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Jim & Cynthia | profile | all galleries >> Jim and Cynthia's Travel Photos >> July '05 - Climbing Mt. Whitney tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

July '05 - Climbing Mt. Whitney

To climb this mountain was a dream of Cynthia's since she was quite young ... and the dream finally came true!! We "won" the lottery for a permit, and brought a group of friends. It was a magical, difficult, spiritual, and fantastic experience. Cyn had named a purple stuffed bear "Whitney" years earlier (Jim won the bear in Ely, Nevada ... ) and so it was appropriate to bring him up there ("Someday we're gonna climb that mountain!"). Cyn also has a collection of "special water" (containing ashes of her best friend Kalpana Chawla), which she brought to the top to sprinkle in honor of her love.
Dinner in Lone Pine, the day before our hike
Dinner in Lone Pine, the day before our hike		 Jim, in Lone Pine, getting ready
Jim, in Lone Pine, getting ready		 Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine
Mt. Whitney from Lone Pine		 Our historic (and nice) hotel in Lone Pine
Our historic (and nice) hotel in Lone Pine
My mascot Whitney ready to go
My mascot "Whitney" ready to go		 View of Whitney along drive to Whitney Portal
View of Whitney along drive to Whitney Portal		 View of Whitney along drive; Alhambra rocks too
View of Whitney along drive; Alhambra rocks too		 At Whitney Portal, ready to commence hiking
At Whitney Portal, ready to commence hiking
The whole gang, excited and ready!
The whole gang, excited and ready!		 Pretty cacti along the trail
Pretty cacti along the trail		 Hike from Whitney Portal to Outpost Camp (3 hours)
Hike from Whitney Portal to Outpost Camp (3 hours)		 Fording our first rushing stream
Fording our first rushing stream
The intrepid hiker
The intrepid hiker		 The intrepid hiker's loving husband
The intrepid hiker's loving husband		 A rest by a beautiful stream
A rest by a beautiful stream		 The happy couple!
The happy couple!
Jim, sneaking into the snack food
Jim, sneaking into the snack food		 And eating the snack food!
And eating the snack food!		 Jim, ready to get hiking again
Jim, ready to get hiking again		 Girl power (Ellen, Carina, Cyn)
Girl power (Ellen, Carina, Cyn)
Our first large snow field
Our first large snow field		 The guys chatting along the trail
The guys chatting along the trail		 Snow sculpture
Snow sculpture		 This pack is pretty big! (35 pounds)
This pack is pretty big! (35 pounds)
Arriving at our mountain meadow near Outpost
Arriving at our mountain meadow near Outpost		 Glittery stream in the meadow
Glittery stream in the meadow		 Towering granite around Outpost Camp
Towering granite around Outpost Camp		 Waterfall that we listened to all night!
Waterfall that we listened to all night!
It was beautiful, and it was a pleasing sound
It was beautiful, and it was a pleasing sound		 Outpost camp, surrounded by imposing granite
Outpost camp, surrounded by imposing granite		 Love those rocks
Love those rocks		 Whitney with his shades and hiking pole (and special water)
Whitney with his shades and hiking pole (and special water)
Jim setting up our tent
Jim setting up our tent		 Enjoying Outpost camp
Enjoying Outpost camp		 The whole gang
The whole gang		 Jim purifying water
Jim purifying water
Hanging our food (oops, didn't bring enough bear cannisters)
Hanging our food (oops, didn't bring enough bear cannisters)		 The Elmer Fudd contest winners
The Elmer Fudd contest winners		 The guys cook dinner (Jim, Chris, Lee, Ron)
The guys cook dinner (Jim, Chris, Lee, Ron)		 Early morning sunrise on the day of the BIG HIKE
Early morning sunrise on the day of the BIG HIKE
Clark's Nutcrackers singing to us
Clark's Nutcrackers "singing" to us		 Cynthia ready to go!
Cynthia ready to go!		 Or is it Darth Vader?
Or is it Darth Vader?		 Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake
Another stream successfully forded
Another stream successfully forded		 Carina, Cyn, Chris and Lee marching along
Carina, Cyn, Chris and Lee marching along		 Lee watches while Cyn puts her trusty camera away
Lee watches while Cyn puts her trusty camera away		 Ellen and Ron, a happy couple
Ellen and Ron, a happy couple
View up towards the peaks
View up towards the peaks		 Chris, Lee, Ron and Ellen lining up
