Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Skiing Whitney

For some of us, the end of summer means no more walking in the mountains.. Its a tough time of year, when all of ones spare thoughts, and hours of the day are spent prepping for your next outing.. What fills the time for the next several months, while the snow fly's and the cold settles into your bones. I suppose some run by the beach, some join cross fit trying to mimic the intensity of walking up a steep mountain side, by jumping through tires and throwing over sized balls, followed by a sprint around the block..

I am dreaming now of feet of snow ,fresh deep powder in the middle of the draw from Trails Crest down to the portal we all love so much.. Only this time the Mountain is still no people, no Marmots, the streams frozen solid with a trickle far below the surface. There are only one set of tracks meandering up the Mountain the hours it takes to push up to the Summit are long and hard carrying heavier packs filled with warm winter clothes and Avalanche gear, you ask yourself why do i do this .. All of a sudden the grunts change to hollers and shouts of shear delight, you are skiing moving over the surface of the snow floating almost like flying , leaving tracks of passion that only you will observe .. there is a sense of belonging when you look over the edge from Trails Crest down, and see only one boot track and an open powder filled slope below.. This is my favorite place to be, alone with the gods of the Mountain looking down at virgin powder preparing to leave my signature on the mountain.. As one drops in there is a sense of freedom that not many feel dancing to the rhythm of the Mountain. So when most are cross fitting and beach running i am dreaming of the next adventure on Mount Whitney. New skis available this year at the Whitney Hostel if you want to feel the same feeling..

Great thoughts... I'm looking forward to a good ski season too. After a couple of mediocre snow years lets hope we see some more accumulation this year!!

In two weeks, my Self-Imposed Exile ends...

Now I just need to get back into good enough shape so that I can make it past the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek...

Without crying that I'd rather go have a beer...

I, too, hope we have a heavy snow year down in the Whitney Zone...

Marsh Couloir...

The Bowl below Trail Crest all the way down to the Turnout at the bottom of the hill...

And if we do have an Outrageous Year...

Arc Pass...

Russell/Carillon down to Tulainyo...

Or maybe Suicide Col would be more appropriate...

Whitney/Russell down into the Arctic Lake Drainage...

Probably a LOT of wishful thinking...


It's been at least 5 years since I've skinned up anything in the Whitney Zone...

There are a brand new pair of BD Skins sitting in my garage longing for a trip out...


We do need to bump into each other again...

Whatever year that was, it was a hell of a lot of fun...

Running into you two just about every week!


Back to that subject...

Shin said he was proud of me for not bragging about my accomplishment...

Kind of Hard to go into a bragging mood when you almost kill yourself...

But I'm still alive, so...

I DID WHITNEY FIFTY-TWO WEEKENDS IN-A-ROW!
Yeah, I am yelling at the top of my lungs...

Time to get back at it so that I can hit 200 Ascents before I get too old...

And then maybe start thinking about 300...


And I do much prefer Winter!

Yes a good ski year indeed is well needed and will be openly accepted.. All of your call outs Richard for ski descents are now on the list, and you are enlisted. Kurt you also.. No matter how long one sits nothing brings back the spirit like pushing one to higher limits, and Richard with your accomplishment of 52 weeks in a row should be shouted out aloud ,and I hope your neighbors hear ,since it is worthy of hearing and shouting about.. A goal of few and an accomplishment of only one YOU.. Your Inspiration was sparked in mine and Tracy's brain from your routine and i do hope we run into one another again to spark that flame of friendly competition in the mountain range we all love so much, so dream on of more routes TO SKI ,CLIMB, WALK, OR RUN..

I'll be at any of these descents I can make!!!

Richard, this quote is for you:

Life, it frequently seems in the mountains, is more intensely lived the closer one gets to its extinction: we never feel so alive as when we have nearly died.
Robert MacFarlane, Mountains of the Mind, page 71

I suppose that applies to la petite mort as well...

Okay Richard now I must hear about what happened to you . You said you almost killed yourself???????????

You didn't hear about my Unplanned Bivy at 14,000' with nothing but a jacket and a few snacks? In a Snowstorm with 50MPH winds?

I'll fill you in on that story the next time we run into each other...

Good thing it happened on Whitney.

