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[jsmensik]

Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (elevation varies depending on where you read). The trail head starts at 8,360 feet and gains over 6,000 feet. This is a 22 mile round trip hike, and if done in one day is considered an extreme hike. Typically it takes hikers 12-16 hours to complete. Took me 14.5 hours.  In order to do this hike in one day, you will need to do it partially in the dark! Many hikers choose to obtain an overnight pass, that allows them to camp in one of two campgrounds in the Whitney Zone. Hikers choose this method as it allows themselves to acclimate to the elevation change and decrease the possibility of altitude sickness.  Why some get this and others don’t is unknown. Training at higher altitudes helps decrease the possibility.  I did not get sick, I didn’t take medicine to prevent it, and the last time I hiked at 10,000 feet was the year before in Yosemite. Many on the trail I passed were impressed that I didn’t get sick doing this in one day. A few men noted it must be my genetics. I was a little too oxygen deprived to come back with a snappy response on that one. Anyways, I have no answer for you on this. I just went into the hike expecting to not get sick.

You will start your journey at the visitors center. Picking up passes your reserved early on or via the lottery are obtained here, not at Portal Store. The view of Mt Whitney to the left of the flag pole at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center.

I had wanted to hike Mt Whitney for a while and knew I had to get a permit. Like many permitted hikes, it is not easy  to get one! A lottery is held starting February 1 – March 15 of each year with remaining spaces open to web reservations on April 1st.  I did not have one. I decided to take a risk on the same day lottery. This means if you want a Mt Whitney day hike pass, you need to show up for the 2 pm daily lottery. Do show up by 1:45 pm. What happens now depends on the number of people who drive to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center (you need to be in person for daily lottery) and the number of cancellations.  I drove from Phoenix… 7 hours!  I arrived on Friday August 11th late that morning for the lottery. There was 5 others who were there, and enough cancelled reservations that we each got a pass! I was hiking on my own this time. The ranger said we were lucky as some days there are 20-30 people who show up and only 10 cancellations! Had that been the case, they would have had us all draw numbers from this can and number 1 gets the first permit, and so one till they run  out. 

You will get this permit that must be placed visibly on your pack and you also must carry the visitors permit paper they give you for day use with you at all times within the Whitney Zone.  You also get a Wag Bag .  You must carry out all your human waste.

Now that I had my permit, up I went to the trail head! This is about 13 miles away, turning south at the light in Lone Pine.  Lone Pine has stores to fill up with food and definitely thrives off the hikers coming through. I decided to get a last meal at the Mexican restaurant in town. Fill up with water before you head up the campground and trail head (fill up at the visitors center). The water supply at the trail head had notices that it was contaminated with e coli and needed to be boiled first.  You don’t want to boil 3 liters of water.

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There is plenty of parking, which is first come first serve and there is areas to camp overnight. You are not supposed to sleep in your car. This is an active bear area, and both nights one bear was in the area looking for food. You can not leave any food in your car, and you must store all food as well as your bear container in the bear boxes. Cars have been heavily damaged by bears trying to get to food left in cars.

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There is a store at the trail head, where you can stock up on some items as well as get a t-shirt or souvenir. They have a small grill, where you will want to get a cheeseburger or vegeburger once you are done–as long as you get back before they close!

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One of my favorite signs, but take heed!  Make sure you have enough water on you and a filter.  I did start out with 3 liters of water, which many suggested was good for the entire trip. However, I only had 250 ml once I got to the top of Mt Whitney. I am usually better at guesstimating this but it ended up okay still. Since there was a large snow pack this year, the 1600 feet of 99 switchbacks below the trail crest had a small stream running from it. This however was about 3 miles from the top, and about 2 hours away.  The nearest water source other wise is at Trail Camp at the lake, which was about 1/2 mile further down.  I had thought about getting extra of water in my nalgene on the way up but didn’t. Hindsight, I should have. There were many people who were asking for water on the way back down.  I knew I was okay, having drank all the water, I felt hydrated .

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You can buy a map at the visitors center and you can also ask the map not suitable for navigation. It is nice to have the mileage and elevation as you go. If you hike a lot, you won’t have any trouble keeping and finding the trail.

I woke up at 3:45 am (having everything ready to go!) and set out on the trail at 4 am. By this time, I was watching head lamps dance up the hill in front of me. It was fun to watch lights ahead and behind you as you progressed up. What did I wear? I worn hiking pants, a t shirt and a long sleeve shirt. I had my light fleece jacket as well as my wind/water proof jacket. I did bring light gloves (made for hiking). It was definitely cool at 45-50 degrees starting out but soon I took off all but the short sleeve and long sleeve shirt. Jackets went away until I got to the top.  It is very cold, and can be windy. My nose, like others, started to run. I never used the wind proof jacket, but it is so light weight I take it every where with me.

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The fun thing about starting in the dark for a few hours is that you get to attempt water crossings in the dark! Here is one in the dark with a picture I took on the way back in the day light for comparison.

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And the log one.

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There were many more, but it was getting lighter out!  It was wonderful to watch the sunrise as well hiking up.

Once you pass the Lone Pine Lake turn off (you don’t hike by lake, but do note the sign), you see the Whitney Zone sign. The one picture is above the sign, looking down on Lone Pine Lake.

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Here, you start to see hikers slow down, take breaks and you get to talk to different groups. Along the way, people pass you, you repass them, it’s not about who gets up the fastest, but just getting up. Information states that only about 1/3 of people who attempt to get to the top make it! Take breaks and eat. I only brought bananas, apples, water, energy gel with caffeine, Pro Bars, and Cliff Bars. I had maybe 2,500 calories on me. I am not out to lose weight, but find that over eating doesn’t make me feel good. I made sure I ate something, even if only part of a bar, every 1-1.5 hours. Eating a little something always makes me feel better. Overeating can cause issues such as cramping. If you are hiking constantly, your blood is shifted to your legs and arms, not your stomach, so keep that in mind on what and how much you decide to eat. When you eat, blood flow does shift some to your stomach to work on that food!

The next major mile stone is Outpost camp, the first area to stop and camp overnight. There are fewer people camping here, but it is in the trees and has a creek running through it. It is much further away from Mt Whitney, so many rather camp over at Trail Camp.

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There was a lot of water on the way up, and in many places the trail had water running over it!

One of my favorite pictures on the way up! The sunrise hitting the peak and it’s reflection.

If you were unsure, this trail has a ton of switch backs. It feels like mostly switch backs however those are not the best pictures!  Mirror Lake below.

This hike was absolutely beautiful! There was many pretty areas along the way. Snow pack feeds this creek below. The red on the snow is an algae that thrives on freezing water. Called chlamydomonas nivalis, it is something you don’t want to eat unless you want a laxative effect!

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Animals up here were limited to squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and dear.

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From here, you are out of the tree line!! The Sierra Nevada sub-alpine zone is 9,500-12,000 feet in the southern range. Both Consultation Lake and Trail Camp are at about 12,000 feet.

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You can see the camp ground, which is pretty popular and very open to your neighbors. Trail Camp is at the base of the last large set of switch backs before the trail crest. In the picture with the tents, you can see Mt Whitney to the far right, and the trail on far left… it looks nicely sloped but don’t let that fool you, 1600 feet up 99 switchbacks!! It doesn’t look that bad does it?!? Just add ice in some areas and creek across parts of trail and you are set. I did, as well as most hikers, have trekking poles which I am thankful for! This takes a few hours to get up. During parts of this hike up it feels like you are not making progress. The mountains are so grand that everything seems tiny by their size.

Looking down at Trail Camp (picture with tents) after hiking the 99 switch backs and up 1600 feet. Elevation is now 13,600. Oxygen 59% level.  I hadn’t mentioned oxygen level till now, but if you are interested in the decrease in oxygen level, here is a good source of information.

From here is the trail crest! Congratulations, I am at 13,600 feet! YAY!

Then the most soul sucking things occurs. You have to hike down about 150 feet to the Mt Whitney trail head.   Serious, after climbing up, and thinking you only have 900 feet of elevation gain to go, any amount down is sad.

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You also see this sign. People have died from lightning strikes on top, so heed this warning! I was very excited to see I had only 1.9 miles left, however, this part of the trail is horrible! Some parts of it is clear, but it is mainly large rocks that you are stepping on and over. Trekking poles get stuck, feet get stuck, so be careful. It is also hard to see the trail in the distance as you are trying to figure out what route you will go to get up.

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Looking forward on trail to top

Looking back on trail

Depending on the time of year and snow fall, there can be snow up here still. There was a large snow field on the last part and prior hikers made a short cut that went straight up before the snow field. Hikers who didn’t pay attention and followed the trail into the snow turned back as the snow was icy and no one had crampons with them. Hikers had stacked little stacks of rocks to note temporary trail markers. The second picture is a picture of the snow field from earlier in the trail. You need to hike to the high point in the one photo to get to the top!

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There is honestly no better feeling than when you finally see the cabin on your way up.

The cabin is called the Smithsonian Institute Shelter completed in 1909. Scientist built it to study high altitude phenomena before high altitude flight was possible.

With a renewed sense of energy after seeing the cabin, you now make it to the top! Peak 14,508 depending on source. Oxygen level is 58%. Make sure you sign the visitors log!

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It took me 8 hours to make it to the top. You want to stay as  long as you can to savor the view, but you know the oxygen is much thinner now, and you want that cheeseburger before the store closes.  There was a forest fire in the distance as well. After about 30 minutes, I headed back.

