I'm trying to keep myself young and fresh.
Adventure #2 is a brilliant
plan.
Trying new things is always good. Perfect for someone like me
who's trying to reinvent themselves. Can't do the same old stuff or
you'll be the same old person.
Brent and I decided to climb Mt. Whitney together with a group of friends. After I was done with my marathon training, I planned on
hitting the StairMaster for the 5 weeks prior to our hike.
That didn't
happen.
Plans changed and I spent 3 weeks laying poolside at a resort on
the ocean instead.
Great plan, no?
I went forward with the hiking plans
as not to disappoint my sweet hubby but that may have back fired a bit.
We
made the hour and a half drive to the Mt Whitney area and camped
overnight as to acclimate to the altitude. Did you know that Mt. Whitney
is the highest peak in the
lower 48 states? (Only beat by McKinley in Alaska which I don't think
counts. If I had climbed this peak prior to 1959 it would be the tallest
in the U.S.A.) We woke up bright and early, had a mountain man
breakfast and hit the trail.
I was nervous. And, as it
turned out, I had a right to be. I went about a mile and a half and knew
I was in trouble. I really should have trained. This isn't smart. I'm
gonna end up like those warning signs for hikers. There will be a
picture of me on a gurney being hoisted into a helicopter. The caption
will read "Don't be dumb. This isn't easy." I had six more miles to hike that
day and I needed to get 'er done.
On I trudged up this
granite stair case they call a trail while carrying twenty-five extra
pounds strapped to my back. I swear those steps are made for a six foot
three inch tall man.
Every step was like climbing hurdles.
My thighs were on fire.
My feet finally gave out. I got a blister.
My back was seizing up from
carrying my pack. I think it was having flash backs to the marathon and
wasn't pleased with my careless abuse of it. I could just about hear it
yelling "Not again! You promised!" I had the beginnings of altitude
sickness. (Maybe that's why I thought I could hear my body talking to
me.)
With the help of the 5 patient and wonderfully calm
men in my group I made it to Trail Camp. And Trail Camp is where I stayed. The rest
of my group hiked to the summit the next morning. Another seven miles up
would've done me in. I didn't want to waste anymore of their time. They
could finish quickly without me.
But it wasn't a wasted adventure.
 |
| Dinner in a bag |
I had fun! I ate food out of a bag. Which is what I had looked forward to the most.
I slept in a tent just me and Brent
for the first time. That tent was nestled on a rock over looking a
small waterfall, snow covered mountains and a beautiful lake. I saw lakes and meadows and
waterfalls aplenty.
I did things I've never done before! Ever heard of a WAG bag? Let's just say it was an exciting education on human waste disposal in the wild.
The hike down was much easier. The guys were nice and worn out so we evened the playing field a bit. Toward the end my sweet hubbies
knees went out. He was struggling to hike down the last few miles. I
scavenged and climbed off the trail to find him some branches to use as walking sticks. I
convinced him to let me carry the heavier pack. We took our time and
made it down before dark.
More importantly, we made it down before the
little grill was closed. We ate our celebratory burgers whilst sitting
under very tall trees at the Trail Head.
It was fun. It was an adventure. Another successful journey for sure.
Never to be attempted again.
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| Bathroom in a bag |
I am not a hiker but I fake it to impress my husband.Labels: Mt Whitney
