These images are from our thru-hike of the JMT in 98. We hiked from August 16 through September 3, southbound. The hike took 18 days to complete, covering about 220 miles. Solophile and I are indebted to Big Bird (of AT 97 fame) for the splendid hospitality in the Bay City, the time he took off to be our personal tour guide, and the great hitch out to Yosemite.
| < Photo 223 of 223 |
Final Pict We're at the summit plaque on Mt. Whitney; now completely enveloped in cloud cover. Temps were in the low 40s (°F), winds occasionally gusting to 20 MPH but unexpectedly docile. The hike down was another 10 miles, dropping 6000 ft in elevation. My knees are still angry with me. When we did get to Whitney portal, some trail magic appeared in the form of a hitch down to Lone Pine shortly before nightfall where we rented a room and found a pizza parlor. We also ran into Reruns, the German and Ranger Dave. The five of us would have another adventure in a rental heading back to the City by the Bay, but that's a different story. |
