9/5/2004

On August 20-22, 2004, Jon Ball, Patty Kert Dailey, Bill Edwards, Jay Helms, Kelly Traver, John Selling, and Ann Waters converged in Lone Pine, California for a three-day trip up Mt. Whitney -- the highest peak in the contiguous United States.
A sign at the trailhead illustrates the 11 mile, 6136 vertical foot climb to the top.
[1] Whitney Portal [2] Lone Pine Lake [3] Outpost Camp [4] Mirror Lake feet 8,360' 9,900' 10,400' 10,640' miles 0.0 2.3 3.8 4.0 [5] Trailside Meadow [6] Trail Camp [7] Trail Crest [8] Muir Trail Junction [9] Mt. Whitney 11,400' 12,000' 13,700' 13,480' 14,496' 5.0 6.0 8.2 8.7 11.0
Ann Waters, Patty Kert Dailey and Kelly Traver begin the hike.	Ann Waters
Jay Helms	Ann Waters, Jay Helms, Patty Kert Dailey and Jon Ball
Trailside Meadow, at 11400', offers a welcome respite on the long first day's climb. But its beauty is siren-like: clouds are coming in and we must set up our tents at Trail Camp before the storm begins.
Ann Waters and Patty Kert Dailey	Jay Helms
Kelly Traver and John Selling	Patty Kert Dailey
We arrive at Trail Camp (12000') just as it begins to snow. (Snow?  In California?  In August?)
On August 21, after spending the night at Trail Camp, we go for the summit: ninety-seven switchbacks take you 1700' up to Trail Crest; then a long traverse along the ridge's western side takes you to the summit.
The first view to the west from Trail Crest (Hitchcock Lakes).	The summit plaque.
Jon Ball signs the summit register.	Bill Edwards at the Whitney summit shelter.
Jon Ball, Bill Edwards, Ann Waters, Jay Hems, Kelly Traver, John Selling and Patty Kert Dailey at the Mt. Whitney summit.
Jay Helms	Ann Waters and Patty Kert Dailey
Bill Edwards	Kelly Traver and John Selling
Panoramas from the summit.
After an all-too-brief stay at the top, we must descend before the gathering thunderstorm begins.
The summit from the switchbacks as we descend.  The Whitney shelter is barely visible near the top of Whitney's gentle western slope.	Jon Ball at Consultation Lake as we return to Lone Pine on August 22.
For more information on Mt. Whitney see: New York Times article from September 3, 2004. www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo
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