160 Miles on the John Muir Trail,   1992

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 -- DAY 10

At 5:30am, my alarm goes off and I get up. I slept fairly well again due in part to the mild overnight low temperature of 42°. The tent, bag and even the tarp are dry this morning. I like that! Earlier in the trip it was messy in the morning when everything was wet. The sky is sort of blue, but is mostly cloudy. It looks like another overcast day is in the works, but at least its calm.

I fetch my food from the bear box and discover that three more food bags were placed in there sometime last night. I didn't hear a thing nor do I know who they belong to. Today should be a relatively short day to Guitar Lake, without a lot of elevation gain, so I take my time this morning and cook scrambled eggs for breakfast. I'm getting tired of these eggs, even though I haven't had them often. They were great the first time, but get old fast. The temperature is 47° as I finish packing and prepare to leave.

At 7:30am, I'm off. No one else is stirring yet as I depart Tyndall Creek, which seems to be a popular area. Its calm and overcast with hazy sun and the mosquitoes are just waking up. I cross the creek and begin climbing out of its drainage to the south, heading for Bighorn Plateau. I check the map and only now do I fully realize that Tyndall Creek is around 11,000'! That was probably my highest camp yet, and yet it seemed like I was surrounded only by rolling foothills! This does not feel like high altitude!

I pass by the two Vidette Meadow guys one last time, just breaking camp near another bear box by some frog ponds about ¼ mile up the trail from Tyndall Creek. The grade becomes steep for awhile, climbing to the edge of Bighorn Plateau, but fortunately doesn't stay difficult for very long. I'm pretty tired from yesterday and am not pushing very hard. In fact, I feel run down, let down, and a little depressed. I'm tired of cloudy weather and I feel like the best of the scenery is behind me now, except for Mt. Whitney. The best stuff ended at Forester Pass. Truthfully, its good here too, but seems a little bland by comparison.

The trail levels off across the plateau, passing just below its summit. This is an unspectacular area, almost kind of plains-like compared to what I walked through on the previous nine days of this trip. There are few trees and its relatively mundane, especially with the lack of blue sky and sunshine. I meet a young German who is headed for Yosemite. For some reason, he has been told that the trail over Forester Pass is hard to follow, but it wasn't. I pass by twisted, gnarly-looking trees, which I presume are sequoias, but don't really know. I descend to Wallace Creek and the junction with the Junction Meadow trail. Beyond here, on a fairly steep climb out of Wallace Creek, I meet friendly, female Tyndall Creek ranger Lo Lyness, who is returning from a trip to Whitney. I have lots of questions at this point and she patiently supplies all the answers:

She is only the second ranger that I've seen in ten days and after I've just about talked her to death, I take her picture and continue on my way, walking through the forest under gray skies and hazy sun. My spirits are lifted a little after talking to the ranger, and I'm starting to get more excited as I get closer to Whitney. I've been there before and I liked it a lot!

I'm still not sure how I'm going to end this trip. I intend to camp at Guitar Lake tonight, and tomorrow I will either do the side trip to Whitney and exit at the Portal, or if the weather is good I might just head for Whitney and spend the night there, exiting the wilderness on Friday. It has been a goal of mine to camp at the summit, but I'm just not sure whether its worth lengthening the trip by a day to do it. Probably I will just let the weather decide for me. If its sunny and pleasant tomorrow morning, I will head for the top to camp; otherwise I will head out. I'm eager for the trip to end, but this is a very convenient time to attempt my goal of spending the night at the top and I hate to see that dream go unfulfilled. I know that I'll be sorry later if I skip it. What to do?!

I meet two couples headed for Tyndall Creek, followed a few minutes later by another couple who are doing the entire JMT. They say that two days ago at Trail Camp on the east side of Whitney, it was so cold and windy that everyone was in their tents and in bed at 5:00pm! They also say that the wind was fierce on the summit and that they would definitely not recommend camping at the top!

At noon, I'm at the junction with the trail to Crabtree ranger station and the weather seems to be improving. It is still basically overcast, but there is more sun than before with just a hint of blue in the sky. A sign here says that Guitar Lake is 2.7 miles away. I stop for lunch and enjoy the sun, which is out for now. Because I'm three days ahead of schedule, I don't need to conserve my food, so I've been eating more of my lunch snacks than normal. This is almost like junk food and is very satisfying. Trail mix, jerky and granola bars. I can pig out and not have to worry about gaining weight with all this activity, but also it helps to lighten my load since this is among the heaviest of the foods that I am carrying.

