tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post8772723706137003352..comments2023-08-03T03:06:27.575+12:00Comments on Courtney Schafer: Thursday Adventure: Mt. Whitney via the Mountaineers Route (Sierra Nevada, CA)Courtney Schaferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593975028655479293noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-67520373999686624042015-10-16T14:38:10.882+13:002015-10-16T14:38:10.882+13:00The Mt. Whitney Portal road goes up the trailhead ...The Mt. Whitney Portal road goes up the trailhead and is very scenic. You can also drive up into the White Mountains on the opposite side of the Owens Valley and get excellent panoramic views of Whitney and the surrounding peaks. Courtney Schaferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00593975028655479293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-88587900477414220582015-10-11T18:19:16.069+13:002015-10-11T18:19:16.069+13:00We are getting older, and then some. I may be aski...We are getting older, and then some. I may be asking questions where I should not be, but Mt. Whitney has always fascinated me. So will give it a go. What route could you recommend to just take a drive as far up as we can, where we will get the best view, take pictures? margothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02915427401213288553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-27836381614733273112012-10-13T07:02:10.930+13:002012-10-13T07:02:10.930+13:00Thanks for this. When you mentioned camping there...Thanks for this. When you mentioned camping there, it really got me wondering 'cause Peter Lik was photographing stars from the observatory atop Mauna Kea, also at 14,000 ft, and he was having problems after just a few hours due to the thin air. So I'm glad to know there's a way to adapt.<br /><br /><i>I skip up the mountain while everyone else is gasping and crawling at a turtle's pace.</i><br /><br />If you trace back your family tree, I bet you'll find a Sherpa. :-)Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-21040318921466900322012-10-12T10:48:44.268+13:002012-10-12T10:48:44.268+13:00The hut's the tallest thing on the tallest sum...The hut's the tallest thing on the tallest summit in the entire lower 48 states...hellooooo, lightning magnet! And it's not insulated or anything so lightning strike to roof means deadly currents throughout. Thank goodness, the Sierra has far more stable weather than the Rockies. The thunderstorm cycle is on the order of several days to build up enough moisture, instead of storms every afternoon. Courtney Schaferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00593975028655479293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-29030754262898980532012-10-12T09:53:43.592+13:002012-10-12T09:53:43.592+13:00Wow!
The bit about the hut is sobering--the idea ...Wow!<br /><br />The bit about the hut is sobering--the idea that it could be fatal in a thunderstorm boggles my mind.Paul Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444942522624902562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-30308294787966907882012-10-12T07:40:05.475+13:002012-10-12T07:40:05.475+13:00For most people, the answer is a big YES. Altitud...For most people, the answer is a big YES. Altitude sickness is a serious problem for many hikers above 12K feet. Not just gasping for air, but nausea, headaches, debilitating dizziness, etc. Thankfully 14K isn't really high enough for the truly deadly effects as are seen in the Himalayas (embolisms, strokes, etc), but it's enough to prevent many folks from summitting 14ers without careful acclimatization first. <br /><br />I myself won the genetic lottery - to me, 14K feels no different than sea level. Presumably my red blood cell count is higher than normal or there's some other factor that causes my body to be more efficient at transporting oxygen. Whatever the reason, it's saved my ass on many a peak climb - I skip up the mountain while everyone else is gasping and crawling at a turtle's pace. <br /><br />The good news for "ordinary" people is that you can prevent altitude sickness by slowly acclimatizing yourself - gradually ascending higher and higher over a period of days. That's one reason my husband and I did a backpack trip in the Sierra immediately prior to attempting the Mountaineer's route - he has serious trouble with altitude and so we needed to spend some time between 10K-12K so he could adjust. Here in Colorado, when he gets ready for summer hiking, we do successively higher peaks: 10K, then 11K, etc, up to 14K, and that takes care of the issue. Once you're acclimatized, the effects last as long as you keep going high every 2-3 weeks. Courtney Schaferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00593975028655479293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650130703584309038.post-39194996611998549222012-10-12T07:11:14.935+13:002012-10-12T07:11:14.935+13:00For pictures that don't do it justice, those a...For pictures that don't do it justice, those are awesome. :-)<br /><br />Here's an Easterner's question - when you're that high up, does the air get thin enough to make you slow down?<br />Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.com