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This was an amazing hike, and I made it back into the Whitney Portal Trail head at 6:30 pm–about 6 hours to get back. I, like many, were on a mission to get back so didn’t stop much. My calves were sore by this point, and unfortunately had a blister (I bought new boots today to resolve that!). This extreme day hike was surely worth everything minute though!

Back to the portal. Feeling good now! And then to the store for food. Not much could have tasted better than this after that hike!

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Mt Whitney in One Day! Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (elevation varies depending on where you read).

[jsmensik]

Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (elevation varies depending on where you read). The trail head starts at 8,360 feet and gains over 6,000 feet. This is a 22 mile round trip hike, and if done in one day is considered an extreme hike. Typically it takes hikers 12-16 hours to complete. Took me 14.5 hours.  In order to do this hike in one day, you will need to do it partially in the dark! Many hikers choose to obtain an overnight pass, that allows them to camp in one of two campgrounds in the Whitney Zone. Hikers choose this method as it allows themselves to acclimate to the elevation change and decrease the possibility of altitude sickness.  Why some get this and others don’t is unknown. Training at higher altitudes helps decrease the possibility.  I did not get sick, I didn’t take medicine to prevent it, and the last time I hiked at 10,000 feet was the year before in Yosemite. Many on the trail I passed were impressed that I didn’t get sick doing this in one day. A few men noted it must be my genetics. I was a little too oxygen deprived to come back with a snappy response on that one. Anyways, I have no answer for you on this. I just went into the hike expecting to not get sick.

You will start your journey at the visitors center. Picking up passes your reserved early on or via the lottery are obtained here, not at Portal Store. The view of Mt Whitney to the left of the flag pole at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center.

I had wanted to hike Mt Whitney for a while and knew I had to get a permit. Like many permitted hikes, it is not easy  to get one! A lottery is held starting February 1 – March 15 of each year with remaining spaces open to web reservations on April 1st.  I did not have one. I decided to take a risk on the same day lottery. This means if you want a Mt Whitney day hike pass, you need to show up for the 2 pm daily lottery. Do show up by 1:45 pm. What happens now depends on the number of people who drive to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center (you need to be in person for daily lottery) and the number of cancellations.  I drove from Phoenix… 7 hours!  I arrived on Friday August 11th late that morning for the lottery. There was 5 others who were there, and enough cancelled reservations that we each got a pass! I was hiking on my own this time. The ranger said we were lucky as some days there are 20-30 people who show up and only 10 cancellations! Had that been the case, they would have had us all draw numbers from this can and number 1 gets the first permit, and so one till they run  out. 

You will get this permit that must be placed visibly on your pack and you also must carry the visitors permit paper they give you for day use with you at all times within the Whitney Zone.  You also get a Wag Bag .  You must carry out all your human waste.

Now that I had my permit, up I went to the trail head! This is about 13 miles away, turning south at the light in Lone Pine.  Lone Pine has stores to fill up with food and definitely thrives off the hikers coming through. I decided to get a last meal at the Mexican restaurant in town. Fill up with water before you head up the campground and trail head (fill up at the visitors center). The water supply at the trail head had notices that it was contaminated with e coli and needed to be boiled first.  You don’t want to boil 3 liters of water.

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There is plenty of parking, which is first come first serve and there is areas to camp overnight. You are not supposed to sleep in your car. This is an active bear area, and both nights one bear was in the area looking for food. You can not leave any food in your car, and you must store all food as well as your bear container in the bear boxes. Cars have been heavily damaged by bears trying to get to food left in cars.

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There is a store at the trail head, where you can stock up on some items as well as get a t-shirt or souvenir. They have a small grill, where you will want to get a cheeseburger or vegeburger once you are done–as long as you get back before they close!

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One of my favorite signs, but take heed!  Make sure you have enough water on you and a filter.  I did start out with 3 liters of water, which many suggested was good for the entire trip. However, I only had 250 ml once I got to the top of Mt Whitney. I am usually better at guesstimating this but it ended up okay still. Since there was a large snow pack this year, the 1600 feet of 99 switchbacks below the trail crest had a small stream running from it. This however was about 3 miles from the top, and about 2 hours away.  The nearest water source other wise is at Trail Camp at the lake, which was about 1/2 mile further down.  I had thought about getting extra of water in my nalgene on the way up but didn’t. Hindsight, I should have. There were many people who were asking for water on the way back down.  I knew I was okay, having drank all the water, I felt hydrated .

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You can buy a map at the visitors center and you can also ask the map not suitable for navigation. It is nice to have the mileage and elevation as you go. If you hike a lot, you won’t have any trouble keeping and finding the trail.

I woke up at 3:45 am (having everything ready to go!) and set out on the trail at 4 am. By this time, I was watching head lamps dance up the hill in front of me. It was fun to watch lights ahead and behind you as you progressed up. What did I wear? I worn hiking pants, a t shirt and a long sleeve shirt. I had my light fleece jacket as well as my wind/water proof jacket. I did bring light gloves (made for hiking). It was definitely cool at 45-50 degrees starting out but soon I took off all but the short sleeve and long sleeve shirt. Jackets went away until I got to the top.  It is very cold, and can be windy. My nose, like others, started to run. I never used the wind proof jacket, but it is so light weight I take it every where with me.

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The fun thing about starting in the dark for a few hours is that you get to attempt water crossings in the dark! Here is one in the dark with a picture I took on the way back in the day light for comparison.

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And the log one.

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There were many more, but it was getting lighter out!  It was wonderful to watch the sunrise as well hiking up.

Once you pass the Lone Pine Lake turn off (you don’t hike by lake, but do note the sign), you see the Whitney Zone sign. The one picture is above the sign, looking down on Lone Pine Lake.

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Here, you start to see hikers slow down, take breaks and you get to talk to different groups. Along the way, people pass you, you repass them, it’s not about who gets up the fastest, but just getting up. Information states that only about 1/3 of people who attempt to get to the top make it! Take breaks and eat. I only brought bananas, apples, water, energy gel with caffeine, Pro Bars, and Cliff Bars. I had maybe 2,500 calories on me. I am not out to lose weight, but find that over eating doesn’t make me feel good. I made sure I ate something, even if only part of a bar, every 1-1.5 hours. Eating a little something always makes me feel better. Overeating can cause issues such as cramping. If you are hiking constantly, your blood is shifted to your legs and arms, not your stomach, so keep that in mind on what and how much you decide to eat. When you eat, blood flow does shift some to your stomach to work on that food!

The next major mile stone is Outpost camp, the first area to stop and camp overnight. There are fewer people camping here, but it is in the trees and has a creek running through it. It is much further away from Mt Whitney, so many rather camp over at Trail Camp.

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There was a lot of water on the way up, and in many places the trail had water running over it!

One of my favorite pictures on the way up! The sunrise hitting the peak and it’s reflection.

If you were unsure, this trail has a ton of switch backs. It feels like mostly switch backs however those are not the best pictures!  Mirror Lake below.

This hike was absolutely beautiful! There was many pretty areas along the way. Snow pack feeds this creek below. The red on the snow is an algae that thrives on freezing water. Called chlamydomonas nivalis, it is something you don’t want to eat unless you want a laxative effect!

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Animals up here were limited to squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and dear.

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From here, you are out of the tree line!! The Sierra Nevada sub-alpine zone is 9,500-12,000 feet in the southern range. Both Consultation Lake and Trail Camp are at about 12,000 feet.

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You can see the camp ground, which is pretty popular and very open to your neighbors. Trail Camp is at the base of the last large set of switch backs before the trail crest. In the picture with the tents, you can see Mt Whitney to the far right, and the trail on far left… it looks nicely sloped but don’t let that fool you, 1600 feet up 99 switchbacks!! It doesn’t look that bad does it?!? Just add ice in some areas and creek across parts of trail and you are set. I did, as well as most hikers, have trekking poles which I am thankful for! This takes a few hours to get up. During parts of this hike up it feels like you are not making progress. The mountains are so grand that everything seems tiny by their size.

Looking down at Trail Camp (picture with tents) after hiking the 99 switch backs and up 1600 feet. Elevation is now 13,600. Oxygen 59% level.  I hadn’t mentioned oxygen level till now, but if you are interested in the decrease in oxygen level, here is a good source of information.

From here is the trail crest! Congratulations, I am at 13,600 feet! YAY!

Then the most soul sucking things occurs. You have to hike down about 150 feet to the Mt Whitney trail head.   Serious, after climbing up, and thinking you only have 900 feet of elevation gain to go, any amount down is sad.

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You also see this sign. People have died from lightning strikes on top, so heed this warning! I was very excited to see I had only 1.9 miles left, however, this part of the trail is horrible! Some parts of it is clear, but it is mainly large rocks that you are stepping on and over. Trekking poles get stuck, feet get stuck, so be careful. It is also hard to see the trail in the distance as you are trying to figure out what route you will go to get up.

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Looking forward on trail to top

Looking back on trail

Depending on the time of year and snow fall, there can be snow up here still. There was a large snow field on the last part and prior hikers made a short cut that went straight up before the snow field. Hikers who didn’t pay attention and followed the trail into the snow turned back as the snow was icy and no one had crampons with them. Hikers had stacked little stacks of rocks to note temporary trail markers. The second picture is a picture of the snow field from earlier in the trail. You need to hike to the high point in the one photo to get to the top!

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There is honestly no better feeling than when you finally see the cabin on your way up.

