I woke up at 12:30 this morning in order to hike up Mt. Whitney in time to see the sunrise. It was a 4,000 foot climb up from our campsite with seemingly endless switchbacks and a snow traverse all done by light from a headlamp. Sitting at the summit in the cold was one of the most peaceful moments I've had on trail as I watched the sun illuminate the brutal cliffs and mountain lakes visible for miles around.
The hike back down offered brilliant views of the scenery I passed in the dark. The mountains around Guitar Lake are some of the most impressive I've seen and the lake itself was completely still in the morning light. This was easily the highlight of the trip so far.
Steps taken today/total: 51,113/1,516,120
Miles walked today/total: 20.32/770.10
Elevation gained today/total: 4,264/124,489
Elevation lost today/total: 4,287/132,656
Beautiful!
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