14,496 feet
Hiking Mount Whitney in a day is both a humbling and empowering experience. I was humbled by my tired legs and the thin air. As others passed me, every step was a struggle.
But I found that by slowing down and taking breaks, I summited. By distracting myself from the pain of my blistered feet, I was able to get down at a reasonable hour. I felt very empowered by completing this long hike.
Despite the physical demands of the hike, I enjoyed it. I was impressed with the sweeping views of the backcountry. I liked crossing the creeks on logs and rocks (and was glad for Goretex boots). Hiking in the dark with a bright LED headlamp was fun but slightly scary, especially when two glowing eyes stared at me from a bush. (Thankfully, the eyes belonged to a deer). Fellow hikers were very helpful and entertaining. While I don't plan to climb those switchbacks again anytime soon, it was a great experience.
But I found that by slowing down and taking breaks, I summited. By distracting myself from the pain of my blistered feet, I was able to get down at a reasonable hour. I felt very empowered by completing this long hike.
Despite the physical demands of the hike, I enjoyed it. I was impressed with the sweeping views of the backcountry. I liked crossing the creeks on logs and rocks (and was glad for Goretex boots). Hiking in the dark with a bright LED headlamp was fun but slightly scary, especially when two glowing eyes stared at me from a bush. (Thankfully, the eyes belonged to a deer). Fellow hikers were very helpful and entertaining. While I don't plan to climb those switchbacks again anytime soon, it was a great experience.
posted by Christine Thien-An Nguyen at 4:20 PM
1 Comments:
the real question tho is how was the drive up to 14,400 ft, prior to the 96 ft hike?
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