TEAM DANCES WITH COYOTES

Congratulations to Kandy and Team Dances With Coyotes (daughter Ashley and trail buddy Michael) on their successful summit of Mt. Whitney on August 15. It took them an 14 hours to do the 22 mile hike. Great job!


The following is a trip report from Kandy:

I cannot even describe how awesome Tuesday was. In summary . . .

12:25 am - on the trail. Temperature relatively mild compared to the howling winds and cold of last year. One other gentleman hiker slightly ahead of us. We immediately run into a woman coming down with a pack on her back and carrying a bear cannister. She didn't seem very happy and wasn't interested in talking to us . . .hope this isn't a bad omen.

1:25 am - the log bridge.

3:30 am - Trail Camp - I forgot to note times at the other notable spots like Outpost Camp. I was so focused on the hike itself. There was one tent visable off the trail. Somewhere just before Outpost, we passed two women who were also going up . . . and struggling. Somewhere past Outpost, we passed the gentleman we saw in the parking lot. He tried to keep up but we lost him in the dark.

The 20 minute stay at Trail Camp was miserable. The temperatures dropped miserably and the wind was blowing. Michael struggled some the last 30 minutes or so before camp, and had started to panic about the cold. Once he ate and we stuck "Heat Factory" packs all over our bodies (a life saver, those little things are!), he regrouped and we were off. Our lone hiker joined us for a bit while we were resting, and started up before us, but we quickly overtook him. The horizon started turning shades of orange and red about 1/2 way up the switchbacks and we were soon able to turn off our headlamps. We hit patches of ice which surprised me. I guess it really was cold!

I have no idea when we got to Trail Crest. The sun was just starting to paint the peaks. Unlike you, there was absolutely no wind. Cold though. I had nightmares about Trail Crest in what little sleep I got Monday night, but it wasn't as bad as I had envisioned. It really could have been worse, right? At some point in time, Michael pointed out the hut. I was immediately ecstatic that it was in sight, yet at the same time it looked soooooooooooooooooooooooo FARAWAY! Right after that, I started getting very emotional as there was no doubt that I was going to summit. Ashley turned around and I'm blubbering away that we were going to make it. Collected myself and marched on. Was absolutely amazed that while I wasn't jogging up, the altitude really didn't seem to be a problem. No problems breathing, no headache, no naseua. Michael & Ashley both said they were a bit lightheaded, but I was too pumped to feel anything but euphoria!
7:30 am - Team Dances with Coyotes planted their feet on the summit. I immediately started dancing and screaming - scared the weeby-jeebies out of the 6 people already on the summit. It all seemed so surreal, especially since I didn't really feel all that tired. Cold at the top, but who noticed? I was too busy talking a mile a minute and taking pictures. We savored our triumph for about an hour and since no one was serving coffee, decided to start the second half of the hike. And that's when the misery set in.

My headache started before heading down the switchbacks, but it was managable with Advil. I was a bit apprehensive about going down the switchbacks, as downhill is problematic with my knee (I put my brace on before heading back down which helps). I have since decided that the switchbacks are best done in the dark . . .whether going up OR down. Then you cannot see that no matter how many steps you take, you are never, ever going to get to the end. EVER!

Since the ascent was in the dark, seeing the trail in the daylight was nice, but it also kept prompting me to say "we climbed up THAT?" Darkness was my friend . . .

The rest of the descent was uneventful but also never-ending. We left Trail Camp at 11:45 am. I was so prepared for a struggle going up and never really concentrated on going down. The final two miles past Lone Pine Lake were the longest and I was getting really crabby. My feet were throbbing. My legs ached. Even accused the good Lord of moving the parking lot. A group of strangers were standing at the "launching pad" as we crawled through at 2:30 pm and suddenly the pain went away and I started a-hollering and a-hooting. They all joined in and started applauding when they found out it was a one-dayer . . . a perfect end!

Your words of wisdom were a big part of our success. I still have a copy of the first e-mail you sent to me after I posted "Do you think I can do it?" Thank you so much for everything!

TEAM BRUIN

Congratulations to Team Bruin on their successful summit of Mt. Whitney.

Danu Sherpa is very proud of both of you.

The following is a trip report:

Sorry for the long post, but it was an amazing day and we had a blast. 9 1/2 hours up and 5 down, with almost an hour and a half on the summit. Yeah, that's WAY too long up top, but we were feeling great.

After all was said and done, we experienced no nausea, no headaches, and no significant aches or pains. The day before the hike, I was fortunate to speak with Doug Thompson about the current trail conditions, recommended departure times, recent rescues, etc. What a valuable source of information that guy is ... hello and thanks again for your time, Doug.