The cabin is called the Smithsonian Institute Shelter completed in 1909. Scientist built it to study high altitude phenomena before high altitude flight was possible.

With a renewed sense of energy after seeing the cabin, you now make it to the top! Peak 14,508 depending on source. Oxygen level is 58%. Make sure you sign the visitors log!

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It took me 8 hours to make it to the top. You want to stay as  long as you can to savor the view, but you know the oxygen is much thinner now, and you want that cheeseburger before the store closes.  There was a forest fire in the distance as well. After about 30 minutes, I headed back.

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This was an amazing hike, and I made it back into the Whitney Portal Trail head at 6:30 pm–about 6 hours to get back. I, like many, were on a mission to get back so didn’t stop much. My calves were sore by this point, and unfortunately had a blister (I bought new boots today to resolve that!). This extreme day hike was surely worth everything minute though!

Back to the portal. Feeling good now! And then to the store for food. Not much could have tasted better than this after that hike!

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Mt Whitney in One Day! Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (elevation varies depending on where you read).

[jsmensik]

Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (depending on where you read). The trail head starts at 8,360 feet and gains over 6,000 feet. This is a 22 mile round trip hike, and if done in one day is considered an extreme hike. Typically it takes hikers 12-16 hours to complete. Took me 14.5 hours.  In order to do this hike in one day, you will need to do it partially in the dark! Many hikers choose to obtain an overnight pass, that allows them to camp in one of two campgrounds in the Whitney Zone. Hikers choose this method as it allows themselves to acclimate to the elevation change and decrease the possibility of altitude sickness.  Why some get this and others don’t is unknown. Training at higher altitudes helps decrease the possibility.  I did not get sick, I didn’t take medicine to prevent it, and the last time I hiked at 10,000 feet was the year before in Yosemite. Many on the trail I passed were impressed that I didn’t get sick doing this in one day. A few men noted it must be my genetics. I was a little too oxygen deprived to come back with a snappy response on that one. Anyways, I have no answer for you on this. I just went into the hike expecting to not get sick.

You will start your journey at the visitors center. Picking up passes your reserved early on or via the lottery are obtained here, not at Portal Store. The view of Mt Whitney to the left of the flag pole at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center.

I had wanted to hike Mt Whitney for a while and knew I had to get a permit. Like many permitted hikes, it is not easy  to get one! A lottery is held starting February 1 – March 15 of each year with remaining spaces open to web reservations on April 1st.  I did not have one. I decided to take a risk on the same day lottery. This means if you want a Mt Whitney day hike pass, you need to show up for the 2 pm daily lottery. Do show up by 1:45 pm. What happens now depends on the number of people who drive to the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center (you need to be in person for daily lottery) and the number of cancellations.  I drove from Phoenix… 7 hours!  I arrived on Friday August 11th late that morning for the lottery. There was 5 others who were there, and enough cancelled reservations that we each got a pass! I was hiking on my own this time. The ranger said we were lucky as some days there are 20-30 people who show up and only 10 cancellations! Had that been the case, they would have had us all draw numbers from this can and number 1 gets the first permit, and so one till they run  out. 

You will get this permit that must be placed visibly on your pack and you also must carry the visitors permit paper they give you for day use with you at all times within the Whitney Zone.  You also get a Wag Bag .  You must carry out all your human waste.

Now that I had my permit, up I went to the trail head! This is about 13 miles away, turning south at the light in Lone Pine.  Lone Pine has stores to fill up with food and definitely thrives off the hikers coming through. I decided to get a last meal at the Mexican restaurant in town. Fill up with water before you head up the campground and trail head (fill up at the visitors center). The water supply at the trail head had notices that it was contaminated with e coli and needed to be boiled first.  You don’t want to boil 3 liters of water.

There is plenty of parking, which is first come first serve and there is areas to camp overnight. You are not supposed to sleep in your car. This is an active bear area, and both nights one bear was in the area looking for food. You can not leave any food in your car, and you must store all food as well as your bear container in the bear boxes. Cars have been heavily damaged by bears trying to get to food left in cars.

There is a store at the trail head, where you can stock up on some items as well as get a t-shirt or souvenir. They have a small grill, where you will want to get a cheeseburger or vegeburger once you are done–as long as you get back before they close!

One of my favorite signs, but take heed!  Make sure you have enough water on you and a filter.  I did start out with 3 liters of water, which many suggested was good for the entire trip. However, I only had 250 ml once I got to the top of Mt Whitney. I am usually better at guesstimating this but it ended up okay still. Since there was a large snow pack this year, the 1600 feet of 99 switchbacks below the trail crest had a small stream running from it. This however was about 3 miles from the top, and about 2 hours away.  The nearest water source other wise is at Trail Camp at the lake, which was about 1/2 mile further down.  I had thought about getting extra of water in my nalgene on the way up but didn’t. Hindsight, I should have. There were many people who were asking for water on the way back down.  I knew I was okay, having drank all the water, I felt hydrated .

You can buy a map at the visitors center and you can also ask the map not suitable for navigation. It is nice to have the mileage and elevation as you go. If you hike a lot, you won’t have any trouble keeping and finding the trail.

I woke up at 3:45 am (having everything ready to go!) and set out on the trail at 4 am. By this time, I was watching head lamps dance up the hill in front of me. It was fun to watch lights ahead and behind you as you progressed up.

The fun thing about starting in the dark for a few hours is that you get to attempt water crossings in the dark! Here is one in the dark with a picture I took on the way back in the day light for comparison.

And the log one.

There were many more, but it was getting lighter out!  It was wonderful to watch the sunrise as well hiking up.

Once you pass the Lone Pine Lake turn off (you don’t hike by lake, but do note the sign), you see the Whitney Zone sign. The one picture is above the sign, looking down on Lone Pine Lake.

Here, you start to see hikers slow down, take breaks and you get to talk to different groups. Along the way, people pass you, you repass them, it’s not about who gets up the fastest, but just getting up. Information states that only about 1/3 of people who attempt to get to the top make it! Take breaks and eat. I only brought bananas, apples, water, energy gel with caffeine, Pro Bars, and Cliff Bars. I had maybe 2,500 calories on me. I am not out to lose weight, but find that over eating doesn’t make me feel good. I made sure I ate something, even if only part of a bar, every 1-1.5 hours. Eating a little something always makes me feel better. Overeating can cause issues such as cramping. If you are hiking constantly, your blood is shifted to your legs and arms, not your stomach, so keep that in mind on what and how much you decide to eat. When you eat, blood flow does shift some to your stomach to work on that food!

The next major mile stone is Outpost camp, the first area to stop and camp overnight. There are fewer people camping here, but it is in the trees and has a creek running through it. It is much further away from Mt Whitney, so many rather camp over at Trail Camp.

There was a lot of water on the way up, and in many places the trail had water running over it!

One of my favorite pictures on the way up! The sunrise hitting the peak and it’s reflection.

If you were unsure, this trail has a ton of switch backs. It feels like mostly switch backs however those are not the best pictures!  Mirror Lake below.

This hike was absolutely beautiful! There was many pretty areas along the way. Snow pack feeds this creek below. The red on the snow is an algae that thrives on freezing water. Called chlamydomonas nivalis, it is something you don’t want to eat unless you want a laxative effect!

Animals up here were limited to squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and dear.

From here, you are out of the tree line!! The Sierra Nevada sub-alpine zone is 9,500-12,000 feet in the southern range. Both Consultation Lake and Trail Camp are at about 12,000 feet.

You can see the camp ground, which is pretty popular and very open to your neighbors. Trail Camp is at the base of the last large set of switch backs before the trail crest. In the picture with the tents, you can see Mt Whitney to the far right, and the trail on far left… it looks nicely sloped but don’t let that fool you, 1600 feet up 99 switchbacks!! It doesn’t look that bad does it?!? Just add ice in some areas and creek across parts of trail and you are set. I did, as well as most hikers, have trekking poles which I am thankful for! This takes a few hours to get up. During parts of this hike up it feels like you are not making progress. The mountains are so grand that everything seems tiny by their size.

Looking down at Trail Camp (picture with tents) after hiking the 99 switch backs and up 1600 feet. Elevation is now 13,600. Oxygen 59% level.  I hadn’t mentioned oxygen level till now, but if you are interested in the decrease in oxygen level, here is a good source of information.

From here is the trail crest! Congratulations, I am at 13,600 feet! YAY!

Then the most soul sucking things occurs. You have to hike down about 150 feet to the Mt Whitney trail head.   Serious, after climbing up, and thinking you only have 900 feet of elevation gain to go, any amount down is sad.

You also see this sign. People have died from lightning strikes on top, so heed this warning! I was very excited to see I had only 1.9 miles left, however, this part of the trail is horrible! Some parts of it is clear, but it is mainly large rocks that you are stepping on and over. Trekking poles get stuck, feet get stuck, so be careful. It is also hard to see the trail in the distance as you are trying to figure out what route you will go to get up.

Looking forward on trail to top

Looking back on trail

Depending on the time of year and snow fall, there can be snow up here still. There was a large snow field on the last part and prior hikers made a short cut that went straight up before the snow field. Hikers who didn’t pay attention and followed the trail into the snow turned back as the snow was icy and no one had crampons with them. Hikers had stacked little stacks of rocks to note temporary trail markers. The second picture is a picture of the snow field from earlier in the trail. You need to hike to the high point in the one photo to get to the top!

There is honestly no better feeling than when you finally see the cabin on your way up.

The cabin is called the Smithsonian Institute Shelter completed in 1909. Scientist built it to study high altitude phenomena before high altitude flight was possible.

