The Highest Highs & The Lowest Lows on Mt. Whitney
Approaching Trail Camp
My alarm goes off. It’s 1 AM. I haven’t slept at all, so I was actually already awake. Is it Christmas? Nope! Is it my birthday? Off by a day! Well, why can’t I sleep? Because in true Carter fashion, I decided to hike to the tallest mountain in the continental U.S, but forgot to get a permit to do so. Funny, right? Because of my laziness, I am now forced to do this entire thing in one day, meaning my ass needs to be up and ready to rock at an ungodly hour. It also didn’t help that I spent the night at 10,000 feet to help me acclimatize to altitude I have no business being at. Well, at least I didn’t sleep past my alarm, as I’ve missed plenty of big hikes because of that.
Regardless, I set off, destined for Whitney Portal, eager to do my first bit of hiking in a few months. I arrive at 2, and get myself situated, breaking about three things in the process. Whatever, I don’t need a microphone for the camera, and sure, I can get by on my headlamp that’s running on fumes. Before I even get a chance to set foot on the trail, I meet Rebecca and Ryan, both first time Whitney hikers just like me. We instantly bond, probably over the shared anxiety of what lay in front of us. So, after a brief introduction and a serial killer sniff test, we head out. Three naive, woefully unprepared, and happy hikers!
The best people you meet are the ones you expect the least.
We walk, and walk, and walk, for an hour or so before the first hints of daylight begin to pop into the sky above us. What followed was one of the most spectacular sights I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. As the soft glow of the sun’s first rays began to bounce off the towering granite cliffs around me, I watched as a completely alien world unfolded in front of my eyes. I had spent the few days prior to this hike feeling down, stuck, and doubtful about the purpose of this trip. In this moment, every doubt I had was completely shattered. This was, literally, the whole fucking point.
The granite cliffs that surround the Whitney approach catch light in a way I’ve never seen before.
After standing there like kids on Christmas morning, our jaws dropped, we rallied and picked up the pace. This was only the appetizer. Whitney is well known for having one of the most beautiful sunrises around. The suns rays bounce off of the granite spires with a harsh, bright orange glow, or ‘alpenglow,’ as it’s called. We pushed ourselves, and made it to the beach of Mirror Lake, where we dropped our packs to hang out and watch the cliffs come alive. And come alive they did. When I tell you I’m a big sunrise hiker, I mean it. I have never seen a mountain light up the way Whitney did on this morning.
We kicked ourselves for starting too late to enjoy the full sunrise of Whitney itself without being blocked by the terrain in front of us, but we enjoyed each others company nonetheless, and admired the scenery for what it was. After all, we were one of few people that get to experience this. We packed up refueled and rehydrated. We slowly made our way along the trail for a few hours before reaching Trail Camp at around 8 AM. We stayed here for about an hour as my newfound hiking buddies refilled their waters, cooked a hearty meal, and organized their stuff. I opted to wander around trying to capture one of the marmots that were trying to steal my M&M’s. I was unsuccessful.
At around 9, we began our push up the 99 switchbacks. This section sees you climb, as you guessed, 99 switchbacks all the way up to Trail Crest, a break in the ridge where you begin your summit push on the opposite side with views of the Sierra proper. This is where most begin to feel the altitude as you hit 13k before reaching Trail Crest. After a long, brutal slog up the switchbacks, including a few sketchy snow traverses, we arrived at the last traverse before Trail Crest itself. We had a group huddle where Ryan and Becky both decided they were feeling the altitude a little too much to commit to the summit, and smartly decided to turn back. I felt good and decided I could push for the summit without risking a rescue from SAR, so I set off.
The view from part way up the switchbacks. Whitney is the peak in the middle of the photo in the back. The scale of the landscape is absolutely mind blowing in person.
After crossing Trail Crest, I was immediately rewarded with an expansive view of the High Sierra, one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on the planet. I knew I was late at this point in the day, so I booked it towards the Whitney summit. I remember asking someone on the trail how far the Whitney summit was from where we were, and he told me 2 hours. I made it in 40 minutes. The trail from Trail Crest to the Whitney summit sits on the side of a cliff, full of loose rocks and large boulders that still somehow didn’t look secure. The final few hundred feet to the top of Whitney flew by, and before I knew it the roof of the summit building came into view. As the summit appeared in front of me, I let a few tears out. After all, for a few minutes, I was the highest person in the lower 48 (in more than one way). The summit offered incredible views of the Sierra around me. Not many people get to do what I’m doing right now, and this moment put into perspective just how lucky I am to be in the position I am. I sat, drank, ate, slept, and just took it all in for a bit, before heading back down.
Do I miss the money I spent on this trip so far? Sure. But I’d miss this a whole lot more.
When people tell you about Mt. Whitney, they tell you the descent is the worst part. They’re right. The descent from Whitney broke me in a way no woman ever could. However, keen to finish before nightfall, I near-sprinted down from the Summit, passing people I had seen on the way up, getting some raised eyebrows in the process. After making great time down to the switchbacks, I began the slow but gradual descent down. Around halfway, I looked down at my chest and realized my camera had gone missing! No wonder I was making such great time! So, like one does, I turned my ass around and began CLIMBING BACK UP. Now, I have lost many things on a hiking trail before, and made the difficult decision to leave them. I didn’t care if it was the summit of Everest I left this on, I was getting it back. So, I climbed, running into people I had passed on the way down.
After climbing all the way back to the top of the switchbacks, I glanced at the shadow creeping through the valley, signifying the inevitable end of daylight that I was racing against I began my descent once more, putting everything I had into getting off that damn mountain as fast as possible. What followed was 4-5 hours of pure adrenaline fueled sprinting. I could feel my body crying out as I slammed my foot onto the granite trail with every step, but I had no choice. It was that or risk dying on the mountain as temperatures plunged and my only light source ran out of battery. As the sun set on the horizon, I knew I was close. The pure granite had given way to the lush pine forests of the trailhead, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before I made it back down.
Sunset over Whitney Portal.
Rounding a corner, I saw two people stopped on the side of the trail. I slowed down and got ready to give a quick greeting before continuing on my way, before realizing it was Ryan and Rebecca! I had never been so happy to see two strangers before in my life. We grouped up again once more as I shared my experience at the summit, and we descended the last few miles at a more relaxed pace. It was at this point that the adrenaline wore off, and I felt the aches in my body start.
We arrived back at the trailhead at 9 PM, almost 19 hours after our departure time. What. A. Day. I sat on the dirt parking lot, collecting my thoughts as I dreamed about a bacon cheeseburger appearing in my hands. I swore to never return to Whitney. We’ll see about that. Now, 2 days after my Whitney summit, I’m getting ready to head to a very special place. One that I’ve dreamed about ever since the thought of making a journey like this came to me. Of course, I’m talking about Yosemite. And yes, of course I have a Half Dome Permit. See you on the flip side. :)