The one bit of advice Doug offered was to start no earlier than 2:00 a.m., in light of the recent winds and cold temps up there. BruinJane and I had planned to start earlier than that, but opted for 2:30 a.m.

Acclimation: Arrived at the Portal on Tuesday, 8/8 for 2 1/2 days of pre-hike acclimatizing. On 8/9, we met up with Gary and his crew of seven for a quick trip up and over to the 10,000' Horseshoe Meadows. I absolutely believe that these pre-hike days at altitude were keys to our successful summit.

The Hike: Conditions at 2:30 a.m. couldn't have been better -- about 50F and slightly breezy. At the ends of their hikes the day before, RunRJoe and Gary reported very cold and windy trail conditions (thanks again for stopping by, Danu), so additional fleeces went into our packs. Just goes to show you that each day up there can be very, very different. Headlamps illuminated our path and the 92% full-moon illuminated the surroundings. The outer layers were shed by about Lone Pine Lake. By Trailside Meadow, they were back on. Better to stay warm than to try to get warm once cold.

We hit Trail Camp about daybreak and were surprised to run into Two-In-One-Day-Jack Northup (WHTNY N1) for THE SECOND TIME that day -- earlier Jack had passed us around Lone Pine Lake while on his first descent. (Enjoyed meeting and talking with you, Jack -- good luck to your ball team this year.) A short rest and many pictures of the alpenglow later, we pushed up the Switchbacks and reached Trail Crest about 10:00 a.m.

Without wind to worry about, the Windows are actually great photo ops. The trail is level and comfortably wide at those spots, and first-timers shouldn't be concerned -- BruinJane and I both thought that some other portions of the Whitney trail, as well as portions of Baldy's Devil's Backbone, provided tighter and more precipitous encounters which warranted greater attention.

Ran into Jack again at this point. Descent #2 for him. Darn that guy.

Signed the register about noon, with a special nod to Danu (couldn't have done it without you, Sherp) and to 67Brickie (thanks for the push, Brick). Up top we were feeling surprisingly good.

Took lots of pictures. Met and visited with Ranger Mark from Sequoia (thanks for taking some pics, Mark -- yours are on their way). Had a bite to eat. Called our respective fathers (yes, Verizon came through). It was a great experience.

The descent was safe and uneventful -- exactly what we were hoping for. No knee pain, whatsoever. We were shocked. Met up with our good friends Jimbo and Adele at the Portal Store for the best burgers, fries, and beers imaginable.

Food/Drink: We each started with full 100 oz. insulated bladders, and two empty Nalgenes. Just to be safe, I filled my Nalgenes on the way up the Switchbacks at the top of the "spring", which to me appears more like a melting snow bank. Despite having a filter in my pack, I took BobR's and others' advice and filled up unfiltered, straight from the source. Almost a week later, we're not experiencing any ill effects. We didn't hit these Nalgenes until the Switchbacks on our way down. Jane's two Nalgenes remained empty throughout the hike. As for food, on the trail we snacked periodically on GU, mini-Snickers pieces, PowerBars, and different trail mixes. At the summit, Jane ate her PB&J bagel.

Training: Started in March, and included several weekend hikes to altitude up Southern California peaks (Mt. Wilson, Mt. Lowe, Baldy via Village, Gorgonio via Vivian Creek, San Jacinto), many with Gary providing the necessary leadership, motivation, and descriptions of previous Whitney summits. Mid-week, we did countless 5-milers up to our local Henninger Flats and Echo Mountain. As has been stated by others many times, there's no better prep than hitting the trails, if for no other reason than getting used to the "down."

Observations/First-Timer Tips: Trail conditions. I was very impressed with how well maintained and clean it was, considering the pressure. Hat's off to those responsible for its maintenance and repair. Forest service members and volunteers (like GregF) should be commended. Cudos, big time.

Footwear: Despite a lot of recent discussion on the Board about this issue, I couldn't decide between using my trailrunners or traditional hiking boots. I decided to go with my mid-height Merrells instead of my Zamberlans. When I go again, I'm going with the Zamberlans. While the trailrunner-type Merrells worked just fine going up, the mid-trail rocks could be felt through the soles coming down -- no big deal, but an unwanted nuisance. Perhaps sole inserts would've helped.

Light gloves: Add 'em to your pack. With even the slightest early morning breeze up there, you'll be glad to have them.

Binoculars: Leave 'em campside. Unused added weight.