With a renewed sense of energy after seeing the cabin, you now make it to the top! Peak 14,508 depending on source. Oxygen level is 58%. Make sure you sign the visitors log!

It took me 8 hours to make it to the top. You want to stay as  long as you can to savor the view, but you know the oxygen is much thinner now, and you want that cheeseburger before the store closes.  There was a forest fire in the distance as well. After about 30 minutes, I headed back.

This was an amazing hike, and I made it back into the Whitney Portal Trail head at 6:30 pm–about 6 hours to get back. I, like many, were on a mission to get back so didn’t stop much. My calves were sore by this point, and unfortunately had a blister (I bought new boots today to resolve that!). This extreme day hike was surely worth everything minute though!

Back to the portal. Feeling good now! And then to the store for food. Not much could have tasted better than this after that hike!

Mt Whitney in One Day! Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,508 ft (depending on where you read).

[jsmensik]

There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls! Note: none of the pictures I took really can do this justice. It is amazing.

First and foremost, this exists at the bottom at the Grand Canyon, on the Havasupai Reservation. The Havasupai people  are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Havasu means “blue-green water” and pai “people”. This is not federal land, nor overseen by federal or state employees but the tribe.

This post is all about logistics, permits, getting there, hiking in and out! Part two coming soon! It will focus on when you get into the campground and the falls.

Permits–yes you need them! Things have changed.

You will need permits to hike in and out and reservations at either the campground or lodge in the village. There are no roads in and out. You get to the village by hiking, horseback, or helicopter. The tribe brings in supplies to themselves via horseback and helicopter. There is NO day hiking either. Its 10 miles one way, and you will get lost hiking this in the dark. If you want to read about my adventure in getting permits to hike in and campground spot, read my blog post on that experience here. It was not easy.

I have overheard people say as well as read other people’s comments stating “who’s going to notice if they don’t get a permit?” Keep in mind, the tribe allows only about 300 permits per day. So, how will they know? Well, as we hiked down, a tribe ranger was on horse back on his way up stopping hikers on the way down and checking your name and guest number against their list.  No pass go if you are not on the list. Then, once you get into the village, you must check in. You give your name, your reservation number (which you do get in an email they send you) and you and your party get laminated paper carnival like bracelets you must wear the entire time. You also get a tag for your tent that must go on it. There are several rangers in the campground who do come through checking you, your bracelets, and your tent tag periodically. We saw at least 4 different rangers in less than 24 hours. As it has gotten more popular, the tribe has kept on top of it.  We went the beginning of May and there were no open camp spaces. So, if you come down and think you can fit in, you won’t. I will discuss the camp spaces more on part two.

The Trail head

So, this is a long drive and at least 5-6 hours from Phoenix. You drive up the 1-17 if you are coming from Phoenix (you can also go from Las Vegas, but not saving much in time) past Flagstaff,  jumping on I-40 towards Los Angeles and continue till you get to exit 121 on the I-40 at Seligman. Drive down 34 miles to Indian Road 18. Then continue for 60 miles to Hualapai Hilltop Trail head. You can’t miss the cars parked everywhere.

Many people camp out overnight at the trail head in their cars and start out on the trail at first light. So, you might be driving Indian Road 18 at night. There are no street lights, and in May, there were Elk everywhere with cattle–open range and really no fences. Seriously, neither of us have ever seen so many Elk in our lives, at least 40 of them scattered down the 60 mile stretch.  So, you are really driving this 60 mile stretch at 25- 30 mph if at night, tops, least you hit an animal, even though the speed limit is 50 mph.  It made for a very long drive.

Night Before

So, we camped out at the trail head, like I had read, many people do. We were surprised so many people were camped out in their cars. This is just a small part of the parking area!

There are port-a-potties but no running water. So make sure you bring everything with you before you turn off I-40.  There is a hotel before the Indian Road 18 turn off, and I heard some people stay there, but I was glad we were at the trail head at first light and had already driven that 60 miles the night before. There is an office at the trail head, but no one was there when we left around 6:30-7 am. We did see women from the village hiking up to it about an hour into our hike down. They hike that 8 miles there and back daily to staff that office.

The office is a check in for people who have chosen to ride in horse back, ride in via helicopter, or have horses and mules carry their bags down.  Being real hikers, there was none of that for us. We carried our gear ourselves down and back.  When you are making reservations, you can inquire about those other options if you are unable or do not want to carry your gear down. You will need to have a pack on you for water regardless. There is no potable water for 8 miles till you get to the village. In May, have at least 3 liters of water on you each way.

At this point, you start down the trail, about a one mile descent. Note switchbacks below.

  The remainder of the 9 miles to the campground is down hill, but not as noticeable.  If you are experienced, this is a great hike. Note the switch backs down about 1 mile in length. You will share the trail here with horses coming up. You will hike about 8 miles to the village. Along the way, if you start early enough, it will be fairly shaded.  The trail is in many spots dry river and creek bed, so it is very slippery, and even with my wool socks and good boots, I did loose a big toe nail due to friction on top of my toe in my boot sliding.  No blisters anywhere else though! Also glad I had my trekking poles.

Along the way, you will be greeted by the one ranger checking your name and reservations on horse back. There are many times where you will need to stop to let the horses go by. I have read in other blogs or comments about the poor condition of the animals, but all the animals we saw looked healthy and were in good condition. There are dogs from the village that run with the horses and the men back and forth. Occasionally, one might decide to stop and take a rest with you. They never begged for food and looked content.

This was a very beautiful desert hike. An occasional lizard and bird. The canyon colors and plant life is spectacular.

The Village

There is about 800 tribes members living here, and it is amazing. Dirt roads, no cars. There are some 4-wheelers and tractors. Everyone is walking among the many hikers going about their daily lives. This is also where the helicopter drops you off. There is  a hotel in the village you can stay at if you can get reservations. But from here, if you are headed to the falls and camping (remember, no day hikes!), you will need to hike the remaining 2 miles in yourself once you register at the check in station.

There is a post office here, store, restaurant, church, school, community hall, and lots of houses. This was a wonderful community of friendly people. Remember, this is their land, their lives, and you are guests, you are entering their home. The tribe administers this land.

Once you register and get your wrist band on, off you go! It’s like a carnival wrist band, and you must wear it the entire time! For more specific information about reservations, this website also takes you to the tribes site.  Click on here to learn more about making reservations online (when it is up) or by phone for camping or the lodge.  And again, to read about my experience getting my passes, read here.

Hike Back Up

So, the elevation change from the trail head to the campground is down 2450 feet in elevation and back up those 2450 feet. I am noting back up as a reminder that if you don’t start at the crack of light out, it will be very hot hiking that last mile, which is 1,000 feet up  on switchbacks. If you plan right, you will use your 3 liters by the time you get to the bottom of the switchbacks. However, if you leave later and it is hot out, make sure you have extra water on you even if you are carrying it up. We did leave out late, as we spent some time taking more pictures of the falls on the way out. Leaving late wouldn’t be too bad if it hadn’t been 95 degrees outside by the time we got to the car. That day in Phoenix it was over 110.

As we walked into the village on the way out, we walked past Ranger Dave.  His amazing tip for us on the way out? Buy a frozen Gatorade tip for the way back at the store before you leave. Save it until the end if you can when it has turned into an icy. Well worth it. Thank you Ranger Dave!

Here is the last mile on the way out. You hike up to the middle plateau. It doesn’t look bad from this picture, but I think I stopped us every 10 minutes n the way up. I was tired going up these, especially after just hiking 9 miles in the heat with my backpack. Once we got up the switchbacks, we got in the car and headed out. There was a vendor selling water, sports drinks, and snacks. This was out of his truck trailer and not a permanent feature. Do not rely on them to be there! Have extra water in your car to drink once you get back just in case.

Remember, 3 liters of water each way  per person… be on the safe side! And grab a frozen Gatorade in the village on the way out–you will thank yourself believe me! Nothing will taste so good than this at then end of your hike out. Start out as early as you can if you are hiking May through October. It seems to be running about 10-15 degrees cooler up there than Phoenix, in the spring and summer. If you are looking at temperatures, put in the town name of Supai into your weather app. Despite Arizona being known for its “dry” heat, dry heat will kill you!  I have lived in the Phoenix area for 14 years but on the way back, I was surely feeling it! And be respectful. These great people are sharing the beauty of their land with us. There are some signs stating no photos, such as at their graveyard. Please respect their culture!

Hiking to Havasu Falls and Supai Village-Part One-The Hike In and Out There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls! Note: none of the pictures I took really can do this justice.

[jsmensik]

There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls! Note: none of the pictures I took really can do this justice. It is amazing.

First and foremost, this exists at the bottom at the Grand Canyon, on the Havasupai Reservation. The Havasupai people  are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Havasu means “blue-green water” and pai “people”. This is not federal land, nor overseen by federal or state employees but the tribe.

This post is all about logistics, permits, getting there, hiking in and out! Part two coming soon! It will focus on when you get into the campground and the falls.

Permits–yes you need them! Things have changed.

You will need permits to hike in and out and reservations at either the campground or lodge in the village. There are no roads in and out. You get to the village by hiking, horseback, or helicopter. The tribe brings in supplies to themselves via horseback and helicopter. There is NO day hiking either. Its 10 miles one way, and you will get lost hiking this in the dark. If you want to read about my adventure in getting permits to hike in and campground spot, read my blog post on that experience here. It was not easy.

