the longest day ever

Climbing Mount Whitney - June 20, 2014

We started our day early, had to pack up camp by 3 a.m. to be on the trail dark and early in the brisk, cool wee hours of the morning.

This is the first sign you get to... (FLASH ON because we were night early morning darkness hiking)

Watching the sun come up while hiking was such an amazing experience!

There is a part of the trail with this log bridge... It wasn't difficult as long as you aren't too clumsy!

Finally made it to Lone Pine Lake

By the way, you can hike to this lake without a Mount Whitney pass... Do it, it's pretty!

incredible

And after this pic, we sat on a log, my phone slipped and the screen cracked.

Whitney takes her first victim.

I kinda like this silhouette looking picture of us!

"Entering Barbietown!" JK

Entering the Whitney Zone, have your passes visible at all times!

Can you tell by this picture how difficult this hike is? 

It's basically stone stairs and a constant uphill battle

Handsome mountain man

The first Whitney camp site: Outpost Camp

Not too far up was Mirror Lake which at the time of our visit wasn't very mirror-y

Please understand that even though this hike was very difficult, it was the most beautiful hike ever!

Beginning to get above the tree line and no more shade = Mountaineer hats to stay cool

Trailside Meadow where snow literally melts into a small stream

Convict lake which we thought looked like it could've been Mirror lake

After Convict lake you get to the last stop (and last source for water) before you hit the 99s

99s = 99 switchbacks

Can you even tell there's switchbacks?

This part of the hike still haunts me to this day

Can you tell that we didn't have many photos during this part of the hike?

That's because it was the most difficult part of the hike... We were focusing on not dying.

Finally, after hours of switchbacks, we reach the Trail Crest also known as: tiny little trail next to a cliff of jagged rocks that could easily be your deathly demise with one misstep.

The lake to the right is supposed to be "Guitar Lake" which is supposed to look like a guitar.

4 miles to get to Mount Whitney, but they felt like 20 miles

Let me tell you, the 99 switchbacks were scary and tiring, but it was in NO WAY as physically, mentally, and emotionally tiring as the Trail Crest to the summit

Started from the bottom now we're here, literally.

I could not (and would not) have done it without this man!

DONEEEEEE

GIRLS PIC!

I feel like they should have had a buffet in that little cabin thing... 

I mean that's the least they could've done!

We signed our names and booked out of there to beat the sun from going down while we were on the scary part of the 99s... 

Side note, I had a mental breakdown while on our way back down... I started to cry because the exhaustion started to set in. I also got a touch of altitude sickness on our way down the 99s (which magically disappeared when we got to a lower altitude)

So that's it! If you are ever thinking about doing something that is difficult and almost seems impossible, give it a try and push until you get it... It's completely worth it!

Thank you to my favorite park ranger, Calie, for convincing me that this hike would be a "good" idea because I would have never done it without you!