Trail camp -> Mt. Whitney summit -> Trail camp (9.4 miles)
The moment I've been waiting for. Summit day. Had an alpine start. Woke up around 3 a.m., ate a hardy breakfast, got our packs ready, took a brief look at the stars scattered brightly across the sky, put our headlamps on, and set out to tackle the summit.
As we were eating breakfast, the only thing you could see on the mountain in the distance was the dim light of someone's headlamp as they were slowly going up the switchbacks. Someone had started even earlier than us.
The 99 switchbacks were done in darkness with our headlamps.
Made it to the Trail Crest to watch the sunrise.
Beautiful.
Taking a break to watch the sunrise.
View after passing the Trail Crest. Mt. Hitchcock and the JMT down below.
The trail.
Still some snow left.
The sun rays hitting the peaks as the sun was rising.
The view between the needles.
The rock structures.
A look at the trail. Goal in sight.
Guitar Lake and the JMT.
Made it to the Smithsonian Institution Shelter.
Success! The Summit! The whole crew!
View at the summit at the other peaks we passed.
Enjoying the view at the top.
There is Verizon reception at the summit, although a bit spotty. Thanks to David for letting me use his phone, I was able to call my mom to wish her a happy birthday.
Making it legit! Only 6 people made it there before us that day (that had signed the book).
View from the top. (Right side)
View from the top. An alpine lake. (Mid-left)
View from the top. (Straight ahead)
Hiking back.
Hiking back.
Another view of the JMT on the way back. The JMT trail ends at Mt. Whitney. We met a few people who were just completing the 221 miles of the JMT.
It was finally bright enough on the way back to see the sign. On the days we were here, the clouds rolled in pretty consistently around 2-3 p.m.
Mrs. Suh at Trail Crest.
A view of part of the 99 switchbacks and Consultation Lake.
Still some ice on the trail, too.
Almost down the switchbacks to Trail camp. David with the mountains behind him.
Mission accomplished. Made it to Mt. Whitney summit. One of the best experiences ever!
