Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board One Year Anniversary of Failure - and More . . .

It struck me a little while ago that on 8/18/09 - one year today - I attempted Whitney for the first time. Over-confidence from a history of no altitude issues at 14K' and less-than-perfect planning led to AMS at 13,000 feet on that dayhike and turned me around. I can still recall how miserable I felt between the switchbacks and Outpost Camp - that was the worst I've ever felt and it took every bit of determination I could summon to get my sorry ass back to the Portal in one piece.

I learned a lot that day - and in the months that followed here on the WPS. I made a lot of friends on these boards during this past year, more in number and more in sincerity and genuineness than I ever could have imagined in August of 2009. All that expertise and support and friendship went a long way in getting me to the summit of Whitney last month, feeling great and wondering what all the fuss was about! And most especially getting there with a good friend in L.A. I didn't even realize I had 12 months ago! Thank you Joe!

Sitting in my office in Atlanta thinking about all that's transpired for me in the past 365 days, and how beaten and defeated I felt on 8/18/09, I can only deliver a heartfelt "Thank You" to all the regulars of this board who helped me pick myself up and go on to achieve that goal, and made the mountain a huge part of my life for all the years to come.

Bulldog, What a great post. I wish you would change the title. You did not fail, you learned a lot that day back in August 2009. Congrats on summiting Mt. Whitney.

Now climbing Denali...Bulldog34...his 50th highpointer!

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....

Imagine that...

Broken, Beat and Scarred by Metallica

"You rise, you fall, you're down, then you rise again
What don't kill you make you more strong
Rise, fall down, rise again!"

Failure was not an option!

Seems you got that part down pat!


Now, there is next year...


I am looking at August 10-17, 2011! Wifey-pooh birthday on 08-15-11.

More to follow...



Have fun.

Thank you Cindy. I feel like a piker next to your incredible accomplishments, but it was that epic (for me) failure that I always want to keep in the forefront of my mind. One board member, Ken, has a post signature quote I love: "Good judgment comes from experience and experience, of course, comes from poor judgment." Reflecting on my failure to summit the first time, (which was all about poor judgment) and channeling the energy and lessons that bubbled up from it, went a long way in keeping my sights on that mountain's summit instead of giving up with an "I'm not good enough" mindset.

Like in so many other shades of life, failure can breed eventual success. I try to teach my 10 YO daughter that every day. When I started up the MMWT trail last month she said, "Dad, I'm proud of you whether you summit or not." I appreciated her sentiments of course, but I was By-God gonna summit, come hell or high water (or AMS)! She needed to see that perseverence pays off. I just didn't expect it to be so easy compared to last year's disaster (message received and lessons learned). I don't ever want to get overconfident about a mountain again, so I keep that "failure" really close to me - it helps temper my judgment properly!

Bulldog,

Do you think you'd go back and attempt a Dayhike at some point?

--Amin

Maybe, but he's going to see Wallace Creek first...

Yep - probably next summer. Now that I've done both a dayhike and and overnighter, I'd like to give both a shot in the same trip. We'll have two weeks out there next July, so maybe then. I enjoyed the two days on the mountain more, though, in that I could stop to smell the Sky Pilot, so to speak.



And then again maybe I'm going to see Wallace Creek. I think I'll go back and re-read Shin's TR . . .

bulldog34,

I can relate. Failed to summit about a dozen years ago when a hiking partner had to turn back midway up the switchbacks due to AMS. It took me until just a few weeks ago to avenge that failed summit attempt. After thinking about the failure for all those years, I finally got my act together and entered the lottery last February.

Now I'm trying to identify the next (non-technical) 14-er in California to summit. Done White and Langley, open to other suggestions.

I can now appreciate my abysmally inadequate ability to remember anniversaries/dates (the ex-boyfriends are nodding in unison)

My hard drive is blissfully selective on the data it stores for long-term. For exaample, a particularly brutal "failed" summit attempt the first time I hiked Dana is catalogued under "Thee Very Best Glissade, Ever". The climb in which my partner (Navy Seal) saved my life is remembered as "The Beginning of the Rest of My Life". No negative vibes to contend with.

Best of luck next time around on the Day Hike.

Hey Gary....Did I hear "day hike"????

Mount Muir or Mount Russell.

--Amin