Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board MMWT Trip Report and lots of thanks

Trip Report: This old (70) man with a tin hip and post-op knee made it to the summit Monday. That's my third successful summit of Whitney (once from the JMT) in 4 tries over about 40 years.

It wasn't a pretty hike, folks. I was so exhausted when I reached the summit that I couldn't even feel good about being there. All I could do was try to recuperate a bit and get some calories in me for the trip back down. For a while I thought I was going to upchuck and that would have created a real problem. There's no way I could have walked back to my car if I couldn't keep anything in my stomach. Fortunately that passed.

I started up at 2:15 AM and didn't get back to my car until 7:40 PM - way too long to be on the trail. But I did make it and I'm home now.

Lesson learned (there always has to be a lesson learned, right?): There's nothing I might have done differently that would have made it easier; I'm just too old for that kind of stuff. I need to content myself with moderate hikes. (Note re: the string about acclimatization: I walked up White Mountain on 8/5 with no difficulty at all. I don't think altitude was the big negative factor yesterday. It was steepness and distance.)

Thanks: Last year I turned back half-way between Trail Crest and the summit. Since then I have gotten a lot of advice from many of you about nutrition, hydration, and other good things. It has been very helpful. My local hiking - Baldy, SG, etc., has been much better because of the information I've gotten off this board. And that's why I'm sure I couldn't have made yesterday's hike any better.

Wow! YOU ROCK!! Congratulations! So glad that you made it safely. This message board is an incredible wealth of information, and certainly helped me with my first summit (also in one day) last year. I can only hope that I have the gumption to do it again when I am 70 years young!

Great job burtw!!! You are one of my new inspirations! I am hoping that I will still be able to climb mountains at 70 and you give me hope. Even though it was very difficult for you, you made it!

I couldn't agree more...there is always a lesson to be learned and I will add one of my quotes to that statement.
"Lessons learned are meant to be taught." m.c reinhardt

I think I can speak for a lot of us here when I say that I would consider it a big blessing to be able to pull off a one day climb of Whitney when I'm 70 years old.

A big congratulations to you!!!!

Way to Go!! I made it to the summit the first time when I was 35 years old after my sister and my wife had made it the previous year. I turned around at trail crest that year. As I recall, I felt the same way at the top as you did and I was exactly half your age. You should be extremely proud.

Matt

That is just fantastic.You have inspired a lot of us.You certainly have my respect and admiration.Great job !!!

Congrats... we passes eachother a few times from trail camp onwards.... i sat next to you at trail crest, then you passed me for the final time about .5 miles from the top... i was sitting in pain getting ready to throw up... i watched your orange dot move on as i could see people pumping fists in victory as they made it.... that was a bad feeling, worse when i had to turn back.... 99% of the way there. I got back to portal at 5:25...

my 1st try ever, age 40... maybe i'll make it in the next 30 years. you should feel very good.. job well done... wish i could have joined you at the top...

Hi, I certainly remember seeing you. I was so focused on my own hike that I didn't realize you hadn't made it. I know that can feel terrible but in a few days I think you will congratulate yourself for: (1) getting as far and high as you did - 99++% of the people in the world will never achieve that and, (2) making the right decision about your own survival. You have earned confidence in your own judgment.

I'll see you on another trail somewhere. You'll probably do Whitney again, and reach the top this time. I'll stick to those more moderate, still beautiful hikes.

Burt hit the nail on the head with his response to you. Summits are never guaranteed. Too often people focus on what they didn't do instead of how much they DID accomplish. You got very high up on the highest peak in the US and got the opportunity to see some views that a small fraction of our world's population will ever get the chance to see. It sounds like based on how you were feeling it was time to turn around. That was a great decision. Regroup, take note of the lessons learned, train more, and give it another shot when you're ready. For some people it takes several attempts. Just remember though that the most important thing is the journey along the way. The summit is just the icing on the cake.

Congrats for everything you did accomplish!

What Kurt had to say is the best advice one could possibly get. To have fun on the trip does not depend on making the summit, but to enjoy the hike in its self. The top is nice, but not an end in its self.

I know you are all right.. and thanks for the kind words... but I do not want to hijack the thread.... I'll post about me another time...

this is for burtw--- congrats. I gotta say that the way you just did not stop up the switchbacks was amazing.. slow & steady.

I see your in the LA area... maybe I can buy you a drink someday... get some tips!

Burt, if you did Whitney in one day that's totally awesome! I would have been proud of you if you'd done it in 2 days. I must have seen you on White Mtn on 8-5. You no doubt beat me up there and I'm 8 years younger.

I was thinking earlier this year that the sad day will come when I can no longer hike these mountains due to age, but what you do is changing all that. When we were on White Mtn trail Aug. 5, I'd say 65% of all the hikers there were over 50 with many in their late 70s maybe early 80s; I only saw one person around the age of 18-20. The place pretty much looked like it was a retirement community! I think the more we hike, the longer we hike to a ripe old age and the mountains keep us alive.

You are an inspiration to us all!