The Switchbacks: There are 99 and not 97. Those two near the bottom have enough of a change of direction where they should count. Just my opinion.

WAG bags: Are no big deal. 'Nuf said.

Backpacks: Our new Osprey Packs were incredibly comfortable and our backs stayed cool. Glad we had them. The waist belt pockets made for easy access to our food, lip balm, etc. And, no, I'm not affiliated with Osprey.

One last comment of appreciation to Doug, Earlene, and the Portal crew for their welcoming nature and obvious dedication to making the Whitney experience the best possible, especially for us first-timers. Thanks again.

GRAND SLAM

Front row: Me, Erin, Horacio

Back row: Kelly, Greg, Garv, Anne

Not pictured: Amy

Mt Whitney.

We did it. At least two of us anyways. Erin and I "bagged" Mecca West at 10:23 a.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2006. The 22-mile hike took us 17 hours and 5 minutes to complete.

Thanks to my digital recorder, I was able to recount the day's events. Here is the trip report:

12:03 a.m.: All eight of us embark to the summit via the old stock trail. The skies are clear and the moon is at 97% illumination. Confidence is high. Garv is point. I am sweep.

12:25 a.m.: We reach the John Muir Wilderness sign. I have everyone turn off their headlamps to see the world around them as John Muir himself would have seen it.

12:43 a.m.: Greg drops from the hike. A very wise decision on his part. He was starting to slow down due to the exertion and altitude. I ask him if he were okay to find his way back. He nods in agreement. There are now seven of us.

1:32 a.m.: We reach the log crossing. Everyone makes it across safely without incident. There is a group of four hikers blocking the other side. They are "asked" to move aside to make way. That is no place to muster when you have seven eager hikers wanting to pass through.

1:40 a.m.: We enter the Whitney Zone. I point out "Bed Rock" that Lawrence Murphy slept and snored on back on August 6, 2004.

2:24 a.m.: We reach Outpost Camp.

4:35 a.m.: The winds are blowing as we near Trailside Meadows. My eyes water. I start to yawn. I feel disoriented. I want to lie down and sleep. We stop to top off our water supplies in our Camelbak bladders. The water is numbing cold.

5:15 a.m.: We reach Trail Camp. The exposed camp is windy and cold. Gusts are 25 mph. Windchill hovering near 30°. We are all not feeling well. We huddle against a rock as a windbreaker. Kelly is not feeling well. Horacio and Kelly decide to turn back. I can see in Horacio's eyes that he did not want to abort. He had no other choice. He did extremely well up to this point. I can sense the disappointment and frustration in his eyes. The team huddles close together to stay warm. I take out my space blanket and put it over Garv, Amy, Anne and Erin. I give Anne my Marmot Dri-Clime jacket to keep warm. I place their packs at their feet to shield from the cold wind. We anxiously wait for the sunrise to provide some sort of comfort. All of us are ill-prepared for the unusual weather conditions. I have a long-sleeved t-shirt, a short-sleeved t-shirt, a shirt, jacket, and balaclava. The key articles of clothing I am missing are my upper and lower shells and fleece jacket of which I took all out of my pack the night before to save weight. Bad decision on my part. I feel nauseous. I move away from the huddle to avoid vomiting on them. I decide to keep moving around. I start to feel better. I am constantly thinking of a way to keep moving to the summit. I am trying to find a way to motivate the group to keep pushing. I do not have any ideas or suggestions. I scamper along the rocks trying to find a solution. My thoughts turn negative. Now what do we do?

6:04 a.m.: The sun rises above the White Mountains. The alpenglow is something to behold. Erin gets up to take the early morning photos. I take a few of my own. I am reminded of George Harrison's song, "Here Comes the Sun."

6:10 a.m.: I make a decision to have all of us abort the hike and return to Whitney Portal. Erin had this look on her face. I then asked the group what they wanted to do. Erin wanted to keep pushing. Amy, Anne and Garv decide to turn around.

6:15 a.m.: Erin and I start to make our ascent from Trail Camp. We leave the other three behind. As much as I did not want to, it was a group consensus. I wanted everyone to summit. Today, Mother Nature prevailed. I am point. There is ice on the switchbacks due to the springs. I alert Erin to avoid stepping on the ice.

7:07 am.: Erin and I reach the cables. Halfway up the 97 switchbacks. The sun feels good as we make our way up. It is still windy and cold. I tell Erin that during June and July, one must venture outside the cables in order to make it to Trail Crest.

7:18 a.m. Meet Joe on our way up. He came within 200 feet from the summit and had to turn around due to headaches. He told us about the other members of his group and that they had turned around at Trail Camp. He tells us that Mike may be on his way back down. We do not know if he reached the summit.

