2017.04.25 07:56
Climb of Mount Whitney, Sierra Nevada Range
Lone Pine, California
August 14-16, 2016
Mount Whitney had been in my mind for a long time. Right after the climb of Mt. McKinley (20,310') in 1979, a few friends from the McKinley climb invited me for a climb of Whitney. With the glory of McKinley, then, I thought it was not much of a challenge and not worthy enough to spend my professional time in my busy medical practice. In 1990, during the climb of Cerro Aconcagua (22,841'), I met Marty Schmidt*, a professional guide (MS International Guiding) from New Zealand, who offered me a guided rock climbing of the east face of Mt. Whitney in the next summer. I was interested in his plan but it fell through due to lack of enough climbers. *Note: Marty Schmidt died in K2 in a fatal avalanche in 2013 with his son. I have a special feeling on him as he could have been the guide for Mt. Everest for me. Our relationship was kept on till 1992 but ended as I decided to give up big mountain expeditions. I added a webpage about his death written by Phil Taylor. It is a really well written report including some philosophies of the hardcore Mountain climbers. The webpage that I composed is at: http://www.snuma.net/xe/index.php?mid=freeboard&document_srl=57196
As I was getting older, I realized that even the fouteeners in Colorado were not as easy as I used to think. Even though I have summited a few fourteeners without any failures in the first attemps, I came to realize that the fourteeners were not easy any more. My old age brought me a renewed respect to Mt. Whitney at 14,508'.
On my 70th birthday, I climbed Mt. Lincoln (14,295') and Bross (14,172') with relative ease. That event brought me a vague but brazen hope that it would be monumental to celebrate my 80th birthday at the summit of Mt. Whitney. To be true, it would be "monumental" if I succeed, but "stupid" if I fail. Anyway, as I was getting older, the question arose if I would be able to pull off such thing at that future age of mine. But I kept my personal hope and kept training myself to stay fit for the occasion.
In the late spring of 2016, Ben Choi of Las Vegas called me and said he, by an Internet lotto, got the climbing permit for Mount Whitney for August of 2016. As I had no trouble climbing the fourteeners in Colorado then, I thought I would try it before things get too late for the Whitney summit. So, I said, "Let's do it while we can !" A team was made with 4 classmates (KG55) of my high school including me. Each of us were to train hard for the Whitney climb during the summer months of 2016.
So, this small piece of climbing permit was what started the whole Whitney event in August of 2016. We were lucky to have a "three-day" permit. With it, I knew that we have much better chance of safer and easier climbing schedule for us at the age of 76, and, thus, our chance of successful summit climb would be much better. I designed two nights' camping on the way up to lessen the long continuous climb and to spend enough time for altitude acclimatization for my climbing partners. This little green tag stayed on my backpack during the entire climb and I still have it as a souvenir.
In climbing of Mt. Whitney, we have two different conditions to satisfy. One is the huge length and height of the climb and the other is the complicated bureaucratic rules and regulations. By having learned both conditions, I realized that there are three (or four) choices the climbers can take. I figured this one out only after I climbed the whole thing. There was no one around to tell me before I went there.
1. One-Day plan: Leaving the Whitney Portal early in the morning in the dark, and walk the entire 22-mile round trip and 6,148' vertical up and down, both in a day. This eliminate any camping. This one day permit is easier to come. I guess this is for younger people. 2. Two-Day plan: Sleep at the Trail Camp first day (6 mile/3,640' vertical climbing), and then summit the peak (5-mile/2,508' vertical up) and return all the way (16-mile/6,148 vertical down) to the trailhead on the second day. This may be the best plan for average younger climbers. Most people do this. 3. Three-Day plan: Sleep at Outpost Camp (3.8-mile 2,040 vertical climb) on the first day, and sleep at Trail Camp (2.2-mile 1,600 vertical climb) on the second day, and then climb the summit (5-mile 2,508' vertical climb) and descend all the way down (16-mile/6,148' down) on the third day. This is for old folks. 4. Four-Day plan: Someone said that with 3-Day permit, you can still stay on the Whitney Trail on the fourth day without getting fined or punished (I do not bet my farm on this.), assuming that Rangers may not wake you up to check the permit while you are sleeping in the third night at the Trail Camp. Here, you go Trail Camp-Summit-TrailCamp in one day and Down to the Portal in another day. Therefore, one takes two days (instead of one day) to come down. This is very much doable for handicapped or senior peoples. I hope someday the authorities approve this plan.
Here is the detailed mileage of each step of the climb. This will make your planning much easier.
Whitney Portal 8,360 Ft 0.0 mi (Camping, water, parking, store)
Note: This is what is written in the Internet info but, in reality, it seems that the actual distance in the first leg (Portal-Outpost Camp) may be longer by about two miles (instead of 3.8, it may be 5.8 according to GPS we carried. I heard other people saying the same thing too). If I am right, the total length is 13 miles one way.