Shortly beyond,, just below Timberline Lake, I meet a couple from Georgia stopped beside the trail, eating lunch. He looks to be about 50 and she is obviously younger, by perhaps 10 years or so. They are headed in my direction and also plan on camping at Guitar Lake tonight, or as close to the base of Whitney as they can get. They are friendly and I look forward to talking more with them later.I push on, climbing now to Timberline Lake where I stop to refill my water bottle. I'm getting a little tired, but Guitar Lake can't be too far ahead, probably just up on the next shelf that is staring me in the face. At 2:00pm, I'm there: Guitar Lake! Whitney looms immediately to the east, its steep slope beginning just a mile away!

I'm excited about being here at the base of this big mountain, but I still don't know for sure how I will end this trip. Should I camp here tonight and at the summit tomorrow? Or head for Whitney Portal tomorrow after a side trip to the summit? Or maybe I should head for the tentsite at the Whitney trail junction tonight and do the side trip tomorrow? I'm still undecided and the time is now at hand.

I walk around to the upper end of the lake, looking for possible campsites. There are a few sites here, but nothing stellar. The best one is at the northeast corner of the lake and, per Ranger Lyness, there is a good one up Arctic Creek which feeds the lake. I want to be as close to the base of the mountain as possible, so I continue upgrade to a small tarn just above Guitar Lake. Per my guidebook, there are sites here, but I don't see anything enticing.

Okay! Its still early and I don't particularly want to sit around under the overcast sky for the rest of the day so I'm going for it! I've made my decision! I'll start climbing and see where I end up. I'll either stop at the Whitney trail junction, or who knows, maybe I can make it all the way to the summit today. I doubt it though, its still 4 miles and 2900 vertical feet away! That's quite a climb for this late and I'm a little tired, but I'll give it a try! CARPE DIEM (seize the day)!

I fetch water from the tarn, adding three quarts and iodine to my auxiliary storage bag and filling all three of my water bottles. I'm now carrying six quarts of water for an extra 10-12 pounds on my back, bringing the total pack weight back up into the 60 pound range again. This climb is going to hurt, I just know it. But that's okay… I don't have to make it all the way to the summit. I can stop at the Whitney trail junction if I get tired and that's only two miles away. I know that I can make it that far. The weather is calm and pleasant right now, except for the lack of sunshine. The sky doesn't look especially threatening to the west, but neither does it look like its going to clear.

I leave the tarn at 2:30pm and begin climbing. The trail immediately attacks the western flank of the great mountain with an aggressive grade and many switchbacks. I'm beginning to ask myself: Am I crazy? Should I really be doing this? I probably ought to just stay at Guitar Lake tonight and go for the summit tomorrow. That would give me a relaxed evening to rest and catch up on laundry. But NO! I can do it! Climb on! I just hope that I don't regret this decision later. I may have an uncomfortable night perched on an exposed, windy ledge at 13,500'. But if I do have a miserable evening, I will survive it! (I hope).

The climb goes well. I'm tired, but mentally psyched. There's a sense of urgency because of the relatively late hour, so I'm hurrying as best as I can. If I had known that I was going to do this, I would have gotten an earlier start this morning. I can feel the extra weight in the pack, but its not as troublesome as I had expected it to be. The grade is actually pretty good with some steep areas, but in general I'm able to keep moving at a pretty good pace.

At 4:20pm, I arrive at the junction with the Whitney trail -- YES, I'm going all the way to the summit! Screw the weather -- I'll survive it! A group of people stands nearby and a bunch of packs are sitting on the ground. This is really two separate groups. A young girl is curled up in a sleeping bag, watching the packs for the rest of her group who has gone to the summit. The others I believe must be camped at Trail Camp and are dayhiking to the top. I look at the tentsites (two of them) just below this junction and yes, they would do fine in a pinch, but they don't look particularly attractive here on the exposed rock. They are also not very private, being in full view of everyone on the Whitney trail.