I have overheard people say as well as read other people’s comments stating “who’s going to notice if they don’t get a permit?” Keep in mind, the tribe allows only about 300 permits per day. So, how will they know? Well, as we hiked down, a tribe ranger was on horse back on his way up stopping hikers on the way down and checking your name and guest number against their list.  No pass go if you are not on the list. Then, once you get into the village, you must check in. You give your name, your reservation number (which you do get in an email they send you) and you and your party get laminated paper carnival like bracelets you must wear the entire time. You also get a tag for your tent that must go on it. There are several rangers in the campground who do come through checking you, your bracelets, and your tent tag periodically. We saw at least 4 different rangers in less than 24 hours. As it has gotten more popular, the tribe has kept on top of it.  We went the beginning of May and there were no open camp spaces. So, if you come down and think you can fit in, you won’t. I will discuss the camp spaces more on part two.

The Trail head

So, this is a long drive and at least 5-6 hours from Phoenix. You drive up the 1-17 if you are coming from Phoenix (you can also go from Las Vegas, but not saving much in time) past Flagstaff,  jumping on I-40 towards Los Angeles and continue till you get to exit 121 on the I-40 at Seligman. Drive down 34 miles to Indian Road 18. Then continue for 60 miles to Hualapai Hilltop Trail head. You can’t miss the cars parked everywhere.

Many people camp out overnight at the trail head in their cars and start out on the trail at first light. So, you might be driving Indian Road 18 at night. There are no street lights, and in May, there were Elk everywhere with cattle–open range and really no fences. Seriously, neither of us have ever seen so many Elk in our lives, at least 40 of them scattered down the 60 mile stretch.  So, you are really driving this 60 mile stretch at 25- 30 mph if at night, tops, least you hit an animal, even though the speed limit is 50 mph.  It made for a very long drive.

Night Before

So, we camped out at the trail head, like I had read, many people do. We were surprised so many people were camped out in their cars. This is just a small part of the parking area!

There are port-a-potties but no running water. So make sure you bring everything with you before you turn off I-40.  There is a hotel before the Indian Road 18 turn off, and I heard some people stay there, but I was glad we were at the trail head at first light and had already driven that 60 miles the night before. There is an office at the trail head, but no one was there when we left around 6:30-7 am. We did see women from the village hiking up to it about an hour into our hike down. They hike that 8 miles there and back daily to staff that office.

The office is a check in for people who have chosen to ride in horse back, ride in via helicopter, or have horses and mules carry their bags down.  Being real hikers, there was none of that for us. We carried our gear ourselves down and back.  When you are making reservations, you can inquire about those other options if you are unable or do not want to carry your gear down. You will need to have a pack on you for water regardless. There is no potable water for 8 miles till you get to the village. In May, have at least 3 liters of water on you each way.

At this point, you start down the trail, about a one mile descent. Note switchbacks below.

  The remainder of the 9 miles to the campground is down hill, but not as noticeable.  If you are experienced, this is a great hike. Note the switch backs down about 1 mile in length. You will share the trail here with horses coming up. You will hike about 8 miles to the village. Along the way, if you start early enough, it will be fairly shaded.  The trail is in many spots dry river and creek bed, so it is very slippery, and even with my wool socks and good boots, I did loose a big toe nail due to friction on top of my toe in my boot sliding.  No blisters anywhere else though! Also glad I had my trekking poles.

Along the way, you will be greeted by the one ranger checking your name and reservations on horse back. There are many times where you will need to stop to let the horses go by. I have read in other blogs or comments about the poor condition of the animals, but all the animals we saw looked healthy and were in good condition. There are dogs from the village that run with the horses and the men back and forth. Occasionally, one might decide to stop and take a rest with you. They never begged for food and looked content.

This was a very beautiful desert hike. An occasional lizard and bird. The canyon colors and plant life is spectacular.

The Village

There is about 800 tribes members living here, and it is amazing. Dirt roads, no cars. There are some 4-wheelers and tractors. Everyone is walking among the many hikers going about their daily lives. This is also where the helicopter drops you off. There is  a hotel in the village you can stay at if you can get reservations. But from here, if you are headed to the falls and camping (remember, no day hikes!), you will need to hike the remaining 2 miles in yourself once you register at the check in station.

There is a post office here, store, restaurant, church, school, community hall, and lots of houses. This was a wonderful community of friendly people. Remember, this is their land, their lives, and you are guests, you are entering their home. The tribe administers this land.

Once you register and get your wrist band on, off you go! It’s like a carnival wrist band, and you must wear it the entire time! For more specific information about reservations, this website also takes you to the tribes site.  Click on here to learn more about making reservations online (when it is up) or by phone for camping or the lodge.  And again, to read about my experience getting my passes, read here.

Hike Back Up

So, the elevation change from the trail head to the campground is down 2450 feet in elevation and back up those 2450 feet. I am noting back up as a reminder that if you don’t start at the crack of light out, it will be very hot hiking that last mile, which is 1,000 feet up  on switchbacks. If you plan right, you will use your 3 liters by the time you get to the bottom of the switchbacks. However, if you leave later and it is hot out, make sure you have extra water on you even if you are carrying it up. We did leave out late, as we spent some time taking more pictures of the falls on the way out. Leaving late wouldn’t be too bad if it hadn’t been 95 degrees outside by the time we got to the car. That day in Phoenix it was over 110.

As we walked into the village on the way out, we walked past Ranger Dave.  His amazing tip for us on the way out? Buy a frozen Gatorade tip for the way back at the store before you leave. Save it until the end if you can when it has turned into an icy. Well worth it. Thank you Ranger Dave!

Here is the last mile on the way out. You hike up to the middle plateau. It doesn’t look bad from this picture, but I think I stopped us every 10 minutes n the way up. I was tired going up these, especially after just hiking 9 miles in the heat with my backpack. Once we got up the switchbacks, we got in the car and headed out. There was a vendor selling water, sports drinks, and snacks. This was out of his truck trailer and not a permanent feature. Do not rely on them to be there! Have extra water in your car to drink once you get back just in case.

Remember, 3 liters of water each way  per person… be on the safe side! And grab a frozen Gatorade in the village on the way out–you will thank yourself believe me! Nothing will taste so good than this at then end of your hike out. Start out as early as you can if you are hiking May through October. It seems to be running about 10-15 degrees cooler up there than Phoenix, in the spring and summer. If you are looking at temperatures, put in the town name of Supai into your weather app. Despite Arizona being known for its “dry” heat, dry heat will kill you!  I have lived in the Phoenix area for 14 years but on the way back, I was surely feeling it! And be respectful. These great people are sharing the beauty of their land with us. There are some signs stating no photos, such as at their graveyard. Please respect their culture!

Hiking to Havasu Falls and Supai Village-Part One-The Hike In and Out There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls! Note: none of the pictures I took really can do this justice.

[jsmensik]

There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls!

First and foremost, this exists at the bottom at the Grand Canyon, on the Havasupai Reservation. The Havasupai people  are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Havasu means “blue-green water” and pai “people”. This is not federal land, nor overseen by federal or state employees but the tribe.

This post is all about logistics, permits, getting there, hiking in and out! Part two coming soon! It will focus on when you get into the campground and the falls.

Permits–yes you need them! Things have changed.

You will need permits to hike in and out and reservations at either the campground or lodge in the village. There are no roads in and out. You get to the village by hiking, horseback, or helicopter. The tribe brings in supplies to themselves via horseback and helicopter. There is NO day hiking either. Its 10 miles one way, and you will get lost hiking this in the dark. If you want to read about my adventure in getting permits to hike in and campground spot, read my blog post on that experience here. It was not easy.

I have overheard people say as well as read other people’s comments stating “who’s going to notice if they don’t get a permit?” Keep in mind, the tribe allows only about 300 permits per day. So, how will they know? Well, as we hiked down, a tribe ranger was on horse back on his way up stopping hikers on the way down and checking your name and guest number against their list.  No pass go if you are not on the list. Then, once you get into the village, you must check in. You give your name, your reservation number (which you do get in an email they send you) and you and your party get laminated paper carnival like bracelets you must wear the entire time. You also get a tag for your tent that must go on it. There are several rangers in the campground who do come through checking you, your bracelets, and your tent tag periodically. We saw at least 4 different rangers in less than 24 hours. As it has gotten more popular, the tribe has kept on top of it.  We went the beginning of May and there were no open camp spaces. So, if you come down and think you can fit in, you won’t. I will discuss the camp spaces more on part two.

The Trail head

So, this is a long drive and at least 5-6 hours from Phoenix. You drive up the 1-17 if you are coming from Phoenix (you can also go from Las Vegas, but not saving much in time) past Flagstaff,  jumping on I-40 towards Los Angeles and continue till you get to exit 121 on the I-40 at Seligman. Drive down 34 miles to Indian Road 18. Then continue for 60 miles to Hualapai Hilltop Trail head. You can’t miss the cars parked everywhere.

Many people camp out overnight at the trail head in their cars and start out on the trail at first light. So, you might be driving Indian Road 18 at night. There are no street lights, and in May, there were Elk everywhere with cattle–open range and really no fences. Seriously, neither of us have ever seen so many Elk in our lives, at least 40 of them scattered down the 60 mile stretch.  So, you are really driving this 60 mile stretch at 25- 30 mph if at night, tops, least you hit an animal, even though the speed limit is 50 mph.  It made for a very long drive.

