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Mount Whitney August 18, 2024
On August 18, 2024, I did my second hike to Mount Whitney at the age of 60! Me and my son Chris started our hike at 4:30am. The day was clear and sunny. When we reached 11,000′ elevation the wind was 20 mph which slowed us down. We ran with other hikers who reached the summit only to described it windy, cold, but beautiful. As we hiked Trail Crest, elevation 13,000′, the strong wind was on/off. The wind made us cold. When the wind stopped I was sweating due to the Sun. My son was losing stamina due to not acclimating the high elevation. I kept going. I reached the summit at 1:00pm. My son reached the summit at 1:30pm. The wind was more calmer at the summit and the temperature was quite comfortable. The view was spectacular! We stayed at the summit for about an hour and a half eating lunch, enjoying the view and having fun with other hikers. As we descended my son regained more energy and he hiked downed ahead of me. The wind was still strong as we both descended. My son arrived at the trailhead at 9:15pm. I arrived at the trailhead at 10:00pm. I did much better on this second hike. It’s very important to acclimate the high elevation, travel light, don’t carry a lot of water because there is plenty of water to filter on the trail, be prepared for the weather to change, eat fruits & vegetables on your hike and have plenty of sleep.
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1 Reply
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How cool, Robert!! Thank you so much for telling us your experience. I will be attempting to hike and summit Mt. Whitney this coming Monday, and I’ve really been dreading having to start way too early (3:00 am), but knowing that you started at 4:30 am, and made it to the summit by 1:00 pm has put me at ease.
Now I’m just terrified of sweating in 10 degree weather ha ha.
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