Mount Whitney Take Two...

 

Mount Whitney “08″

** to **

** to Vegas Quick stop at the evil empire REI ,pant shell socks, reports of snow(LOTS) on Whitney(from shopper)the guy that worked there never heard of it.On to Death Valley. Lone Pine checck in at visitor center. Ranger left WP and wag bags 3ea. in night drop box.Carls Jr. Burgers.
Whitney Portal…damn its great to be back.set camp stowed chow in Bear boxes…Tired from trip. Trout in the little pond, Pines unf***ed air! Heaven.CY good CK good. me… sort gear and check and re-check.tried to sleep… to fired up.
Day 2.
early start 500am I packed all cold gear. Good thing.Mi 0.0 8,360ft trailhead at E.Whitney Portal. Mi 0.5 stream crossing.Mi. 0.8N.Fork Lone Pine creek contiue on main trail.John Muir Wilderness all ready hitting snow.(Carcus check good).  Mi 2.7 Lone Pine creek Log bridge (photo’s). Mi2.8(9,960ft)Lone Pine lake all well. More snow.mi 3.5-mi 3.8 (10,360ft) Out post camp.between Lone pine lake and Big Hornpark we got of trail because of snow we split three way’s and met up in Bighorn park
CY high south, Me Mid and CK low. All did some step kickin’ and have some “sketch factor”.Met Rangers (2) gave blood chit…I mean wilderness permit, and filed our water bot’s.I was where the rangers filled there bot’s and noticed they drank un-treated.I kinda giggled as I pumped my filter.Good on’em!Mi 4.3(10,640ft)Mirror Lake lots of snow.Goony yoga  Guy sitting dead center of the View…I’ll have no pictures here …D**K!!!
Lost trail aggain got up tomi4.85 and took a break.little food little water.feeling good guy’s also well.Snow coverd the 18 switchback’s… ranger’s on tail now take break we press.Timber Line her “No Mas Arborlis”. Mi 4.85 mi 4.9 last tree Iwatered it…sorry.Mi5.3(11,395ft)Trailside meadow, more water Well rutted accent.Mi6.3 Trail Camp(12,039)set camp brewwwwwUp!COLD.sort out gear eat tent up cold cks EV3 kept the wind at bay,at least the stuff out!side.BAD sleep!but feel goodCK not so good he torked his knee below ur camp when he postholed and had the rager headache,yes MS!
Day 3
After a Sh!tty sleep we woke to fridged temps and brutal winds that no lie blew me into a granite wall…hard!.CY stirring CK not stirring.didnt like the alpine start,I didnt like the winds. CY didnt give a crap and was Go!as usual dehydrated and fired up.(I have never seen CY drink water…ever!).I went for a pee and whaaaam!the wind hit me so hard it almost knocked me on my Arse!OK that was the no sh!tter!this dont look good.Looks like CY,going up and I aint.Rippin winds icy ledges bad feeling!CK’s out I’ll stay W/ Him.CY is gonna go for it! My one rule YOU GOTTA COME HOME (TC).
We set up a comsW/CY he said later and was gone.CK rested up I wandered around, the sun coming wind dyin down I made some food and a brew…I got the feeling …this is right CK may be sick? not getting worse but he just felt like crap.I stayed Im cool,CY ckecked in on sched.I moped around.Ate again and got another brew on.on to get some pic’s above camp…told CK my plan…Cool dude im good im just gonna chill.Rog  and off I go, light pack 10E’s ice axe crampons little grub Go!
Walking up hill across a large open area of the camp up I feel Great!a pic here a pic there.High above our camp now 3 climbers above me almost to the switchbacks,hard Go but I feel great.Crap Im at the cables at least what you can see of them up pass the cables (Skech) and on to the 96 swithbacks. took a stop and got out the Rhino and got CK on and asked what was up he said nada and he was cool I asked if he had heard from CY and he said that he was walking into the camp right now…I looked down and saw him …Trip over I thought…Wait, Hey CY…GO!…is Mt Muir Do-able from this point…Yep your 15 min to trail crest and its a mad scram to …OK I going for it.CK’s coll if you guys need t get down hill, leave my kit in my sleeping bag and go…Roger that,and I was off!..trip not over.
to be continued

Mount Whitney “08″part 2

August 26, 2009 by operationalextras

Up to the first snow chute Sketchy level4…YOU GOTTA COME HOME…I dont know why but I took off my gloves

 and put my rings in my mouth.

The snow is good boot and axe will be good here no crampons.not to icy halfway there pic…

got that rings back on .

up to second traverse looks worse than the first one…

a vert up and over at the end of this

traverse with a small

 downclimb

 on the back with nothing below…

went for it up to Trail crest.Turn back? oh feck no I’m gonna go!

 all is good feel great…

breath think…breath think…up and around

 to trail crest and that view

 (Pic above)unreal… Heaven! sketch snow and rock broke

 to rocky trail Sh!t this is awesome!

 I’m gonna go for it.

Up Down trail I see the 3  ahead that started before me.

I keep walking I feel as though I can run…

slow down…

 breath think,breath think.

Steady pace so my ticker dont POP!

stop here and there drink, pic’s.

I pass one of the 3 ask if they are going back to the Portal,

 no English..

well off I go some ice here and there some big drops

 and chutes think breath

 YOU GOTTA COME HOME!

I see the summit Hut ahead and that fires me up…

GO! I sent my position on the Rhino after not getting any

 responce on

 the radio and the guys would know

 I was going for the Summit of Whitney and

 not Mt Muir like I said at last contact,

I remember my chant from ‘92′

 “I am the Summit” I laugh…

WEATHER in the distance its moving fast

 I pause and try to get a reading

 Whats it gonna do where’s it going time on target.

I’m to feckin close.The 2 of the three are on the snow field

 above

they wave and point to the Summit Or

 are they pointing at the weather?

 wish they spoke English.had a funny thought:

 glad CY made it before them that day…

Thats messed up but thats what I thought.

200 yards of slippery shaky slabbed boulders 10 ft…
 I’m almost…
I’m there.
I could just crap!I’m here,again.I thought at 12′000
 that I wouldn’t get up here to the Summit

  I’m here.
OK get to work Sign in take pics weather check,
 requested pic’s waypoint GPS, drink some water pack up and GO!
 I start down fast to fast
 I ended up on the out of the mountaineers route?
 almost started down it…THINK BREATH unscrew yourself.
OK unscrewed back on track feel great! moving steady.
out of water Oh greet!
To be Continued.Stay tuned for the “3 bears a mooing!”