Night Before

So, we camped out at the trail head, like I had read, many people do. We were surprised so many people were camped out in their cars. This is just a small part of the parking area!

There are port-a-potties but no running water. So make sure you bring everything with you before you turn off I-40.  There is a hotel before the Indian Road 18 turn off, and I heard some people stay there, but I was glad we were at the trail head at first light and had already driven that 60 miles the night before. There is an office at the trail head, but no one was there when we left around 6:30-7 am. We did see women from the village hiking up to it about an hour into our hike down. They hike that 8 miles there and back daily to staff that office.

The office is a check in for people who have chosen to ride in horse back, ride in via helicopter, or have horses and mules carry their bags down.  Being real hikers, there was none of that for us. We carried our gear ourselves down and back.  When you are making reservations, you can inquire about those other options if you are unable or do not want to carry your gear down. You will need to have a pack on you for water regardless. There is no potable water for 8 miles till you get to the village. In May, have at least 3 liters of water on you each way.

At this point, you start down the trail, about a one mile descent. Note switchbacks below.

  The remainder of the 9 miles to the campground is down hill, but not as noticeable.  If you are experienced, this is a great hike. Note the switch backs down about 1 mile in length. You will share the trail here with horses coming up. You will hike about 8 miles to the village. Along the way, if you start early enough, it will be fairly shaded.  The trail is in many spots dry river and creek bed, so it is very slippery, and even with my wool socks and good boots, I did loose a big toe nail due to friction on top of my toe in my boot sliding.  No blisters anywhere else though! Also glad I had my trekking poles.

Along the way, you will be greeted by the one ranger checking your name and reservations on horse back. There are many times where you will need to stop to let the horses go by. I have read in other blogs or comments about the poor condition of the animals, but all the animals we saw looked healthy and were in good condition. There are dogs from the village that run with the horses and the men back and forth. Occasionally, one might decide to stop and take a rest with you. They never begged for food and looked content.

This was a very beautiful desert hike. An occasional lizard and bird. The canyon colors and plant life is spectacular.

The Village

There is about 800 tribes members living here, and it is amazing. Dirt roads, no cars. There are some 4-wheelers and tractors. Everyone is walking among the many hikers going about their daily lives. This is also where the helicopter drops you off. There is  a hotel in the village you can stay at if you can get reservations. But from here, if you are headed to the falls and camping (remember, no day hikes!), you will need to hike the remaining 2 miles in yourself once you register at the check in station.

There is a post office here, store, restaurant, church, school, community hall, and lots of houses. This was a wonderful community of friendly people. Remember, this is their land, their lives, and you are guests, you are entering their home. The tribe administers this land.

Once you register and get your wrist band on, off you go! It’s like a carnival wrist band, and you must wear it the entire time! For more specific information about reservations, this website also takes you to the tribes site.  Click on here to learn more about making reservations online (when it is up) or by phone for camping or the lodge.  And again, to read about my experience getting my passes, read here.

Hike Back Up

So, the elevation change from the trail head to the campground is down 2450 feet in elevation and back up those 2450 feet. I am noting back up as a reminder that if you don’t start at the crack of light out, it will be very hot hiking that last mile, which is 1,000 feet up  on switchbacks. If you plan right, you will use your 3 liters by the time you get to the bottom of the switchbacks. However, if you leave later and it is hot out, make sure you have extra water on you even if you are carrying it up. We did leave out late, as we spent some time taking more pictures of the falls on the way out. Leaving late wouldn’t be too bad if it hadn’t been 95 degrees outside by the time we got to the car. That day in Phoenix it was over 110.

As we walked into the village on the way out, we walked past Ranger Dave.  His amazing tip for us on the way out? Buy a frozen Gatorade tip for the way back at the store before you leave. Save it until the end if you can when it has turned into an icy. Well worth it. Thank you Ranger Dave!

Here is the last mile on the way out. You hike up to the middle plateau. It doesn’t look bad from this picture, but I think I stopped us every 10 minutes n the way up. I was tired going up these, especially after just hiking 9 miles in the heat with my backpack. Once we got up the switchbacks, we got in the car and headed out. There was a vendor selling water, sports drinks, and snacks. This was out of his truck trailer and not a permanent feature. Do not rely on them to be there! Have extra water in your car to drink once you get back just in case.

Remember, 3 liters of water each way  per person… be on the safe side! And grab a frozen Gatorade in the village on the way out–you will thank yourself believe me! Nothing will taste so good than this at then end of your hike out. Start out as early as you can if you are hiking May through October. It seems to be running about 10-15 degrees cooler up there than Phoenix, in the spring and summer. If you are looking at temperatures, put in the town name of Supai into your weather app. Despite Arizona being known for its “dry” heat, dry heat will kill you!  I have lived in the Phoenix area for 14 years but on the way back, I was surely feeling it! And be respectful. These great people are sharing the beauty of their land with us. There are some signs stating no photos, such as at their graveyard. Please respect their culture!

Hiking to Havasu Falls and Supai Village-Part One-The Hike In and Out There is so much to go over regarding Havasu Falls! First and foremost, this exists at the bottom at the Grand Canyon, on the Havasupai Reservation.

[jsmensik]

In July of 2016, we visited the Redwood National and State Parks. This is a unique partnership between the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The parks include: Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. These parks are on the World Heritage Site and are considered international treasures.

On this trip we stayed at a KOA just north of Crescent City which was within a short driving distance of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. There is a camp ground at this state park, with spaces in trees and by water but there was something magical about camping down Bigfoot Alley. Supposedly, there had been a Bigfoot sighting here as noted on Youtube. This prompted quite the conversations with the kids.

It is pretty impossible to capture the grandeur of these trees with an iPhone camera let alone any camera. Something that can only be done justice in person.  We did stop by the Hiouchi Information Center. Here, there is an information center open in the summer complete with exhibits, interpretive publications, trail maps, and the Junior Ranger Program. At this park (Jedediah), you can camp, picnic, hike, fish, swim, and float the Smith River. There are several groves here, including the two main groves, Stout Grove and Simpson-Reed Grove. Stout is a short walk from the information center and Simpson-Reed will require you to get back into the car and head a short distance north. The Redwoods groves are intermingled with other trees and much younger redwoods.

In order to get to Stout Grove you will need to cross a rickety bridge. Kids loved this! Bridge is narrow, and not suited for wheelchairs or strollers. Once on the other side, there are several trails and a nice spot to play in the river.

Okay, enough of the river! On to Stout Grove. Stout Grove is trail that is less than a mile long, well maintained and accessible all year-long. That distance is once you get to the trail head…its probably a mile walk from the information center. You can drive from the information center and park in the camping area to shorten the walking distance, but that will cost you money whereas the information center parking is free.

Stout Grove is the world’s most scenic stand of Redwoods. Many get these trees confused with Sequoia and Sequoia National Park which is further southeast in California. The main difference between these trees is that coastal redwoods grow along the coast, and giant Sequoia grow more inland at higher elevations (4,000-8,000 ft). Both are types of redwood species.

General Sherman, is the largest (in overall size) currently living tree in the world and is a sequoia. It stands at  274.9 feet and has a volume of 52,500 cubic feet. It is located in the Sequoia National Park.  The largest tree from a volume perspective was a redwood cut down in 1940’s. The currently tallest tree,   Hyperion, is a 379.7-foot-tall redwood also located in California.  Its location has been kept quiet.

Can’t visit these trees without taking a picture like this.

As you walk along the trail, you will see many downed trees and stumps which reinforce the massiveness of these trees.

The cool thing about redwoods, is that they have been resistant to fire . However that has been changing and scientists are looking into why that is not occurring. Thankfully California got an amazing amount of rain this last winter and many parts are no longer in a drought.

In ideal conditions, a coastal redwood can grow 2-3 feet a year. Their root systems spread out 100 feet from their base, and intertwine with other tree’s roots which gives them stability in storms.  A normal redwood can produce about 100,000 seeds a year, but few germinate. A redwood is most likely to grow successfully if it starts from sprouts that form from the base of a tree.

  After this grove, we headed over to the Simpson-Reed Grove.  This grove has a nice maintained trail as well and is accessible by wheelchair or stroller. Unike the Stout Grove, this one is much more dense. Various Redwood groves in this area have been used in the Star Wars series. 

There is a decent amount of parking at this grove. Do watch for traffic along hwy 199 as there are lots of people looking out their car windows and taking pictures on this two lane winding highway.

There are many educational signs along the way too! Some signs also point out smaller dedicated groves. In fact, there are over 1,000 small groves that have been dedicated since 1921 in order to raise additional funds to protect and restore the forests.

  This was a wonderful day visiting the two main groves and playing in the water. We brought along lunch and had a picnic. Everyone was in awe of these magnificent trees! As you visit this area, these groves deserve a full day at least, especially if you are working on your Junior Ranger badge!

    Redwood National and State Parks In July of 2016, we visited the Redwood National and State Parks. This is a unique partnership between the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

[jsmensik]

In July of 2016, we visited the Redwood National and State Parks. This is a unique partnership between the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The parks include: Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. These parks are on the World Heritage Site and are considered international treasures.

On this trip we stayed at a KOA just north of Crescent City which was within a short driving distance of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. There is a camp ground at this state park, with spaces in trees and by water but there was something magical about camping down Bigfoot Alley. Supposedly, there had been a Bigfoot sighting here as noted on Youtube. This prompted quite the conversations with the kids.

