Crabtree Meadow (767) to Tyndall Creek (774.1)
Miles today - 7.1 (PCT) + 16 (Whitney) = 23.1
I got maybe an hour or two of sleep last night. My alarm went off at midnight and I was on the trail up to Mt Whitney around 12:30. It was a 7.5 mile hike with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain to the summit. By 4 am I was standing on the highest point in the lower 48, around 14,500 ft above sea level. We were a bit early for the sunrise and it was frigid up there, so we had to throw on every layer of clothing that we had and we curled up in our sleeping bags to stay warm while we waited.
There were about 20 people on the summit by the time the sun started rising. Spectacular views that were previously hidden by darkness were unveiled, like a curtain being lifted. Definitely the highlight of the trip so far, and one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.
We stayed on the summit until 6 and then decided to head back down to get out of the cold. On the way down I got to see everything I couldn't see in the dark on the way up and I stopped to take a lot of pictures.
Above: Guitar Lake
By 9 am we were back at camp and rested for several hours before moving on. It was a really strenuous day, but worth all the effort and I'll remember it forever.
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