As I left Wyoming and traveled south west toward California, the bad weather seemed to follow. I was alarmed at how much snow was already on the high mountains in eastern Nevada, wondering if the Sierras of California had been hit by the same storm. That would have put paid to my peak bagging plans for sure! When I finally got to Bishop, CA, I was elated to find the mountains snow free. Continuing south to Lone Pine I spent the next few days hiking in the area, building on the foundation of altitude acclimatization I had developed in the Tetons. After scrambling up 13850' Mt Mallory and feeling better at this altitude than I ever have before (accompanied part way by Alistair from Scotland whom I met on the trail) I decided I was ready to go for Mt Whitney (See the Whitney Gallery). Having done that, I felt there was no way I could really "top" that experience in the Lone Pine area so I headed north to Mt Shasta for one last peak bagging bash, climbing both it and the small neighbouring Castle Dome in one big day to round out my trip. Then it was just one long days drive back to Vancouver, where I arrived, appropriately enough, in the pouring rain accompanied by occasional thunder and lightening!