It is pretty impossible to capture the grandeur of these trees with an iPhone camera let alone any camera. Something that can only be done justice in person.  We did stop by the Hiouchi Information Center. Here, there is an information center open in the summer complete with exhibits, interpretive publications, trail maps, and the Junior Ranger Program. At this park (Jedediah), you can camp, picnic, hike, fish, swim, and float the Smith River. There are several groves here, including the two main groves, Stout Grove and Simpson-Reed Grove. Stout is a short walk from the information center and Simpson-Reed will require you to get back into the car and head a short distance north. The Redwoods groves are intermingled with other trees and much younger redwoods.

In order to get to Stout Grove you will need to cross a rickety bridge. Kids loved this! Bridge is narrow, and not suited for wheelchairs or strollers. Once on the other side, there are several trails and a nice spot to play in the river.

Okay, enough of the river! On to Stout Grove. Stout Grove is trail that is less than a mile long, well maintained and accessible all year-long. That distance is once you get to the trail head…its probably a mile walk from the information center. You can drive from the information center and park in the camping area to shorten the walking distance, but that will cost you money whereas the information center parking is free.

Stout Grove is the world’s most scenic stand of Redwoods. Many get these trees confused with Sequoia and Sequoia National Park which is further southeast in California. The main difference between these trees is that coastal redwoods grow along the coast, and giant Sequoia grow more inland at higher elevations (4,000-8,000 ft). Both are types of redwood species.

General Sherman, is the largest (in overall size) currently living tree in the world and is a sequoia. It stands at  274.9 feet and has a volume of 52,500 cubic feet. It is located in the Sequoia National Park.  The largest tree from a volume perspective was a redwood cut down in 1940’s. The currently tallest tree,   Hyperion, is a 379.7-foot-tall redwood also located in California.  Its location has been kept quiet.

Can’t visit these trees without taking a picture like this.

As you walk along the trail, you will see many downed trees and stumps which reinforce the massiveness of these trees.

The cool thing about redwoods, is that they have been resistant to fire . However that has been changing and scientists are looking into why that is not occurring. Thankfully California got an amazing amount of rain this last winter and many parts are no longer in a drought.

In ideal conditions, a coastal redwood can grow 2-3 feet a year. Their root systems spread out 100 feet from their base, and intertwine with other tree’s roots which gives them stability in storms.  A normal redwood can produce about 100,000 seeds a year, but few germinate. A redwood is most likely to grow successfully if it starts from sprouts that form from the base of a tree.

  After this grove, we headed over to the Simpson-Reed Grove.  This grove has a nice maintained trail as well and is accessible by wheelchair or stroller. Unike the Stout Grove, this one is much more dense. Various Redwood groves in this area have been used in the Star Wars series. 

There is a decent amount of parking at this grove. Do watch for traffic along hwy 199 as there are lots of people looking out their car windows and taking pictures on this two lane winding highway.

There are many educational signs along the way too! Some signs also point out smaller dedicated groves. In fact, there are over 1,000 small groves that have been dedicated since 1921 in order to raise additional funds to protect and restore the forests.

  This was a wonderful day visiting the two main groves and playing in the water. We brought along lunch and had a picnic. Everyone was in awe of these magnificent trees! As you visit this area, these groves deserve a full day at least, especially if you are working on your Junior Ranger badge!

    Redwood National and State Parks In July of 2016, we visited the Redwood National and State Parks. This is a unique partnership between the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

[jsmensik]

The Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary (since 1932). It is located off HWY 101 about 11 miles north of Florence, Oregon. We have been there twice now, and the boys and cousins love it each time. We also don’t leave without adding to our sea lion stuffed animal collection.

It can be cold and windy, so come prepared. Parking can be interesting. The building and entrance are on the west side of the Hwy with a few parking spots. Most of the parking is just south of the building on the east side of the Hwy around and on the corner. Crossing the Hwy can be interesting, so watch for traffic! There are spots for RV parking. Traffic is usually slow along this stretch, but people do not always pay attention. There is an area to picnic as well by the parking. Parking is free. There is an entrance fee for adults and children over age 4.

Once inside the building, you will pay your entrance fee into the caves. The main building has a lot of trinkets, snacks, and other things to buy.

In order to get to the caves, you will need to go down 37 steps to get to the outside trails. As you walk outside, look down! There are many sea lions hanging out on the rocks at the bottom.

You will continue to walk outside to get to the elevator that takes you down 208 feet inside the cave. There are no stairs you can take down.

From there you descend into the cave. Once in the cave, there are more steps if you want to access the lighthouse view. This is not wheel chair accessible. There are many signs and pieces of information inside the cave in addition to the sea lions. Do note: this is not a zoo. There is nothing to pet, and there is no guarantee that the sea lions will be out anywhere. However, both times we have been there, we were not disappointed.

There are many informational signs to read and a lot to learn. There is also a sea lion skeleton. The cave, for obvious reasons, does not have the most pleasant of smells. The cave is bout 12 stories high and stretches the length of a football field. The cave is at sea level and has three entrances, south, north, and western.

We have always come during July. During the school year, there may be groups of school children.

The sea lions can be quite loud but at this time, there were quiet. One was holding on to something shiny in its mouth. You can hear the wind coming into the cave.

At the opposite end of the cave, are stairs to a beautiful view of Heceta Head Lighthouse. This lighthouse was completed around 1894. Supposedly, it is considered one of the top ten most haunted houses in the U.S.

Of course, in addition to the sea lions, and the lighthouse, the views of the ocean and the coast line are fantastic! There is a lot of wildlife, so be on the look out for the sea lions, sea gulls, cormorants, pigeon guillemot, gray whales, and killer whales.

I enjoy driving along Hwy 101 (in Oregon, its SR 1 in California), or as it is known, the Pacific Coast Hwy (although SR 1 is only part of PCH in CA). This is one of the most amazing stretches in the U.S. If you are in a hurry to get from point A to point B, this is not the road for you. Since there are so many beautiful beaches, turnouts, and stops, traffic is slow. You will want to plan accordingly, and take your time as you take in the beautiful views!

    Sea Lion Caves in Oregon The Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary (since 1932). It is located off HWY 101 about 11 miles north of…

[jsmensik]

The Grand Canyon is an amazing canyon 277 river miles long and up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep! The Colorado River flows through the canyon. Living in Arizona, I have been to the Grand Canyon a handful of times. Mostly driving, and once I took the Grand Canyon Railway out of Williams on Thanksgiving for a visit. Not unlike our other National Parks, the views can seem surreal. I am always amazed to run into Arizona residents who have not been yet! It is about 229 miles north of Phoenix, or a little under a 4 hour drive. One would drive the I-17 north to I-40 west, then AZ 64 north to the park. It is also a little under 5 hours from Las Vegas.

You have a few choices of areas to visit if you are limited on time. There is the South Rim and the North Rim. The South Rim is open all year, and the North Rim is closed for winter. Check the National Park Site for when the North Rim opens. Despite being in Arizona, it does get cold and snow up there! Here are some pictures of the Grand Canyon from a plane on my  way to Portland this last January.

The Village (where I usually start out at in the South Rim) sits at an elevation  of about 7,000 feet. The elevation of the North Rim is about 8,000 feet. The Grand Canyon is a National Park, and you will need to pay the fee to enter but I always get a National Park Pass to take advantage of more parks each year. Note: if you have a 4th grader, they get a free annual park pass thanks to the  Every Kid in a Park program. There are more free park pass programs, browse through them at the National Park Pass hyperlink above.

There is a lot of wild life walking around the park. Not as much as Yellowstone, but it is great to see especially for kids. There are lots of mule deer and elk!

At the Grand Canyon, there are many things to do in addition to hiking. There is lodging (El Tovar is a hotel that opened in 1905), camping, hiking (need permits for back-country) restaurants, cultural demonstrations, paved and dirt hiking paths, and shuttles to get you to various points. At the village at the South Rim, there are many things to do especially for kids.

The Hopi House is a must. The Hopi House was open in 1905 as well. It was designed by Mary Colter, who was one of the first American architects to appreciate the beauty of Native American design. The Hopi House is a National Historic Landmark where you can buy authentic Native American arts and crafts.

Outside the Hopi House, there are at times cultural demonstrations. The Grand Canyon has a rich Native American culture, such as the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe. The Havasupai tribe has been living in and around the Grand Canyon’s South Rim for the past 800 years.  While Arizona is not home to the most Native American Indian Tribes, total reservation land does cover more than 25% of the state. Arizona has the second largest American Indian population in the entire U.S.

Here is a Hoop Dancer outside the Hopi House at the South Rim.

And another Native American performing a traditional dance.

There are many options for day and overnight hikes, I will save talking about hikes to the bottom for another post. As far as day hikes, the Rim Trail is the best, most accessible trail to take kids, wheel chairs, and strollers. This is a nice paved trail that starts at the South Kaibab trail head and ends at Hermits Rest. Along this path, there are many educational interpretive features. The 1.3 mile portion of trail called the “Trail of Time” notes ages markers, as well as samples of each rock layer.

As you walk along, you will get to the Yavapai Museum of Geology. Here, there are rangers to help the kids get their Grand Canyon Junior Ranger badges!

While this is a kid friendly trail, you will occasionally question that, once you realize one could (and they do) get too close to the edge and fall. It would take purposefully walking where you should not be though, which happens when people are attempting to get those “special” photos.

