Day 4: Mt. Whitney
9.8 miles, 3035 ft elevation gain, 3035 ft elevation loss

Wow - today was amazing! Definitely one of the best day hikes we have ever done, although it did not get off to a very auspicious start. Because we had a big day and wanted to be off the summit before any potential afternoon storms, we had an earlier start than usual (7 am - which is still not that early, especially since so many people hike up in the dark to watch sunrise from the summit). Now, Norah is not a morning person and getting her up and hiking, especially when we were still feeling some effects of the altitude, was not an easy task. We weren’t hiking that long when we had to stop for a motivational pep talk. In the end, Steve and I pinky promised when we got back to camp later in the day, we would do whatever Norah wanted to do. Which is how it ended up I had to jump in a freezing cold alpine lake later in the afternoon. But hey, pinky promises and she did ultimately do an awesome job hiking Mt. Whitney.

Eventually Norah perked up and we made a steady pace up the long switchbacks. From Guitar Lake it was three miles and 2000 feet elevation gain to the trail junction with the trail up the other side of Mt. Whitney from Whitney Portal. Looking up at the mountain it was hard to believe there was a trail there, but it was a good one and we slowly made our way up. We stopped a few times to get a good look at a pika (one of our favorites!) and to bask in the sun when it emerged. We had great weather and terrific light for photos, so I was also stopping frequently to take pictures.

Once we hit the junction we had over 61% of the mileage and 66% of the elevation done and took a short break. Many of the hikers with full backpacks drop their packs here to hike to the summit and pick them up on their return. We didn’t need to since we were just day hiking. When we were back at this junction after the summit a fellow hiker discovered items from her pack had been chewed up. Just as she was examining the damage, we turned around and saw a pudgy marmot waddling up the rocks. He certainly found a prime spot to look for goodies in unattended packs!

With 1.9 miles and 1000 feet to go, we set off to hike the next section through the pinnacles. The trail in this part had some exposure as it wound up, down, and around the pinnacles. In this section there were a few “windows” that allowed views all the way down to the valley on the east side. We picked up a lot of trail traffic once we hit the junction and Norah was constantly asked how old she was and told she was doing a great job (the encouragement was certainly nice!). After the pinnacles there was a traverse with a clear view of our objective and a final push up to the summit. And we did it! The views were beautiful every step of the way and even better at the summit. Luckily it was not windy or too cold, so we were able to spend time at the summit savoring the 360 degree views from the tallest point in the lower 48 (14,505 feet!)

We still had 4.9 miles to hike back down, so reluctantly pulled ourselves away from the summit to retrace our steps to Guitar Lake. Even on the second go around, the views continued to astonish. We had slight headaches and it was actually hot in the full sun, so we were happy to make it back to camp. Steve and I both jumped in the lake (Steve by choice and me because of a pinky promise) - so cold, but it was refreshing. We spent the afternoon relaxing and resting up as our next two days would be long ones. This was the price to pay for our easier first three days - but it was worth it because we were feeling good and never had problems from the altitude. After sunset Norah and I pulled out our sleeping bags to watch darkness settle and the night sky come alive. The night sky was stunning and a perfect end to an awesome day.