Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board One year Anniversary of MW Summit

Today is my one year anniversary of summiting Mt. Whitney. It was an event that I revisit everyday. This board gives me a daily connection to that live changing experience. I climbed MW to be my metaphor for overcomming my upcomming prostate cancer and surgery last year. Both have been successful. Now I just have to find a time soon to climb MW again.

So glad they were both successful. Congratulations.

...I am sure one of the two events is far more memorable.

At 3:00 PM today I was exactly 1 year to the hour I was standing on MW. At this time (4:00 PM) I was slugging my way back the longest 1.9 miles EVER. The Summit to Trail Crest 1.9 .

Doc,

It's a lot different when it's miles 5 and 6, not miles 12 and 13.

Good point WBTravis. It is hard both ways but way harder comming back.
As a side note I was passed both ways on that 1.9 mile section from Trailcrest to Summit by a young athletic couple that were Mountain Guides from Utah. Apparently they must have thought I was in trouble struggling toward the summit. When we got down to Trail Camp a man ran out and asked my buddy and I if there was anyone still up on Whitney. We told him "No we were the last group and wondered why he asked that question." He said that a couple of guides had passed through TC and said there was a man in trouble near the summit.It took my slow brain a while to process that they were talking about me. I must have looked like some of those hikers I have seen shuffling through Outpost on their way down after a long hard day on the mountain. I laugh at that now because I may have looked slow and struggling but I actually was doing quite well. I took the advice of many on this board including you WBTravis to pace myself and go only as fast as I could comfortably walk. It turned out very well for me.

The two times I day hiked the MMWT I truly hated that section during the descent. IMHO, it is the hardest section of the mountain.

Speaking of people blowing by people...

A few years ago, there was this guy who we think was a JMT Thru-hiker. We talked to him a bit at the tarns above Guitar Lake. We figured he did about 24 miles this day. He eventually spent the night above us near Hitchcock Lakes. He was still asleep when we passed him at about 2:30 AM on our way to summit at dawn. Eventually, we saw his headlight gaining on us. He passed us like we were standing still just as we reached the start of Mt. Whitney. We figure we had good 45 minute headstart and were cruising at about 2 MPH between Lower Trail Crest and the Smithsonian Hut. It is the most amazing feat of hiking I have ever seen.

My first time was 20 June 1999. I went up the snow chute with a rented ice ax. I've come back to climb Mt. Whitney once a year, every year since then.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary of making it to the top of Whitney. I'll be 60 July 4 and I have a day permit for July 15 to make this my fourth year of making it up-and-down in a day so I share your excitement. I'm heading up this Tuesday to hike the lower part up to the first lake just to check out conditions. Do you know if anyone has made the top this year and what the conditions are like.

Pugpeople
So you are a Yankee Doodle Dandy born on the fourth of July. Happy Birthday. Yes many have made it to the top almost daily now. Look around this site as there are many current trip reports complete with conditions.With the current heat waves the snow on top is probably melting pretty fast right about now.