T2n,
Just tell your family not to worry and to trust that you know what you are doing, and then stand by that. People always tend to hand-wring about the unknown, and it's almost never warranted. As long as you know your limits, stay within them, and don't do stupid things, as you say you don't, then you'll be fine. Tell them this is a
hike; you're not going to jump out of a plane or something. On Whitney, you truly are never alone up there, not that there's anything wrong with being alone. Hope you get your permit, and above all else, enjoy the experience and don't let family worries or anything else detract from that. Then go back home and tell them what a wonderful experience you had, and that all their worrying was for nothing. Personally, take whatever cell you have. If it works, then call them from the summit with a "wish you were here" call; if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. I wouldn't go to any extra expense for a Satellite phone, etc. Not worth it for this trip.
Also, if you want to show your family what it is like in advance, click
here. On that page, there is a set of videos of about every one-tenth of a mile of the trail at real-time speed. Then there is a set of videos of every inch of the trail digitally sped up to mimic a 7 mph hike. Both sets are split apart into around 10 separate videos covering each of the respective sets. Anyway, watching these will give you (and your family) an idea of what to expect, and should hopefully allevitate any fears they may have about your hiking this relatively straightforward trail.
CaT
