Disneyland for Hikers: A Walk to Mt. Whitney

Base affected sits at 12,000 anxiety -- stark, windy, unshaded from the afire August sun, but an contrarily abundant abode to stop for a snack. Voices answer beyond algid granite as the breeze wraps about dozens of tents, backpacks, affable stoves, and bear-proof aliment canisters. An unopened amalgamation of assistant chips on my lap is anon snatched up by a marmot, abundantly by my attendance and unfazed by my pursuit.

Here, the animals, the people, and the arid granite anatomy a alive association in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. The aisle to Mount Whitney sees bags of bodies anniversary year, all in following of the accomplished aiguille in the United States (excluding Alaska). The bodies army the trail, the animals accomplishment the people, and Inyo civic backwoods rakes in bags of tourism dollars. They say if you appetite solitude, go to Antarctica. Mount Whitney is Disneyland for hikers.

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That's not adage Whitney should be avoided. Like Disneyland, there's a acceptable acumen crowds all besiege at one California landmark. Few added places in the apple action a well-tracked aisle to 14,496 feet, area anyone with a brace of athletic boots can expedition to the top of a country, and a big one at that. Technical abilities are alternative on this trail, admitting backbone and a amount of acclivity altruism is vital.

The aisle begins at 8,368 anxiety in the Whitney Portal campground, at the end of a paved alley from Lone Pine. The trailhead is a bewilderment of parking lots, which, in the summer months, are about consistently abounding to capacity.

This is the allotment of the backwoods area atramentous bears rule; they back-bite in the windows of anchored cars and abduct whatever they find. So common are the buck burglaries that bodies are aggressively ticketed for abrogation appetizing bales in apparent view.

I feel adequate back I airing into the wilderness and abroad from buck country. From the trailhead it's over 11 afar and 6,000 vertical anxiety to the flat-topped summit, a bit-by-bit trail, but not for wimps. Whitebark ache forests boring accord way to apparent granite over the aboriginal 7 miles, again abject affected marks a arduous and bouldered arise to Sierra Crest.

I drafted my dad and his acquaintance Tom, two ardent hikers in their backward 40's, up the abrupt area of aisle Affectionately alleged "100 switchbacks." I lose calculation afterwards 75. Most hikers complete this backpack as two to three-day backpacking trip, but Dad, Tom and I are activity to do it in a day.

Sierra Crest is apparent at 13,600 feet, already college than I accept anytime hiked. The acclivity puts a clamp on my lungs, and I feel a ambiguous faculty of apathy bit-by-bit into my head, alike admitting my affection is pumping. The aisle rolls forth the backbone abaft arduous pinnacles. You could blunder and abatement 2,000 feet, but the bright aisle helps anticipate that. bags of footsteps per year accept beat a nice canal in the asperous mountain

At this point I'm active up the trail, but it doesn't matter. I'm a ambler that climbs to look, not conquer. The blooming and gold of Sequoia stretches beyond the horizon. Deep dejected lakes animation below a clement sky. From actuality you can about see the base of Death Valley - the everyman point in the United States and abandoned 90 afar from this point.

Dad and Tom are a means advanced by the time I arise the final abruptness - a bit-by-bit access that eventually levels off. This is the aiguille - flat, spacious, about custom-designed for ample capacities. A army of about a dozen bodies are broadcast over the rocks. We bang abutting to a bounded brand - "Latitude: 36° 35' x; Longitude: 118° 17' x," it says - and fix some lunch. We accept abundant appearance of Lone ache - 13 afar east, of Yosemite civic park, of the all-embracing Nevada desert, of the Sierra Nevadas addition over the horizon.

A able wind whips accomplished my arch and muffles the ceaseless chatter. If I about-face my arch against the arduous bead to the east I about feel alone. Almost. They say if you appetite solitude, go elsewhere. If you appetite to see the amazing top of America's better and brightest, go to Whitney.

Directions: From Los Angeles booty artery 14 to U.S. artery 395 arctic to Lone Pine, about 200 miles. about-face west assimilate Whitney Portal Rd. 13 afar to the aisle head. Permits are appropriate for this backpack and are somewhat difficult to obtain. Call Inyo civic Forest, Mt. Whitney District, (760) 876-6200, for added information.

Disneyland for Hikers: A Walk to Mt. Whitney

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