4 June 2009
BSA: Mount Whitney Adventure
Posted by admin under: Outings .
A couple weeks ago my son’s Boy Scout troop hiked up Mount Whitney here in California. The first step was half a day’s drive up to the town just below the mountain, Lone Pine. They stayed in a campground just outside of town and then drove the short distance to the trailhead. The first day they hiked partway up Whitney with their food packed into bear canisters and waste bags for, well, anything they need to get out of their bodies. There are no outhouses on Whitney.
One of the boys is a strong hiker, but the elevation was making him a little sick. They hit the snow at the end of the first day and made camp. The next day they got a later start than they had intended as they dealt with more sickness. The plan was to hike nearly to the top of the mountain, make camp, and then summit early the next day and then descend all the way back to the bottom. As the boys kept ascending they encountered larger and larger snow patches that completely covered the trail. With hundreds of feet of drop on the side they were very careful as they crossed the snow with ice patches. Finally, they realized it was simply too late for them to make it to their destination and they didn’t have enough ice gear to ensure a safe ascent. So, they decided to turn tail and descend and return home a day early.
We were surprised to get the call on Saturday, but that’s what an emergency phone contact is for, the unexpected calls when they need to be made. My son came in looking something like a lobster even though he’d brought sunblock. The reflected sunlight off the snow gave everyone some early summer color. They also brought back some great memories and pictures. I was so proud of my son because he has a fear of heights, but has been fighting it and now had climbed a mountain with major drops. What a trooper! I can’t wait to get fit and join the boys on a future mountain ascent.
- BSA: Mt. Islip Hike
- Back from Camp. Miss Me?
- Crew: Couldn’t Hack the Hike
- Brett Backpacking with Bears
- H1N1 Swine Flu Hits Boy Scouts in Utah
