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We often talked about buying a GPS as we wondered how far we hike and what elevation gain and loss we experience. After seeing several great websites that cover hikes in GPS detail, we decided to make the investment and … Continue reading
The following is a continuation of Langtang Valley Nepal in April 2010, Part 1: Kathmandu to Kyangjin Gompa After a short meal, we made the decision to hike to the glaciers we had seen as our helicopter landed. It was … Continue reading
The following is a continuation of Langtang Valley Nepal in April 2010, Part 2: Hiking the Langtang Lirung Glacier Only twenty-four hours into actually trekking and on our fourth day in Nepal we were treated to a hike up a … Continue reading
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We spent ‘The Fourth’ visiting our friends who live on the Peninsula at Newport Beach, California, and as always, took Gwenn and Mitch, our rescued French and American brittanys along. Rather than leave them back at the house when it … Continue reading
This post is a continuation of Arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2010. Going trekking Few experiences in our lives compare to spending two days trying to fly out of the Kathmandu domestic air terminal. Our destination was Tumlingtar, east of … Continue reading
Jeanne, our friend Craig and I made our second attempt on Mt Whitney’s (4421 m. 14,505 ft.) Mountaineer’s Route on June 13th and 14th, 2011. The highest peak in the lower forty eight states, Mt. Whitney is typically accomplished as a very long hike of 22 miles from the Whitney Portal (2,250 m., 8,360 ft.) trailhead. We’ve managed to complete the typical route twice…once as a two-day hike, camping at Consultation Lake, and once in a single day where we left at 4am and made it back to the trailhead at 7pm. The single-day option makes for a grueling day and I don’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t in good shape.
Starting up
The Mountaineer’s Route, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as long as the main trail, but is a very direct route up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek. It is only 7 miles in each direction, but the trail has boulders to navigate, fast streams to cross, a dangerous ledge that has claimed lives in the past (Ebersbacher Ledges) and in late Spring, plenty of snow. Snow can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on how much there is and how firm it is. Last year’s attempt on the Mountaineer’s Route ended in the final snow chute at 2pm, when it became obvious that the slow going had soaked up so much time that we had to turn around or be stuck on the mountain overnight. This year’s plan was to camp just under halfway up the trail at Lower Boy Scout Lake, making it easier to reach the steep chute at a point in the day when the snow would be easy to cross.
Lower Boy Scout Lake
The first day passed quickly as we left Lone Pine at 12pm, left the trail head at 2pm and were at Lower Boy Scout Lake by 5pm. It was a beautiful and warm evening and we could see the peak looming above us in the distance. Little did we know that it was a little too sunny and too warm for that time of the evening, that high on the mountain. Craig went to filter water from the lake, while Jeanne and I set up the tent and started dinner. With a plan to start hiking by 6am, we were turned in and sleeping by 9pm. Despite the altitude, which can make sleeping difficult, we slept well and woke up to a beautiful pre-dawn sky. It looked like it would be a gorgeous day, and it didn’t feel as though the temperature had gone below freezing.
Summit day
Other than being conspicuously warm, Day 2 was off to a great start. We had our oatmeal, eggs and bacon and set off on the snowfield just above our campsite. The snow didn’t seem very firm but it wasn’t very soft, either, and we were very fresh. As we climbed higher, however, the temperature began to rise and the snow grew softer and deeper. There are a series of snowfields as the climb passes Upper Boy Scout Lake, goes over a ridge into the large bowl below the Summit, and then up a steep hill to Iceberg Lake. It is from Iceberg Lake that the final push is made up the snow chute. By the time we reached this point, we were ‘postholing’ in the snow, which refers to suddenly dropping into deep, soft snow rather than being able to walk normally on the surface. Beyond tiring, postholing causes injuries to the lower leg as there are often rocks or tree branches hiding beneath the snow’s surface with empty space around them.
The chute
We reached the final chute that leads to the Summit at 10am, far earlier than the previous year. What we found, however, were snow conditions that were significantly softer than the previous year. Jeanne and I climbed one hundred meters or so before deciding that the conditions weren’t safe to continue. Our intrepid friend, however, made the decision to go for the top and soon disappeared above us.
Waiting for Craig
We waited for Craig, first in the chute, until the combination of the sun and its reflection off the snow made waiting unbearable, and then down below where we could see his return. We were concerned that he would run out of water, and began filling water bottles with snow and laying them in the sun to melt. Three hours later, an exhausted Craig was spotted sliding down the chute. We were significantly relieved to see him and he was just as happy to see that we had water for him, as he had run out. It always amazes me how much climbing dehydrates the body and how snow, unmelted, doesn’t solve the problem.