Below are selected quotes from the Internet about the mountain and the climbing of it:
Starting from the Whitney Portal, passing Lone Pine Lake, and to the Outpost Camp.
The green colored area at left is Sierra Nevada Range and the same green at right is Inyo Range. The Eastern Sierra Ranger Station that controls Mount Whitney is in Lone Pine. We slept in a hotel in Independence. The road to Whitney Portal (8,360') starts from the town of Lone Pine (3,727'). Eastern Sierra Inter-agency Visitor Center, at the junction of HWY-395 and SR-136, 760-876-6200
August 13, 2016 Steven and Sukhoon left Laguna Woods for Lone Pine to meet Ben and Jungchul who drove from Las Vegas. After about 4 hour's drive, we met them at the ranger station in Lone Pine. We went through the registration process of picking up the climbing permit. We took a brief tour of Whitney Portal about 11.4 miles away from Lone Pine. Then we drove to Independence 10 miles north of Lone Pine to check in a hotel for the night.
3:05 PM, 8-13-2016: At the Mt. Whitney Trailhead, officially known as "The Whitney Portal". This may be the only place in U.S. where "trailhead" is called "portal." This is the spot where the first step toward the summit starts. The very beginning of the Mount Whitney Trail. Numerous parking spaces and camp sites are here but they are only for the people who carry special trail permits obtained ahead of time. Being the busiest trailhead among all trailheads in entire Sierra Nevada Range, there are tons of bureaucratic regulations to keep it under control.
August 14, 2017 We left one car at the hotel since only one car per team is permitted at the Whitney Portal to park overnight. From Whitney Portal (8,360'), we started on Whitney Trail. Passing Lone Pine Lake (9,900' 2.8 miles) without stopping by, we climbed up to Outpost Camp (10,400' 3.8 miles) for the first night.
At my age, setting up the tent, crawing into it, cooking meals on portable burner were no longer my cups of tea but there was no choice. We just had to do them but only for two nights !!
Background music: Omar Akram - A Day with You |
2017.04.25 11:06
2017.04.27 02:45
Congratulation to 4 young super seniors!
and also
What a great accomplishment of our WM, who had conquered
all three summits of USA as well as summits of different
Continents.
As a lay person I had had chances of tasting some of these
tall mountain in dfferent ways.
During my Alaskan trip in 2012, I had chance to see Mount
McKinley in close ranges from seight-seeing airplane and
It was a amazing experiences and obviously I was thinking
of our WM,who climbed up the summit of this great mountain
successfully.
In February this year I had chance to stand up the top of
Mauna Kea in Big Island, HI, because Mauna Kea is one of few
tall mountains to be reached by car all the way to summit.
It was great view from there of course.
Thanks for your presentation! KJ
2017.04.27 04:34
A lot of people drive up to the top of Mauna Kea at the observatories.
The bureaucratic authorities of Big Island do not encourage you to do that.
In the parking lot, the driver might say that you are at the top of Mauna Kea.
But the summit is not there. It's still way away from there.
You still have to pull off a "valiant" effort or stunt to get there.
(It may look awefully stupid and reckless to other people in the group.)
To get to the summit of Mauna Kea:
1. First, you break off from the crowd (Actually, they are the stupid ones.),
2. Walk down the highway about a block or more,
3. Cross the road to your left,
4. Step over the tall guard rail (It feels like an illegal trespassing to do that.),
5. Go down the bank of the road all alone or with whomever you are going together,
6. And then climb a narrow open path (There may be no established trail.),
7. Climb up toward a solitary volcanic cone.
(There are a bunch of them below but, high up, there is only one, so you can not miss.)
8. Possibly (I don't remember exactly) in about 5-10 mintes later,
9. When you can't go up any further, you are standing on the true summit of Mauna Kea !!
10. At that altitude, you will be pretty short of breath by then.
(Now, somehow, don't forget to take a darn picture of yourself.)
11. You hurry back to the car, if they are still waiting for you.
(Please don't forget to tell your wife or them to wait for you before you go.
Just lie and convince them that it will take only a minute.
They will say OK thinking that you are in a hurry to pee.)
Over the years, I have learned that....
A summit of any kinds doesn't come easy. It takes a darn stupid determination of some sort.
Somehow, once you get it, you won't regret.
2017.04.28 06:03
I'll move this section of "Climb of Mt. Whitney"
to my high school webpage under the title of
- [SNUMA.net Corner] as I did in the past for
A Kind of Inspiration to all the oldies sitting around.
Thanks, WM.
Out of a few hundred pictures I took, I selected about 140 of them. I am about 8 month too late !!
Anyway, the Whitney Climb webpages are almost done in 4 webpages.
Almost all data are on here now except minor revisions and corrections to do.
Some more cosmetic changes will be added soon.
You can see now with some difficulties.
You can come back in 2-3 days. I will rearrange neatly for easier reading by then.
Thank you.