Received word this morning that an interested ODClub hiker from the Bay Area will not be joining me for my trip to Mt. Whitney area during the Thanksgiving Day weekend. At least he told me in advance. So it is I who is the only one listed on the activity. I get to be my own leader and follower and sweeper. How about that!
Solo I go.
I wonder who I will meet at Whitney Portal? What will I see? What will the weather be like? That would be interesting. You never know who you might meet, or what you might see, or what you may experience. I may have the whole place to myself with the exception of possibly a bear, a marmot, a chipmunk, a squirrel, a mule deer, a Clark's jay letting me know I am in THEIR house and in THEIR yard!
At home last night while I was going through my my cold weather gear to prepare for my trip, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do on my birthday that I have never done in my life. I came here last year but didn't stay for my birthday on Thanksgiving Day. This time I wanted to make it special to make up for last year. Then it hit me like a bolt out of the blue.
This is what I will do on Friday, November 25:
I will try to do what I always wanted to do but never got around to doing during my summer visits. If during my reconaissance hike on Wednesday I find the trails are clear of snow, I will run from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine Lake and back. That's a 5.6 mile roundtrip "run" starting from 8,365 feet above sea level to 9,960 feet. You can guarantee I will run a little further and top out at 10,000 feet before I make my descent.
I know someone out there has done this and it was a walk in the park for them. For me, it's a challenge. I remember a quote I once read: Never back away from a challenge if it is something you really want to do. Duck it, and it will nag you the rest of your life.
Time to put that "nag" to rest!
What I will do to have fun.
