concerned about water for a bit, but were able to resupply near the Bullfrog Lake Trail junction, were we took a break to have some gorp.  We met Sean then, who had taken a couple days off and was coming up from the Onion Valley trailhead. He was a really nice young man from Vermont who we would next encounter as we descended Whitney and we enjoyed sharing trail tales with him.

We found a nice campsite down by Bubbs Creek at Upper Vidette Meadow, did our “laundry” and took our “baths” before we enjoyed another “gourmet” couscous dinner (followed by hot chocolate!).  My feet were a lot better but still needed attention.  Regardless, I had a good night’s sleep.

[Christi]

Final climb to Glen Pass

John was up at 5:30am to treat his feet to get them as ready as possible for this day's hike. We still didn't break camp until 7:15am.

Though yesterday's Pass wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be, my state of mind is still not good. I think the minimal calorie intake we've had and the extreme exertion of climbing pass after pass, day after day, is getting to me. I'm tired. I fell stronger physically than when we started the trail but I'm so tired of climbing, climbing, climbing. I also know that Forester is looming and it is the tallest pass we'll go over before heading to Whitney. I'm just a little concerned about the snow and trail conditions there. I'm sure that's weighing on me, too.

At the top of Glen Pass looking back

But, there's no way out except under my own steam so I might as well make the best of it. We climb, climb, climb to Rae Lakes and are treated to a gloriously beautiful valley surrounded by towering mountains and filled with lovely lakes and waterfalls everywhere.

I'm feeling better now, less tired, and ready to take Glen Pass, if only to get us closer to the last pass, Forester.

At the top of Glen Pass, you could look down at Rae Lakes and the surrounding area and see the breathtaking panorama of mountains and lakes we'd just hiked through the previous few days.  What an accomplishment!

John's feet are better today and that he'd be able to get down Glen Pass and 6 miles beyond it to our campsite for the night.  Yet again, this trail has kicked our butts.  We made it to Upper Vidette about 5:30 PM, exhausted, sore, and hungry.  We quickly setup camp (we're Pros now!), I "cooked" dinner, and then we were off to bed to repair and prepare for tomorrow's Forester Pass.

August 20-Friendly Forester precedes cosmic loneliness

Miles Hiked: 12.19  Total: 205.26
Elevation Gain: 3620 ft

Trail leading up to Forester Pass

“Then it seemed to me the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light.” ~John Muir

MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA - pub. 1894

[John]
We began the 7 mile climb to Forester Pass early the next morning – had to have another hot chocolate to warm my frozen fingers, a common condition, particularly when I dipped my hands into the crisp, cold streams.

We met and hiked with Sondra as far as the “12.2” lake below the pass. She was a bit frustrated with her group, who she had agreed to reconnect with at the lake. They wanted to limit their hiking to around 8 miles per day, and Sondra preferred twice that, so she would regularly hike ahead and wait for them. Christi and I felt fortunate that we only had to negotiate the day’s hiking pace with each other and had been remarkably in agreement most every day.

Snow field leading to top of Forester Pass

Although the highest pass – 13,200 feet – Forester was pretty easy. The approach was slow and well graded, the switchbacks well engineered. There was a long, steep snowfield at the top, but it was well traveled and sufficiently soft by the time we hit it mid-day. It was windy as hell on top, so we didn’t linger too long, just enough to grab some photos, and enjoy some water and gorp.

The descent to our next camp just beyond Shepard Pass Trail junction was slow, long and mostly dry and desolate. My feet were much, much better, but by late afternoon, I was having feelings of “cosmic loneliness,” which I get those late afternoons whenever I feel a sense of loss and sun is waning. I was feeling sad that we were almost at the end of a very beautiful wilderness experience, although admittedly looking forward to fresh food, a hot shower, clean bed, etc.

[Christi]

The views, THE VIEWS!  Wow!  It just keeps getting better!  Forester Pass wasn't such a bad guy after all.  It gets much of the publicity for being tough but I think it's because it's so high.  Though there was snow near the top of the pass and it was steep, it wasn't too tough.  I'm feeling like a real Pro at this pass climbing now.  It feels really good to be here and now my attention turns to Mt. Whitney.

August 21-Staging for Mt. Whitney

Miles Hiked: 12.07  Total: 217.33
Elevation Gain: 2842 ft


“The mountains are calling and I must go...” ~John Muir

LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOHN MUIR

[John]
As always, we awoke to a beautiful morning, but it was chilly. When I went to the creek to wash my face and hands, there were icicles hanging from the nearby branches.

