Mt. Whitney

Day 42 ~ [pct] miles 766 - 770 (plus Mt. Whitney side trip)

We awoke early to cold, cold air.  It was so nice not having to pack up our stuff!  We planned to leave our tent setup with most of our belongings in it, since we would be returning later in the day.  We loaded up our packs with plenty of food and water and extra clothing/jackets just in case, and setout to ascend the highest mountain in the continental US! 

We hiked along streams and by lakes as we gradually ascended.  Eventually, the path became unclear, as it was covered with snow.  We followed footprints through the snow as we found our way up the mountain.  We began to ascend more quickly as we took switchbacks up the mountain, and the trail was mostly clear of snow.  As we gained elevation, some snowy and icy patches remained on the trail.   The further we traveled, the more sketchy and unsafe it became to cross the snow patches.  At some points on the trail, one wrong step could be fatal.  I'm afraid of heights, and often overthink the consequences in such situations.  We could see the hut on top of the mountain, with less than one mile to go, we hit a dangerous snowy patch and I began to panic.  Some hikers we knew were descending the mountain and warned us of more dangerous areas up ahead.  After a stressful mental struggle, I decided that I needed to turn back.  Moonshine was totally supportive and was glad that we didn't put ourselves into a dangerous situation.

I had planned to scatter some of my father's cremated remains at the summit of Mt. Whitney, which made the situation even more emotional.  The views from up there were incredible, and I know my Dad would've been totally awestruck, so I let him go anyway.  It was a bittersweet moment, as I wished so bad that I could call him up and tell him where I was, but I was glad to be able to leave some of him in such an amazing place. 

We hiked down the mountain, back to Crabtree Meadows.  I was physically and emotionally drained, as I crawled in the tent for a nap.  Moonshine made me lunch and coffee in "bed", how sweet.

We packed up our things and headed on for a few more miles.  And so began the river fords!  We forded 2 large streams in the 4 miles we hiked.  Shoes and socks off,the water was so cold that it hurt!  We are camping with Midway and Joker and Cracker Keeper in a grassy meadow by a stream.  It's super cold, which seems to be the norm around here in the evenings.  Big day tomorrow, Forester Pass!