Going down
With more time than last year, the descent should have been an easy one, but the snow was so soft that at times we dropped into holes to our armpits, and only our backpacks slowed the drop. In the steepest sections, we could sit and slide down on the snow to save significant energy and time, but there were also sections that weren’t so steep and simply had to be negotiated with care, with each of us periodically letting out a yell as we dropped into a hole. Once we made it back to our campsite, we broke down our tent, repacked our backpacks and headed down the trail once again. The stream crossings were made more difficult by the higher volume of water gushing down from the extremely warm and snowy slopes above.
Back at the trailhead
We were back at our car by 7pm and exhausted. It had been another tough climb and for Jeanne and I, disappointing that our camp halfway and early start didn’t make the summit any more possible. We have no choice but to tackle it again.
Posted in Eastern Sierras, hiking adventures, Mt Whitney, peaks, Sierra Nevadas
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Flying We arrive having slept somewhere between four and seven hours of the eleven hour flight. The challenge isn’t just going to sleep, but deciding how many movies to catch and in what order. More often than not, we end … Continue reading
Change of plans
Most people go to Hawaii to relax on a beach, but that would be too easy for us. Not enough adventure. Even on our wedding day in May, 2009, we managed to squeeze in a hike on the island of Maui (after the ceremony). Unfortunately, this trip was the second time we went with plans to hike the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast but weren’t able to. We were thwarted once for a last-minute closure for a goat hunt, and this year because they changed the permits to online-only, and no longer available from the grumpy guy at the State Office in Lihue. Lesson learned, and we now have permits for Thanksgiving 2011, but not in time for this particular trip.
New Plans
Last-minute changes are something we are used to…some of our best adventures come from an unplanned alternative. We did our research on the Hawaii State Parks website and found Koke’e State Park, at the top of the road to Waimea Canyon. We saw a great loop trail that would traverse the cliffs above the Na Pali Coast and give us views of our elusive paradise along the Kalalau Trail. Camping in Hawaii is all about changing weather, and at 1,000 m., Koke’e can be cold, wet, hot or dry, all in the same day. Being waterproof without being warm is the key.
Secret Beach
We usually start with the first and last nights in a hotel, just to help us get our gear in order both after and before our flights. We stayed at the Westin Princeville, which wasn’t a great choice in retrospect. It was the opposite side of the island from Koke’e and doesn’t have a great beach. To make up for this, we stopped by Secret Beach, between the Westin and Kilauea. Locals generally need to tell you how to get there, and we found out on an earlier trip. It is a slice of paradise, and even has an excellent fresh water source right on the beach, where delicious water trickles from the cliff face. The colors of the sand, the vegetation and the water create an overwhelming landscape, well worth the single track trail to get there.
Camping at Koke’e
Koke’e is one of the quietest places we’ve come across. It was nearly empty and unstaffed. The sites were grassy, had picnic tables and separated by significant vegetation. It was very easy to believe you were completely alone. Each site also had its own water and was just a few minutes walk from the parking lot. The Missing Person signs and the remoteness gave us pause, but we survived to write this.
Nualolo Cliffs and Awa’awapuhi Trails
Starting early while it was still cool, the trails were clear and except for a few tree roots and muddy places, very easy to follow. The views were excellent even before we reached the cliffs as we climbed and descended several times through canopy forests which gave way to low bushes and small trees at the cliffs. The colors of green, the red soil and the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean were the perfect reward for making it to the farthest points.
Na Pali Coast Overlook
Nothing could compare, however, to the views once we reached the Na Pali Coast overlooks. Each bend in the trail offered a new perspective on the enormous valleys that led down to the ocean. The largest valley was the famed Kalalau. The sheer size and depth of the valley made it clear why the end of the Kalalau Trail is the next hike for us in Kaua’i.
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Just because we were on an island paradise didn’t mean we wanted to sit still. We look for adventure everywhere we go and locals are often a great source of inspiration. Within hours of our arrival we’d met Jason and … Continue reading
This gallery contains 5 photos.
Given an extra day on a business trip to Atlanta, what better to do as an unplanned adventure than to hike north from the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The 3,508 km (2,180 mile) trail officially starts at Springer … Continue reading
