Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room 2013 Hike

Nope it says they went up between the 1st and 2nd chute. I tried directly in the middle of the 2nd and then climbed up between the 2nd and 3rd chute.

Their route looks much easier than what I did! Even that notch they were climbing doesn't have allot of exposure.

Not sure, but you may have found the spot (Mt. Tyndall - congratulations on the summit) where the government fakes the moon landings:-) Total desolation!

Lots of scree I think.

Are you ready to go home by now:-)

I was never ready to go home when out there. Not even when the living was becoming so cold at the end. I however am always ready to go back. It's only been a bit over 2 months since I have been back but life here is already so stagnant. It takes all and gives nothing.

RP, today I was thinking about your 16 weeks in the Sierra this past summer. In one summer, you spent more nights in the wilderness than I have my entire life! You are certainly more at home there than I.

After a few days, I start to long for a hot shower and softer bed.

Although a hot shower is nice I can't say wishing for one is much of a factor. I bathe every other day out there and although using ice cold water never gets easier once all is said and done and I'm clean again I have no complaints.

I long ago trained myself to sleep on rougher surfaces and after using just a basic foam pad on almost all my trips up until week 15 last year and then switching to a Therm-a-rest Prolite it's now like the height of luxury sleeping for me.

At this point it is hard to imagine doing even a month long trip because it would be so short! It's strange the way life works I guess. Blessed to be able to do what I have done in the high Sierra yet so miserable in general. Oh well lol.

So THIS is where the 2013 TR is hiding...I have a lot of catching up to do! I've enjoyed reading the last two years and looking at pictures, and I'm sure this year will be no exception!

I don't know where I stand with writing. I haven't done anything since I got back and considering I am only half way through last years report I might not have one coming for some time for 2013. I really don't know yet. I may write out my first section and leave it at that for awhile.

I realized recently that I didn't post a number of photos in the proper sets. Almost all the photos from the area South of Giraud Peak dropping into Leconte Canyon and my photos around Explorer Pass never got added so if you wanted to see those you might want to check the right sets again.

That's it! All my photos for 2013 are finished.

Week 19

Hi Rogue,

Magnificent!

Congratulations!

I cannot say which week/segment I liked best. They are all wonderful. Your voyage was/is quite unique I think, and a truly massive undertaking.

Thanks for sharing. I know the posting is tedious, and selection of which photos to post must be time consuming.

Best regards,
John

Yeah it's allot of work to figure out all the compositions. From stitching images and just sorting out which images to keep and which ones to delete.

It was certainly one hell of a hike!

What a long treking summer! Thanks for uploading all the pictures.

I imagine you didn't see many people on the High Sierra Trail in October. Any deer at Hamilton Lake?

Did you slip on the Red Kaweah climb?

Yeah that whole section we only saw people on our first day out and then a party we kept seeing all the way to 9 Lakes Basin but once we left them we didn't see anyone again for 11 days. Since the government shut down was in effect we didn't even see anyone until we hung around the Museum for awhile.

Red Kaweah was an example of I should have done more research. All I had ever read was Secor's note about the class 3 West face and finding a prominent chute. Well there is indeed a prominent chute on Red Kaweah's West face. And it is anything but class 3! Here is a bit of what I posted on HST when I got back:

We entered what I thought was the right chute but were blocked by massive chock stones. We both tried climbing the walls on the side in many places on completely horrible rock when I finally decided to retreat. Derek tried one more way and got much higher up while I waited below. He decided there was nothing better up above and began to retreat when a large rock came loose. He shouted ROCK ROCK ROCK!!! as the boulder fell and impacted and broke into many pieces. I looked up just in time to see a large piece not coming for me at all when out of no where with me not even seeing it WHACK!!! I got hit hard in the side of the head or more accurately in the left ear. I threw my hands over my head as the rest of the rock smashed around me but I did not get hit more. Blood began pouring down my face since I got a good one inch or more gash in my ear. Although it could have been worse. If it had hit my head I might have been killed. We retreated to camp where I tried to fix it the best I could. After lunch Derek decided to try another way but I was in no shape to join in and he made it to the top. That just made him feel worse as he said "I kicked a rock on your head and then went to the top without you".

After that whole mess and being in bad shape I decided to skip my attempt at Black Kaweah. Derek also was fine with skipping over it so we went out a day early.

After what I did to my finger on Kaweah Pass which was almost 3 months ago now it still is not 100%. I think I did far more damage than I thought I did.

The ear now has a nice scar but looks just fine. To the touch however I can tell that the bone or cartilage has been rearranged like a quarter inch piece of bone as been added into the ear. Oh well!