Chris, Lee, Ron and Ellen lining up		 Cyn joins the group
Cyn joins the group		 Looking back down towards Mirror Lake
Looking back down towards Mirror Lake
Happy couples near a stream
Happy couples near a stream		 Ron takes off across the snow field
Ron takes off across the snow field		 OK, we'll obey THIS sign!
OK, we'll obey THIS sign!		 Cyn is loving the snowy granite!
Cyn is loving the snowy granite!
Beatiful flowers tucked into the rocks
Beatiful flowers tucked into the rocks		 Carina and Ellen hiking ever upwards
Carina and Ellen hiking ever upwards		 Frozen lake near Trail Camp
Frozen lake near Trail Camp		 The gang takes off across the snow field past Trail Camp
The gang takes off across the snow field past Trail Camp
Really cool flowers along the hill of switchbacks
Really cool flowers along the hill of switchbacks		 Looking up towards Whitney
Looking up towards Whitney		 Looking back down at Trail Camp
Looking back down at Trail Camp		 The cables along which we had to literally swing!
The cables along which we had to literally swing!
SOME of the 99 switchbacks had lost their snow
SOME of the 99 switchbacks had lost their snow		 Looking down towards Trail Camp and the Owens Valley
Looking down towards Trail Camp and the Owens Valley		 Lee, almost to the ridge line
Lee, almost to the ridge line		 Made it to Trail Crest!
Made it to Trail Crest!
Looking down the west side of the ridge, to Guitar Lake
Looking down the west side of the ridge, to Guitar Lake		 Lee, along the trail, dwarfed by rocks
Lee, along the trail, dwarfed by rocks		 Gorgeous rock formations
Gorgeous rock formations		 More rocks, looking west
More rocks, looking west
Looking back along the trail ... pretty gnarly
Looking back along the trail ... pretty gnarly		 Cyn, THRILLED to be so close ...
Cyn, THRILLED to be so close ...		 Almost to the hut ...
Almost to the hut ...		 Closer ...
Closer ...
She MADE IT!!!!!!!!
She MADE IT!!!!!!!!		 Cyn signs the book
Cyn signs the book		 And reads the plaque
And reads the plaque		 CYN STANDS ON TOP OF MT. WHITNEY!!
CYN STANDS ON TOP OF MT. WHITNEY!!
Whitney and the special water
Whitney and the special water		 Cyn sprinkling special water (and crying) on top of Mt. Whitney
Cyn sprinkling special water (and crying) on top of Mt. Whitney		 Gathering sand for our collection back home
Gathering sand for our collection back home		 See, Jim came with me!
See, Jim came with me!
Eating poptarts, with Kalpana's photo
Eating poptarts, with Kalpana's photo		 Three intrepid hikers (with Jim's photo)
Three intrepid hikers (with Jim's photo)		 Chris calling Carina back at base camp
Chris calling Carina back at base camp		 Cool lake from above
Cool lake from above
Are those CLOUDS moving in?
Are those CLOUDS moving in?		 Over developed thunderclouds, 3 pm
Over developed thunderclouds, 3 pm		 Rushing back along the ridge line
Rushing back along the ridge line		 Ominous sky over Lee and Chris
Ominous sky over Lee and Chris
After the thunderstorm, and lightening, Cyn makes it down the snowfield with poop bag in hand
After the thunderstorm, and lightening, Cyn makes it down the snowfield with poop bag in hand		 NOW we're laughing (the skies are clear once more; we're down to Trail Camp)
NOW we're laughing (the skies are clear once more; we're down to Trail Camp)		 Reunited with Jimmie!! (and tired)
Reunited with Jimmie!! (and tired)		 The morning after, before leaving Outpost Camp
The morning after, before leaving Outpost Camp
Cleaning up our campsite
Cleaning up our campsite		 Packed up to go (notice yellow expedition leader tag, flip flops, and creepers)
Packed up to go (notice yellow "expedition leader" tag, flip flops, and creepers)		 Lovely mountain views
Lovely mountain views		 Stopping by a lake on the way down
Stopping by a lake on the way down
Relaxing
Relaxing		 Cooling our feet
Cooling our feet		 It was hot enough to take off the pant legs!
It was hot enough to take off the pant legs!		 Near the end of our journey
Near the end of our journey

comment | share
Stacey 08-Feb-2008 16:37
Your photo's and short stories to go along with them were incredible. I was actually pulled into the journey and it was breath taking. Thanks for sharing both visually and written. I hope to one day climb Whitney. She's a beauty!
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