Whitney - The Great 48

Mt. Whitney (HP #8)

We arrived at the ESIVC to get our permits via the lottery at 8am.  We were 4th in the lottery and the rangers were quick today as we were able to get out the door with our permits by 8:15am.  We made our way up the Whitney Portal Road where it was 90 degrees and sunny.  We made great time and hiked with a purpose and managed to make the summit in less than 6 hours despite a vicious and heavy hail storm that dropped half an inch of hail in just a few minutes.  There were also a few climbers telling stories of feeling lightning on the summit and telling us the hair on their neck was standing up and they felt tingling all over, scary stuff!  Since it was so cold at the summit we spent a few minutes warming up in Muir Hut and chatting with some JMT through hikers from Carolina, rock on you guys!  We flew back down the trail and made the round trip summit in 11 hours and 6 minutes.  Not bad for a 22.5 mile round trip ascent that gains nearly 7,000 feet of elevation.  The contiguous US highest point was now complete as were the 8 hardest of the highpoints on our trek ;-)