The Himalayan mountaineer knows that, to bivouac without protection in bad weather at a great altitude can have but one ending.
Frank Smythe, Kamet Conquered, in
Frank Smythe, The Six Alpine/Himalayan Climbing Book, p 355

Hey Doc, those Americans proved that wrong back in '63 when they Bivied at Twice My Altitude... Many more since...

But, I'm pretty sure Smythe lived in an earlier era...?

I Bivied (Planned) in the Himalaya once, just to be able to say that I have... an Earthquake hit the night I decided to do it!

Richard refers to Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld who did the first ascent of Everest West Ridge, summitted, then continued on the first traverse of the mountain to the South Col, first spending the night exposed at 28,000 ft with Luke Jerstad and Barry Bishop who had summitted earlier by the standard southeast ridge route. Insanely dangerous adventure. Read Hornbein's Everest. The West Ridge

Frank Smythe's quote is from 1931 on Kamet. In 1933 on Everest he famously handed a Kendal Mint Cake to an imaginary companion.

Both were twice Whitney's height.

Hi Just re read brotherhood of the rope? Life of Dr C. Huston. How we forget time passing I recall many of the early studies and his books on the subject of adjusting to elevation, add to this the reporting by Messner around 1973 about the Hillary step and what the future perfect storm waiting to pass.
"Most people can adjust to elevation if done slowly" water is also a critical factor and above all understand that one must travel to a lower elevation at the first signs of conditions the body are getting worse.

Looking back over say the last 40 years I always wonder as Dr Huston suggested that head games are also a factor, Fear which I like to call worry/stress sets people up for increased effects of Going Higher (sly pun for one of his greatest works).

To sum up the why did I start writing this? My sense is we see many hikers that are in fact using AMS as a very good reason to turn around. Then return later understanding what the conditions are and how they must train for a trip to the summit.

Hi Doug

yep, Brotherhood of the Rope is a great bio of Charlie Houston (pronounced House-ton)

I, too, have read his several books. Here are two good quotes to throw out as I sit here working on a manuscript revision for a altitude medical journal.These are from his most famous adventure.


Perhaps it is this conquest, conquest of one’s self through survival of such an ordeal, that brings man back to frontiers again and again…By testing himself beyond endurance man learns to know himself.
Charles Houston, in Houston and Bates
K2 the Savage Mountain pages 160

On great mountains all purpose is concentrated on the single job at hand, yet the summit is but a token of success, and the attempt is worthy in itself
Charles Houston in Houston and Bates
K2 the Savage Mountain page 24

Hi Richard,
I couldn't help it to say this.

Your cooling off period is over so you can brag about your accomplishment out loud. But with one condition.
The condition is to be able to hike Mt. Baldy less than 3 hours before thinking about hiking Mt. Whitney again. ( Just kidding )

I am glad that you got better enough to feel like bragging again like used to be.

You got much older but still young enough to be able to face up all challenges in front of you. Try it before too late.

Ditto on this Shin!! Richard, it was a TOTALLY amazing accomplishment! You have every right to brag.

Davey, I'm sure Richard will fill you in regarding that "unplanned bivy", but I'll add to the anticipation by saying that it was pretty frightening seeing the SPOT checks, and subsequent reports (or lack of) as it got late into the day and night. I called Doug at 11:00PM that night (hoping that I didn't wake him or anyone) but I was a nervous wreck by the fact that I STILL hadn't seen or heard anything... other than questions (and some speculations). What a relief to hear that Richard was OK!

Rosie

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Hi,

Doug Sr notes: "return later understanding what the conditions are and how they must train for a trip to the summit."

Along this line, Houston concludes his Introduction to Going Higher: "Enjoy the mountains; they have beauty and wisdom for us if we approach them with humility, respect, and knowledge."

Jim F

Just saw all these responses.. Richard , first and foremost we are glad you are okay. The Mountains have a power about them ,from one side they are peaceful ,and friendly from the other they can display a strength that leaves any of us humbled for life.. Lets get together soon for catching up purposes.. We will be in LP a lot starting very soon. Maybe Doug filled you in. Any how As we all enjoy the Mountains and the power they have it is a very good reminder to not become overly comfortable.. As Jim said, respect and humility is the best approach.. Rosie thanks for filling me in, and Richard its okay to feel as though you have made an incredible accomplishment with 52 summits in 52 weeks WOW..