Brent, I gave Bob five 250 mg tabs of Diamox yesterday. It felt like a drug deal, going down in a trailhead parking lot! He's also got two sets of micro-spikes from John and I to take along - looks like they might come in handy for he and his partner.
Gotta tell ya, Bob hauled his 42-pound pack with purpose yesterday! He's one determined dude, and I think he'll do just fine if the weather gods don't throw anything too gnarly at Whitney this week. He's very sharp and extremely likable, and we had a great day hiking with him. The western mountain fever that he has reminds me so much of me ten years ago. The guy is hooked for life - I'm certain of it. Once his boys get a little older and he can introduce them to the backcountry, there's no telling what adventures they'll undertake as a family. He's already thinking Patagonia, and I don't mean Patagucci . . . :D
Bob, it was a pleasure meeting you and spending the morning hiking with you! We're all looking forward to hearing about the trip when you get back. Best of luck and remember - don't over-think it: pace, breathe, eat, drink. Repeat till you run out of trail and it's time to crack the Maker's Mark!
Edit: one last thing Bob that hasn't been mentioned. Once you leave Trail Crest for the summit, you'll come to the intersection with the John Muir Trail after a few hundred yards of heading downhill. It bears to your left and drops down into the Sierra backcountry. When you're returning to Trail Crest watch for this junction and be sure to stay straight and head UP. Many people in a state of exhaustion or AMS mistake this junction for the return to the Portal, and wind up in deep doo-doo. The signage is poorly oriented and people just want to continue down at this point. You'll have to climb a couple of hundred feet to get back to Trail Crest. Under normal conditions the trail direction is pretty obvious, but it's worth noting since it seems to happen so often.
Last edited by Bulldog34; 10/07/12 07:24 PM. Reason: Go up to go down.