7:48 a.m.: We meet Mike who was with me during my first Whitney summit in August 2004. He offers us his fleece wear jackets. These articles of clothing provided comfort especially for Erin. He provides us the summit conditions. He saw the sunrise on the summit. We may not see the sunrise, but the summit is our target and it is still a long way to go.

8:26 a.m.: Erin and I reach Trail Crest. She is in awe of the view of Hitchcock Mountains and Hitchcock Lakes and Sequoia National Park at 13,600 feet. It is very windy and still cold. We make a low profile to avoid being blown over by the gusty winds as we cross the crest to make our way to the John Muir Trail.

8:37 a.m.: We reach the Mount Whitney and John Muir Trail junction. We frequently stop along the way. Both of us are not feeling well, but we push each other to keep going. The winds at the "windows" are very strong. We keep a low profile to avoid being swept down as we make our way across. We hike for 15 minutes and rest for 5 minutes. Pace, pace, pace.

9:59 a.m.: We reach the "wedge" using our trekking poles without incident and continue our ascent. Every 100 steps we stop and rest for a moment and continue another 100 steps and stop. This tactic proved worthy. One hundred steps became twenty. Every other twenty...stop...rest...breathe...push...

10:17 a.m.: The summit hut is in sight. Just a few more "steps." The longest 200 yards.

10:23 a.m.: Summit. Erin's first summit first try of the 14,497.61 peak. My fourth "bag" and my "grand slam." I sign the register and take a picture. I proceed to the trail sign at the top. I take a picture of my gear next to the sign. I take a few pictures. Erin joins me and we take pictures of each other with our cameras. I take a picture of her at the summit register and the trail sign. The skies are clear and very windy and cold. We see the forest fire to the south. There are six other people on the summit. Not one marmot could be seen. Probably nestled between the rocks to avoid the chilly winds at the summit.

10:40 a.m.: Phase Two--the "getting-down-is-mandatory" part. Eleven miles to go. I give Erin a big hug and say, "Let's do it and get this over with!"

11:10 a.m.: We are stopped by two park rangers on the "backside." One of them asks if we are from the "parking lot" side meaning Whitney Portal. I tell them the trip and group report. We chatted and laughed for 10 minutes.

12:19 p.m.: Erin and I reach Trail Crest. It is literally all "downhill" from here. We slap on more sunscreen to protect us from the reflected sunlight from the rocks in front of us. It starts to warm up so I start to remove the layers of clothing.

1:45 p.m.: We reach the "springs" and fill up our water bottles to put in our Camelbak bladders.

2:00 p.m.: We reach Trail Camp after descending the 97 switchbacks. It is not as windy as this morning. We relay trail conditions to the other hikers. We wish them good luck on their summit.

3:10 p.m.: We pass Mirror Lake and hit the switchbacks before Outpost Camp. I point out to Erin the scenic expanse of Bighorn Park and Outpost Camp below. It is a sight to behold.

3:30 p.m.: We reach Outpost Camp. Not a tent nor a soul around. Abandoned. Another stream crossing and off we go. Usually one would see a park ranger here along the trail. Today was not the case.

3:56 p.m.: We leave the Whitney Zone. The longest 2.8 miles of the hike are ahead of us. We stop at the log crossing for more water.

5:08 p.m.: Done. 17 hours and 5 minutes. My second longest Whitney hike. Erin's ankle did fine. She had problems on San Bernardino Peak, but not this time. My back was bothering me on the descent but nothing major. I think it was due to the weather more than anything.

Erin spots Garv's vehicle in the day use parking lot and I figured he was waiting for us at the Whitney Portal Store. As we came closer to the store, we spotted Garv sitting on the outside patio. Congratulatory hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

We stopped by the Team Bruin campsite to provide them the trail report. I hope my report gives them a slight edge for their hike tomorrow.

Joe, Mike, Garv, Kelly, Horacio, Anne, Erin and I celebrate at the Pizza Factory.

Lessons learned: Never do what I did AGAIN when it comes to chucking gear to save weight!! Bring goggles or change sunglass lenses from dark to clear to shield eyes from wind.

WE DID IT!

INSPIRATION

"Before the gates of excellence the high gods have placed sweat; long is the road thereto and rough and steep at first; but when the heights are reached, then there is ease, though grievously hard in the winning."

"The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not obtained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."

"Those on top of the mountain did not fall there."

Thank you, Cheryl, for these quotes. I like all of them. Thank you very much for the inspiration.