My Mt. Whitney Story

Mt. Whitney.

You may know it has the tallest peak in the contiguous United States, standing at 14,508 feet tall. But for me, Mt. Whitney is something more. Whitney was the first love of my life and it was what taught me hiking was my passion. It showed me all the possibilities and it opened my eyes. Whitney taught me that fear, wonder, beauty, and excitement can all be the same feeling at once.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that camped and hiked. My pops took me on my first backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon and on my first hikes in Yosemite. He taught me everything I needed to know, not just about hiking and camping but about life. He showed me how to be a better person and how to be the person that I wanted to be.

I was 11 when my pops took me to Mt. Whitney for the first time. I remember looking up at it. I don’t remember how I felt but I must’ve been over the moon. It was (and is) the most beautiful peak to ever exist. Looking up at this towering peak, taller than anything I had ever seen brought my nerves to the surface. I knew this hike was not just going to be a stroll in the park. For an 11 year old to hike 24 miles in one day and gain hundreds of feet of elevation is no easy feat. However, I did not come to Whitney unprepared. In the months and weeks leading up to our trip we went on many training hikes. One of our favorites was Noble Canyon because it was an uphill climb for around 10 miles. Another one that we frequented was Cowles Mountain (the fire road on the back). Going on these training hikes helped me build endurance and cardio, they helped my lungs grow stronger, all so I could successfully summit Mt. Whitney in one day.

The morning of our summit bid was a morning full of nerves and excitement. I remember getting out of my tent and it still brought pitch black outside. We had all packed our packs the night before so we would be ready for our departure. At four in the morning we left Whitney Portal campground to go to the trail head. At 4:30 in the morning our hike began.

The first handful of miles (usually done in the dark) I had done a few days prior on an acclimating hike. I knew this part of the trail and was ready for it. It was once we hit the Whitney Zone that everything was new. It was so beautiful I could not even comprehend. Days and years after my first visit to Whitney I would dream of the trail and hike it in my mind. Walking did not feel like walking, it felt like a never ending movie.

One moment that comes to mind about my first summit was on the 99 switchbacks. It was cold, it was windy and there was still ice and snow. It was kind of scary. I remember my pops giving me his jacket to help keep me warm. Once we hit Trail Crest and the summit was in sight. I was so excited I could have run the last few miles. I was tired and cold but on top of the world (figuratively). After those last agonizing miles to the summit, I was there. I had done it. I was on top of the contiguous United States. I felt like I was on cloud nine. Nothing had ever felt as amazing as this.

Since then I have gone back and summited Whitney three additional times. I hope to make it to 100 summits in my lifetime. Mt. Whitney is the one mountain that I will never get tired of. It has my heart and is my soul. Just thinking about it makes me giddy and brings a smile to my face. That’s how you know you found your love. Some people find love in other people, others in objects— I find mine in nature, in the High Sierra, in th Eastern Sierra, at Mt. Whitney.

My first visit to Mt. Whitney revealed where my true home was. Not a fixed location but a vastness of nature and serene beauty. A place where I feel calm and content. A place where my face is plastered with a smile of pure joy. The outdoors is the place I call home.