August 16, 2017 - The Summit Day

We left Trail Camp (12,000' 6.0 miles) at 2:00AM, climbed the dreadful 99 Switchbacks in total darness, and we reached Trail Crest (13,700' 8.2 miles) at 5:40AM. After a short downhill trip to Muir Trail Junction (13,480' 8.7 miles), we started on the last 2.3 miles push toward the summit (14,508 11.0 miles). We reached the summit at 7:51 AM and spent a short time at the summit and came down to the Trail Camp at 12:00PM. After a short rest, we packed our tents and at about 1:30 PM, descended the mountain through the same trail to Whitney Portal at 6:00PM.

After a dinner at Lone Pine, we left for home, arriving at about 1:00AM next morning.

 

We left the Trail Camp at 2:00AM. There was bright moonlight till about 1:30AM and then it disappeared to the west beyond the mountain ridge. Through the total darkness, we started to climb with our headlamps. Already there were two climbing groups ahead of us with series of light dots from the headlamps on the slope. We were also one of those few light dots moving slowly up the slope. A few groups of light dots were following us. Nothing else was visible in the total darkness except four or five groups of light dots slowly moving up on the slope.

 

We took slow paces going up the "99 Switchbacks" under the constant chilly easterly winds. Fotunately, the wind was not strong but enough to make us cold whenever we took a rest on the way. One of us got really cold and I gave him my thermal jacket. After that, I was getting colder as well.

The Trail Crest came soon at 5:40AM when there was very faint brightness in the eastern sky. Once we passed the Trail Crest and got over the ridge top, the wind was no more but near 14,000 feet high, it was even colder.

 

After a brief stop at the Muir and Whitney Trail junction, we started to climb the last 2.3 miles of gentle rocky trails toward the summit. On the way to the summit, at 6:16AM, the sun came up the Inyo Mountain Range across the Owens Valley. There, we had the glory of looking at the sunrise from the Whitney summit ridge.

6:06 AM, 8-16-2016: This was the early morning of 8-16-2017 after we passed the Trail Crest into the backside of the summit ridge. The world had become quieter and less cold in this wind-protected backside of the ridge. The sun was about to rise. The light here came from brightening sky. It is actually very dark now. The camera was seeing the scenes much brighter than my eyes. Here, the lightness of the scene comes from the camera exposure and photo-editing software. Actually, it was much darker than the picture. We still had to depend on headlamps to take our steps on the narrow rocky trails.

With faint brightness from the eastern sky, we were able to see the outlines of nearby rocky pinnacles as if a few giant ghosts were standing there and looking down at us. 

6:03 AM: Again, ghost-like rocky pinnacles barely visible to my naked eyes against the lighter sky.


A view toward northwest. Slowly, the western Sierra Ranges started to lighten up. This area is the domain of Sequoia National Park in the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Range.

6:07 AM: Even the far slopes faintly showed up. We were still using headlamps to see our steps.

A view toward north and the summit. The high pinnacle in the front is Mt. Muir (14,012', 4271m). Then there are three "Needles" before the summit at the end of this picture. The last gently sloped flat-top peak is the Whitney summit, our final destination more than 2 miles away.

As you see, the west side of the awesome "Needles" are nothing much here. They are an easy traverse walk on the Trail, but the view from down below from the east is a different story. They are near vertical pillars of sharp needle-like fracturing granite rocks and appears to pierce the sky, as you saw in the previous pictures of the east wall.

6:16 AM: The morning sun started to break through over the Inyo Range beyond the Owens Valley.

We were still going up under the headlight illumination.

6:17 AM: The glory of the sunrise and then sunshine !! What an honor for me to witness the sunrise from the top of the Whitney Ridge ! By this time, I was quite confident that we would reach the summit. We started to feel the warmth of the sun rays. The freezing night was over. Everything was going on well.


6:18 AM: The view toward northwest which were still under the shadow of Whitney Ridge.


6:42 AM: The sunlight hit the tops of the western Sierra Range to the north.


6:42 AM: One by one, each peaks and ridges in the north lighted up.

Looking behind me where we climbed so far. The southern ridge were also lighted up.

The westernside of the Whitney Ridge is one giant endless loose-talus slope.

The west side of the "Needles" of Whitney Ridge with their east face lit by the rising sun. Two more needles to pass before the summit. In this picture, we are standing at the "Third Needle" (14,108', not visible here). At the right edge is the "Crooks Peak" (14,174') and at the center is "Keeler Needle" (14,260'). The last rounded flat-topped one is the Whitney Summit (14, 508'), the mother of all the summits in the lower 48 states.