Its a little breezy and cool at this altitude, so I put on my windbreaker and continue towards the summit. In the past, I've made it from here to the top in less than an hour, when dayhiking from Whitney Portal, so I'm pretty sure that I can make it today within 2 hours with my heavy pack. I just hope that the weather holds for tonight and that it won't be too cold. Someone on the trail said that there are rangers at the top, electrically grounding the stone hut, and I wonder if I will be able to seek shelter inside the hut in the event of really nasty weather. I suspect that I will probably pitch my tent right beside the hut for protection from the wind, but I'm a little concerned about getting stakes into the rocky ground. Surely, I'll be able to erect the tent somehow, using boulders or something to hold down the corners.

This stretch of trail is much more rocky and crude than I had remembered and is fairly difficult with a pack, but not horribly so. There are several treacherous, icy spots along the trail and it is quite tiring and slow going, thanks partly to the high altitude and partly to fatigue. Its also just a little scary in a couple of places. The closer I get, the more tired I become. Finally, I'm just below the summit and facing the last steep grade, which I remember as being very demanding from previous visits. The trail is vague and hard to follow through this area with many routes taken across small snow fields.

I pass by two Eureka dome tents and then arrive at the summit at 6:00pm. I made it! Mt. Whitney! Until a few hours ago, I had not really planned on spending tonight on the summit, but now that I am here, it is perfect! I am able fulfill my goal of spending my last night at the top and still finish the trip three days ahead schedule! I couldn't be more pleased! Its fairly calm with only a little breeze and the temperature is a cool 45°. The sky may be clearing, but its mostly just a non-threatening gray.

Two men are working on the stone hut and there is an American flag planted nearby. I strike up a conversation and learn that these are National Park Service personnel whose job is to restore and maintain all the shelters in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. That numbers over 70 buildings altogether, including park visitor centers, lodges and the like. These two were also responsible for refurbishing the Muir hut in Muir Pass in 1988. Their main purpose on Whitney is to electrically ground the shelter to make it safe from lightning, but they have also patched the roof, put glass in the windows, put on a new door and installed a wooden floor. There are new lightning rods all over the hut and they connect to lots of wiring buried in the ground, laid in trenches that they dug by hand!

The workmen are friendly and give me permission to sleep in the hut, in the smaller room on the south end. "That's what its for", they tell me! This is GREAT! I don't have to pitch my tent, and I get to sleep in a shelter out of the wind, with glass in the windows and a wooden floor! The wooden floor is new and it will greatly help to take the chill out of the room. I remember standing in this hut two years ago and feeling the cold from the stone floor come right up through my boots! This should be super-cozy and I'm no longer worried about frightful weather anymore! My trip is really ending on a grand note!

The head park service guy is staying in the larger, northern end of the hut, but his assistant prefers a tent down the slope. They say that the weather can be either really good or really bad, and that the overnight temperature is usually around 20° or so. I can handle that, especially in my cozy little room, but it might have otherwise been a cold night out on the ground. I just can't get over how lucky I am, and I am so glad that I pushed on to the summit!

I move my pack into the hut and make up my bed. Its chilly outside and it feels good to be in shelter. By now, its 7:30pm and I begin cooking my dinner of Lipton rice and sauce, keeping an eye on the sky for possible good sunset photos. The sky is still mostly cloudy, but it looks like the sun might peek through and light up the sky. The clouds begin turning orange and I go outside for a few pictures. Its cool and a little breezy and not comfortable to stand outside for very long. The sunset is a pretty good one and I make several trips outside for pictures, but always return to the hut within a few minutes to escape the cold. It is cold in the hut too, but with no breeze it is much nicer.

At 9:00pm, I hit the sack. Its still around 40° and relatively calm, but I anticipate a cold night so I've got my down parka and all my clothes nearby, just in case I need the extra insulation. Boy, am I thankful for this hut -- and do I ever feel lucky! Its nice to be able to stay inside, but especially nice that I now have the wooden floor and glass in the windows. I am very pleased!

I stink so badly that I can hardly stand myself! I'm elated to be able to stay on Whitney for my last night and will be glad to finish the hike tomorrow, but by proceeding beyond Guitar Lake today, I've sacrificed a chance to wash up and do laundry. But I'll be out tomorrow and I can hardly wait! I crave a hot shower and real food! I am three days ahead of schedule, but I still managed to do everything on my agenda. This is a perfect ending to my trip! All that I need to really finish it right is a clear, sunny day tomorrow.


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