Knowing we were approaching the end and would soon be ascending Mt. Whitney, we were full of energy and decided we’d do the Whitney summit late that afternoon, provided the weather held AND we reached the Whitney Junction (about 900 feet below the summit) by 4 PM. At that time, this seemed very doable.

Camp at Guitar Lake - Mt. Whitney

Much to our surprise, we spotted Karen and “kids” in the distance by the lake as we went over the Bighorn Plateau, and we eventually connected somewhere later along the trail before the High Sierra Trail junction. We were glad to see they were okay as we had last seen them two days prior as we passed them descending Glen Pass. They’d been doing their usual late starts in the mornings (a source of much frustration to Karen and Heather), followed by hiking late into the evening before setting up camp for the night.

We also ran into Gimley and Jenny, who we hadn’t seen for nearly 10 days. They were headed down from Guitar Lake, having ascended Whitney the day before, on their way to complete their 60 mile High Sierra Trail add-on to the end of their journey. It was good to see them and share trail tales.

The heat of the day and continual climbing caused us to realize by mid-afternoon that we would not reach the Whitney Junction by 4 PM. So we reverted to our original plan to camp at Guitar Lake and ascend Whitney early the next morning. We reached Guitar Lake around 4:30 PM, found a campsite up by the “neck” and set up camp for the evening. It was crystal clear and we watched a glider circle the top of Whitney – must have been some view from up there.

Timberline Lake below Guitar Lake - Mt. Whitney in distance

I didn’t get any sleep that night because of my “altitude apnea,” which only affected me lying down – I would begin to drift asleep, but never get there as I would feel short of breath, become fully awake and repeat the cycle. Sitting up or walking was fine, being horizontal was the problem. Much to my surprise, there were some clouds that moved in around Whitney that night – not thunderclouds, just high ones.

[Christi]
Our camp was setup a little early so we didn't have to rush into the tent like most nights.

Tired...as usual...and not hungry for any of the food we had with us, I ate a little bit of cheese and called it dinner.  I made John his "last meal" of cous cous which he ate reluctantly. We both "bathed" in the lake nearby and thought about our final task, Mt. Whitney.  We were both quiet and pensive.  Not sure what to make of what we'd accomplished thusfar.  Too tired to think too much about it. The sun was waning, so we set out to try to get some sleep.  We knew we'd be getting up in the dark to start the trip up to Mt. Whitney so we figured an early night would be just the ticket.  I, of course, had no trouble falling asleep, and by John's account, I rattled the tent walls with my snoring!

He, on the other hand, had a terrible time trying to sleep (no, not just from my snoring!) because he seems to be unable to breath while lying down at high altitude.  Needless to say, he got no sleep this night. He made some hot chocolate about 2 AM, thinking it would help him relax.  Nope.  He tried sitting up and sleeping.  Nadda.  So by 3:30 AM or so, we decided it was time to pack up and get on up the trail.

August 22-Up Whitney then down, down...down to Whitney Portal

Miles Hiked: 15.1  Total: 232.43
Elevation Gain: 4934

"Doubly happy, however, is the man whom lofty mountain tops are within reach, for the lights that shine there illumine all that lies below”
~John Muir

STEEP TRAILS - pub 1918

[John]
We donned our headlamps, broke camp around 4 AM and started hiking by 4:30 AM.  We could faintly see occasional headlamps along the trail in the distance, some clearly ascending Whitney beyond the junction. It was nice and cool, which made the ascent to the junction easier.

Sunrise - Guitar Lake

We left our packs at the junction, removing the smaller upper bag on my pack, which we took along as a day pack with a liter of water, then climbed the trail from the junction to the summit, arriving there around 9:30 AM. I was clearly tired from the lack of sleep and relative lack of oxygen. I remember trying to figure out which letter came after Z, doing the alphabet backwards, as we slowly crept toward the top – wasn’t sure if it was X, Y, A, B or some other letter!

The exhilaration of being on top brought me out of my stupor. There were only 10 or 15 of us up there then, the weather was great – bright sun and no wind – and we could see for miles all directions. We really felt we were on top of the world – at least the continental US!

Not long after we got there, Toshio and Masao arrived. We took the opportunity to share some photos with them and offered to drive them down to Lone Pine that afternoon if they wanted to meet us at Whitney Portal. After lingering at the top for a half-hour or so, we headed back down to pick up our packs, running into both Karen and “kids,” Sean, and Sondra, who were all among the stream of hikers headed up.