Looking back as we climbed up higher. The rocks are whitish gray but appear dark in the darkness.


6:44 AM: Looking back even further south. Again, the rocks are not in any dark color.

In the dark corner between rocks, I found this beautiful flowers, by the name of Sky Pilot. I have never seen them before. They don't look like a high altitude plant at all. They are just like flowers in our garden. I searched Internet and finally found about it. Here's the quote:

The brightly colored sky pilot (Polemonium eximium), considered to be among the most beautiful of the Sierra Nevada wildflowers, grows in very harsh conditions to elevations of 13,000 feet (4,000 m), which is near the upper limit of plant growth in California.

7:12 AM: After almost having passed the last needle, the final true summit is visible with it's awesome east wall. Still, it looked far and high from where I was. We kept on going. We knew we would reach there.


Now the sun came over the ridge and shone on us. Long shadow of mine cast by the low rising sun.


I took pictures of the shadows of mine and Sukhoon's together.


6:43 AM: After going around a big switchback, suddenly, we saw the Summit Stone Hut in front of us.

Still far but we were almost there. In the rarified air of 14, 500 feet, we walked slow and steady.


The summit hut were getting closer. exciting !! I knew by then that the God obviously had set my destiny to reach the Whitney Summit. Otherwise, how could I be here.


6:46 AM: Just beyond the hut, there was the summit with a few people on it. The sun was rising higher.

The two thin short poles at the roof may be lightning rods (?). I am not sure but hope they are.

On the wall of the stone hut, a copper plaque saying, "Erected 1909, Smithsonian Institution, Hodgkins Fund." The entire Whitney Trail was completed in 1904. Three rangers came up the finished trail one day and one died from sudden thunder lightening. The idea of a stone hut came from the incident and the hut was finished 1909, five years later. However, even today, the hut does not give protection to the lightening. There were reports that a few people died in the hut by lightening. The hut is not yet made to be completely lightening proof. Late climbers to the summit can stay overnight here though.


6:52 AM: At the summit, I saw two round Geological Survey plate. One was broken into half but this one was in good shape. It says, "US Coast and Geodesic Survey". I couldn't read the rest.

 

8:55 AM by Ben: Yes, you said it loud and well... "The highest (man-made) Trail in the U.S."

7:51 AM, 8-16-2016: A young girl took a picture of me at the summit at the top of the lower 48 states of  US. Now I have all three major summits of U.S.A. including the hardest one of Mount McKinley, Alaska (20, 320') and the easiest one of Mauna Kea, Hawaii (13, 800'). Fairly strong easterly wind was hitting me.

8:03 AM, 8-16-2016: Suk-Hoon Moon at the summit. This is the second fourteener for him. He climbed White Mountain Peak, CA (14, 246') just before coming to Whitney.

 

8:04 AM: At the summit. The twosome of Ben and Jungchul were behind us and summited a little later.
 

At 9:13 AM, 8-16-2016 by Ben: Ben Byungkoo Choi from Las Vegas at the summit.

 

The ectasy of Jung-Churl Kim from Las Vegas at the summit.

The historical moment for him was 9:12 AM, 8-16-2016 picture by Ben.

 

8:19 AM by Ben: Near the summit, on the way down, we met Ben and Jung-Churl coming up. I don't remember what was so funny there. But we were cheerful knowing that all four of us reached the summit.

A view toward northeast. The peaks in the Sierra Ranges. I thought the multiple horizontal layers of big flat rocks covering the summit may protect the summit from the erosions by wind and rain. Thus, Mt. Whitney may grow higher by the geologic process of the subduction of the Pacific Plate under California. The past measurements of the summit's height were less than 14, 508'. Maybe, Mt. Whitney is still growing taller...

as the state of California is being pushed up.

8:10 AM: A view toward south. Lone Pine Peak at left.


Toward south-east. Possibly Lone Pine Peak (12,949') in dark shadow. Owens Valley farther below and beyond is the southern end of Inyo Mountain Range.


8:11 AM: Toward south-west, the western Sierra Nevada and Sequoia National Park.


Toward north from the summit. The mountains of Sierra Nevada Ranges.


Toward west, including the summit stone hut.


8:11 AM: Toward east. To me, this was the most remarkable view from the summit. Looking east, way down 10,000 vertical feet below, there is Owens Valley and a small town of Lone Pine. The mountain range across the Owens Valley far away is the Inyo Mountains that makes the western wall of Death Valley National Park. One can see the long highway of Whitney Portal Highway coming out from Lone Pine and entering into the valley of the Whitney Portal.

To the east, Mount Russell at left. In the middle, Mount Carillon just above the flat dish-like slope.

Mount Thor to the right.