Sunrise over the Owens Valley

Sunrise was not particularly promising, with clouds already gathering. Fortunately, the weather ahead of us over the Whitney ridge looked a bit better.

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The Mt. Whitney Ridge

From just above Trail Camp, the ridge is spectacularly jagged, with the Needles to the south (left) of Mt. Whitney. Whitney iteslf is the prominent hump in the right quarter of the shot above, with a gradual slope up from the left and a sheer drop on its right before the jagged ridge continues farther north.

The hikers visible in the lower left corner of the frame are about to reach the infamous "98 Switchbacks" section of the trail, where you climb from just over 12,000' to 13,700' via a brutal set of switchbacks. Whether the number 98 is correct will be left as an exercise in concentration for other climbers.

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The Cables

The cables protect the one rather exposed stretch of the 98 switchbacks. It is a spot where acrophobes get their first real scare of the hike, but is nothing in comparison to the exposure at the "windows" beyond Trail Crest, nor from the edge of the summit plateau, where 2,500' of air greets anyone willing to "hang 10" over the boulders at the edge.

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Looking North from the Switchbacks to the East Face of Mt. Whitney

As you continue up the switchbacks, the view of the east face of Mt. Whitney appears to the north. When you realize that it represents 2,000' of nearly-vertical rock, you gain an appreciation for the assessment that was made early on that it would never be climbed. Fortunately, the western side is not nearly as steep and presents a more reasonable approach.

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