The trail to/from Mt. Whitney

After picking up our packs at the junction, we made the final climb (150 feet or so) to the trail crest, and then began the L-O-N-G eight mile nearly 6,000 foot descent to Whitney Portal, arriving there, along with Toshio and Masao around 3:30 PM, followed soon thereafter by Sondra, who had delightedly decided to leave her slow group the day before.

That long descent was hell and it seemed like we’d never reach the destination. It was hot, our legs hurt, we were filthy, hungry and thirsty, and my bear canister was displaced, causing my pack to twist my spine. But we finally arrived, used the facilities, grabbed some cold juices at the store, found the car and started the drive down to Lone Pine.

Looking SW from Mt. Whitney summit

Lone Pine was hot in the afternoon sun – 103 degrees or some such – but we were able to get a room at the Dow Villa and took long showers before going to a Mexican food dinner with Toshio and Masao. Need I say we slept really well in bed that night?

And, ah, the breakfast the next morning – fresh orange juice, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns – yumm!

[Christi]
We broke camp about 4:30 AM and put our headlamps on so we could start our long ascent up the switchbacks to Whitney Junction where we'd finally leave our packs for the 1.9 miles climb to the top of Mt. Whitney. We arrived at the junction at 8:30 AM, 4 hours after breaking camp.  This was going to be a very long day.

At the junction, we put on our warm coats, hats, and gloves because it was freezing and the wind was very cold. We left our packs there and began our final ascent. At 9:30 AM we made it to the summit. An astounding view of...well...EVERYTHING was in full view. There was no wind and the day was clear and sunny. There were several people there when we arrived. One man I talked to said he had hiked all night from Whitney Portal to the summit that morning. What people won't do for excitement! We spent about 45 minutes at the summit and determined we needed to start our 8.5 mile descent to Whitney Portal if we were going to get out before dark.

This part of the trip would prove to be the most difficult. You don't realize how difficult going downhill can be until you do it ALL DAY with a pack on. By the time we made it to Whitney Portal at 3:30pm, John's back and feet were a wreck. I was truly worried about him. We'd not been eating well and he hadn't slept a wink the night before so I was concerned he was going to stumble or pass out.
Luckily, he made it to the end, mostly in tact. We were relieved to be done with this day but excited about what we'd accomplished, not only this day, but the entire trip. Surely this will take time to process and fully appreciate.

Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine

Was it worth it?

First day on the trail - August 5, 2011

[John]

Seems like a silly question at this point. Without question, this was the most exhilarating and satisfying physical – mental - outdoor experience I have had in my adult life. I’m especially grateful to have shared the experience with the woman I love.

Sure it was demanding, but the scenery was continually among the most spectacular we’ve seen, the constant sound of flowing, rushing (tasty) water a peaceful and welcome respite from the drone of civilization, and the genuine kindness and lack of pretension among the trail community restored our faith in humanity.

There’s no question, I would do it again. If you’re thinking about doing it, DO IT!

[Christi]

This was by far the most difficult physical thing I've ever done in my life!  It's also one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.

Someone asked me, shortly after we returned, if my relationship with my husband suffered during the experience. To tell you the truth I never gave it a thought that our relationship could suffer by the experience.  I guess I just expected we'd pull together and be stronger for it.  That's precisely what happened.  What I found was that we didn't function as individuals so much while on the trail. Instead,  we were a team that grew stronger and more in sync with each challenge and obstacle.  I don't think I've ever felt closer to him than while on the trail together.  An unexpected gift!

Another "bonus" was the feeling I had the days immediately following completion of the trail.  I don't think I was ever more centered, "present," and alive in my life than in the 3-7 days afterward.  If that feeling could be bottled and sold, I'd be first in line for regular doses!  Back in "reality", it's hard to find that peaceful feeling.

I have often been asked whether I'd do it again or not.  My answer had always been, "You never ask a woman if she wants to have another child if she's just given birth."  The answer would nearly always be NO!  But, in time, the painful memories fade and the wonderful memories persist and, before you know it, another one's on the way!

In my case, now that a couple of weeks have passed and I've had time to recover, reflect, and relive the memories while looking at the photos and reading/writing this blog, I have to say I'd most certainly do it again!

In the words of this trail's namesake, "The mountains are calling and I must go..." I hope to see you there!

(NOTE:  In  the September 11, 2011, New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristoff wrote an op-ed entitled,  We're Rich! (In Nature.).  The article was about visiting our national parks and ensuring people visit and experience these natural wonders so these parks and wilderness areas will be preserved and not squandered. It's well worth the read and sharing with others.)