I am setting up this blog to journal my excursion to Mt.Whitney. I will be joining five other women on this adventure to summit the highest peak in the contiguous United States

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES!




Day 2 Part 2: Heading Down






We returned to Outpost and quickly took down the tents and packed up camp.  Our hike down to the Portal was a lot harder than I had anticipated.  Our backpacks seemed to have gotten heavier as our bodies were pretty worn out by this time.  
We made it back down to the parking lot in a few hours and enjoyed a much needed cold Corona!  

6 women, 2 days, 1 Mountain.... AMAZING!!!!


Day 2 AKA: Bust Day


















AT 4:00AM we set out for Trail Camp.... headlamps on, crampons and ice axes in hand.  As the elevation increased so did the snow, making it difficult to see the trail.  We arrived at Trail Camp just before 7:30am to find it buried in snow.  We spoke with a few campers that had made the decision not to continue and watched a few groups struggle up the switch backs (97 in all). Clouds were moving in from both directions and snow was beginning to fall. 
 At this point we made the decision to turn back, a very difficult decision but in the end the right one.  The hike back down to Outpost was bittersweet.  Although we all were proud of what we accomplished, deep down we were so sad to have been shut out by Mother Nature!