I was hoping to make the numbers 30 and 9 bigger this time around but the rain and sleep deprivation got in the way. I went home after work on Friday and tried to get some sleep but couldn't. Left for Lone Pine Campground from home around 8:30 P.M. and started the hike just before midnight. My right foot hurt for the first couple of hours thanks to the growing bunion. Aside from that I felt alright but I didn't feel like I was making good time. The moonlight was beautiful even with just half a moon. I've decided now to climb Mt. Whitney in the moonlight sometime in the future. I got firmly in touch with my feminine side just before Trail Camp. As I was walking on the trail I saw a mouse running towards me. I was so startled that I screamed like a girl. Afterwards I giggled for a few minutes while hiking up the trail. At the switchbacks I started to feel very sleepy and didn't hike up them as much as staggered up the switchbacks. At the top I caught some people that asked how I could see in the dark without my headlamp. I told them that the moon was plenty bright. I had the headlamp but I turned it off at the switchbacks to enjoy the moonlight. Once at trail crest I felt better. Despite not feeling all that sporty I summited 30 minutes faster than last time so I guess it wasn't so bad after all. On the summit 3-4 people asked if I was cold. I was the only one wearing just a t-shirt for the top layer. I told them I don't get cold easily and I was quite comfortable. I always notice when I hike with others that I have on one or two less layers on than the rest. Coming back down I was feeling fine and then again at the swithbacks I hit a wall. I felt so sleepy that I reasoned that if I sat down and closed my eyes I might go out for a few hours. I literally felt like if I pushed the pace I might faint so I went nice and easy down the switchbacks and at trail camp I laid down for a few minutes. I had never felt so sleepy on a hike before. By the time I got to trailside meadow I felt a burst of energy and made good time all the way down. I ran into Ranger Bob Rockwell on the way down and said hello. He asked to see my permit and as I was about to pull it out he said he was joking. We both had a good laugh. Around the time I got to Bighorn Park it started to rain. To be honest it wasn't a real hard rain and it would pause at times but I was not at all happy about it. It stayed like this all the way back to Lone Pine Campground. Although I was half hour faster going up this time, I lost that time coming down on the switchbacks so in all the 30 miles took about 14 hours. Exactly the same amount of time as my previous 30 mile Mt. Whitney hike in July. While at the Campground I kept looking back wondering if I should go back for more mileage and elevation but the clouds were gray, it was raining, and I couldn't bear the thought of doing as much as another 10 hours in questionable weather. I figured if I went home I could also get a head start on a really hectic week to come. My friend Karen climbed Mt. Langley and she told me she got rained, hailed, and snowed on. I guess I made the right call on account of the weather. Until she told me about those conditions I was feeling some remorse about not going further. If my health and fitness are the same or better next summer I'll try it again. With better weather, more rest, and a few logistical adjustments I can hopefully turn the 30 and the 9 into bigger numbers.
Rafael...
Last edited by rafael; 09/14/09 02:42 PM.