This total trail length is 13 miles with about a 200 foot elevation change. Almost all is wheel chair accessible. If you have been reading my posts, you know my thoughts on water! Even though this looks easy, you need to take water! Water filling stations can be found at the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trail heads, Verkamp’s and Desert View Visitor Centers, geology museum, Hermits Rest and the Village (with bathrooms!). There is nothing in between. It is dry out, and while you might not be sweating or feel sweaty, you will lose water through evaporation and breathing.

Don’t worry about the trail being 13 miles long! You can catch a shuttle at many places along the way to get yourself back or to another spot easily. Weather can change too. We started out sunny and ended with a rain storm on this day!

There are a lot of hiking trails down to the bottom, and they are amazing! This was a good picture down, and it isn’t even close the bottom. There is a lot to explore in the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a travel destination for many vacationers from Europe and Asia. You will hear many languages spoken here. It is awesome that so many people from around the world would travel across the ocean to see the beauty of our national parks.

Grand Canyon National Park The Grand Canyon is an amazing canyon 277 river miles long and up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep!

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So, I lucked out this Feb/March with two REI garage sales. Since my normal store was moving to a new location, I went to that garage sale and I posted on that experience on an earlier blog. Then, I got to attend another one, at a different location in Phoenix on the actual day of other REIs had their garage sale. Here is the complete low down with hour by hour reporting from March 18th Nation Wide Sale!

Note: This is the “usual” procedure for REI’s that do have a community room that houses the sale. My other post is what occurred when an REI does not have a community room to house the sale!

3:37 am: In line at REI! About 12th in line again! Half of everyone is asleep, others on computers. No SB nearby, will have to go to Dutch bros next door as soon as they open! 64 degrees outside, less light outside this REI but still can only see 10 stars total in sky with moon. Everyone not in line with me is missing out!!

4:14 am update: now not last person in line. I did grab my sleeping bag out of the car and am sitting in it in my chair…much better 👍  I won’t mention that it is 58 degrees out (us cold blooded Phoenicians)  This 20 degree bag does the job!

4:25 am: there are several snorers in line…

5:22 am: birds chirping still dark. Dutch bros open but I’m going to talk line neighbor into watching my stuff to drive over to SB. More people in line behind me. My calendar app letting me know the drive time home to take my synthroid…so helpful. Thank god I remembered it on my own! Done!

5:59 am: sun coming up, Starbucks in hand! My new line buddies saved my place (as did my chair) as I drove over to get it. Had nice chat with SB baristas about the REI garage sale. Line getting longer here.

  6:12 am: forgot we got out REI Dividends this week to use! Note: you do not get dividends on things you purchased in a garage sale. And again, you must be a member of REI. One time fee, completely worth it!

6:13 am: general observation. I’m usually only individual women in line for these things early on anyways. A few couples in line together, mostly men with other male friends or men with their sons. No daughters. I’ve been to Sephora, ANN Taylor, WHBM, and Nordstrom’s this week (spring work wardrobe done!). Women and girls particularly, need to see that you can like the outdoors and go to Sephora. It’s all possible! And you don’t need to be crazy like me at 3 am in line… We need to work on the gender make up of this line!

7:35 am: line now down around and behind store and wrapping back up. Per REI Sales people larger than usual crowd. People awake, talking about stories. Again, trading stories of attempts to get permits to Havasu falls or their actual trip down showing off pictures! Several people in back of line not happy at length and asking me when I showed up to wait as they counted their place in line.

8:15: receives ticket and group number to go in. In 2nd group to go in 9:20 am. Each group gets 15 min and then employees get 5 min to restock. Different than Tempe process since they have community room to set up garage sale.

8:55 am: people just now showing up to get in line are not happy their posted time to enter Garage sale area is 11:40 am!

9:00 am; headed in to store to wait

9:20: our turn to shop! We get 15 min with 20 other people to look and grab stuff!

10:10 am: Biggest score was getting this Big Agnes fly creek high volume UL 2 mtn GLO tent!!! Ultra light hiking tent, 2 person, nothing wrong with it, weights slightly more than 2 lbs! Was $439, bought for $155!! I wanted an ultra light tent so glad I know my stuff and was able to spot this among all the other stuff that was stuffed in the cubicles along the wall!

There are some vultures in the store. Once you grab stuff and your time is done, you head back down stairs to look those items over more. There are carts out where you can put stuff you don’t want into, and then REI sales people take it back up to the garage sale room. People who are waiting their turn/time slot to go into the garage sale room are hanging out next to the carts watching and grabbing stuff we put back.  Can’t say I don’t blame them.

I did go back to REI this afternoon after ticket and time fiasco was done and when the crowd died down to freely look at remaining stuff. I scored even more!! Total spent today: $349 for what would have been $915 reg price!

What did I find?? More amazing stuff!! I bought never used (garage sale and clearance): Lowa Remegade GTX mid Ws for $115 (reg $230) backpacking boots (returned as someone said there was a bump inside on the right…never worn as noted be tread and I can’t feel the bump). Two pairs Chacos for one son– one current size and next size. Reg $38 per pair only $8 each! Chacos for me! Reg $105 for $41! And my other son got paid of Merrill’s reg price $65 for $22!

Here is the awesome tent up!  Perfect condition! The reason noted on the return tag stated it was returned because it was “too small” but this is an ultra light two person tent, so not sure what they expected. It would fit two average sized people okay with packs.

Lucked Out–2 REI garages sales! So, I lucked out this Feb/March with two REI garage sales. Since my normal store was moving to a new location, I went to that garage sale and I posted on that experience on an earlier blog.

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Since one needs to pass Dead Man’s Cove on foot (unless you are with the Coast Guard) to get to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, I thought it made sense to put these two together. This is a family friendly hike, great for all ages. The trail starts at Cape Disappointment State Park  2 miles south of Ilwaco WA.  Dead Man’s Cove,  as is the entire surrounding area, is part of the Long Beach peninsula in WA.

Long Beach

Smallest Sand Dollar I have ever found!

You will need to get a WA state Discover park pass which you can obtain in one of several town stores (Ilwaco or Long Beach) or at the ranger station in the park. Note: they do drive around and check to ensure you have a pass. I accidentally was given a one day fishing pass on a trip up here instead of the day park pass at the hardware store. And I got a ticket.  I did go to the ranger station and they fixed the situation quickly. I do not buy WA state park passes often in WA, so I didn’t recognize the mistake at the time of purchase.  Anyways…

The entire trail is about 3.4 miles round-trip and is a combination of compact direct and pavement. The dirt portions are not wheelchair or regular stroller friendly and have the occasional tree root growing across it. The elevation gain is about 160 feet.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is about 300 yards from the parking lot on your way between the trail-head and the Cape Disappointment lighthouse.  The visitors center highlights the Lewis and Clark journey from Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River when they arrived in 1805. During the winter and spring, visitors can look for migrating Grey whales from the center which sets about 200 feet above the water.  There are many family friendly activities, with interactive exhibits for children.

The entire trail is beautiful, hiking through old growth woods of ferns and tall spruce trees. There are many unique hollowed out trees and root systems to admire!

After the visitor’s center, the trail winds past Dead Man’s Cove and by the Coast Guard base. Dead Man’s Cove is the picture perfect cove but not accessible, as it was closed by the Coast Guard. Even though there are signs saying stay out,  I have never hiked passed this area without seeing rule breakers down on the beach.  Even in one of the pictures posted here, you can spot a kayak in the water. The trail eventually turns into a paved road going on to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse where it dead ends. This lighthouse is maintained by the Coast Guard and is active as they monitor the horizon. Please make sure that you leave them alone as they are working!

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse on the west coast and was built in 1856. From the lighthouse, one can see the mouth of the Columbia River emptying into the Pacific Ocean, Astoria, Oregon, and the jetties.

A jetty is a breakwater constructed to protect the coastline and harbors. Here, there are 3 rubble mound jetties that span over 9.7 miles to mainly provide a safe transition between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River.  These jetties were built between 1885 and 1939 and most recently have been repaired in 2015.

We have always made this trip in July, and its been sunny and dry. However, during September to May, the trail can become slick and muddy. I would also caution against this hike during windy weather for potential threats of falling tree limbs and branches. There are several other trails along this area, including Westwind Trail, Coastal Forest Loop, and Discovery Trail. Once you are done exploring the area from the lighthouse you will follow the trail back the same way you came. This is definitely worth the visit!

  Dead Man’s Cove and Cape Disappointment Since one needs to pass Dead Man's Cove on foot (unless you are with the Coast Guard) to get to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, I thought it made sense to put these two together.

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Do you want some of the best views of Yosemite? Do you want to watch hikers struggle up the cables on Half Dome? Then a hike on the Clouds Rest Trail starting at Tenaya Lake is for you! This is a 14.5 mile round trip hike to an elevation of 9,926 feet and hovers above Half Dome. The trail head elevation is 8,150 feet.

This is not as strenuous as Half Dome, but pretty close. I hiked this with my brother, sister in law, and nephew in late July 2016. This summer was extremely hot (in the 90’s) and there were several fires that decreased visibility. But this hike was amazing and so were the views!

We started out a little late, about 8 am. The parking can get bad, and we parked along the road. The trail head is off Tioga Road at the west end of Tenaya Lake. You will be looking for “Sunrise” signs.  There are pit toilets at the trail head.  Nearest plumbing and food is at the Tuolumne Meadows about 5 miles away.

There are multiple signs along the trail, as hikers could be going to more than one destination. Quite a few hikers are actually going to Sunrise Lakes. So, after the switch backs (I will get back to these crazy things shortly), about 2.5 miles into the hike, you will find the first fork. If you go left, you will be on the Sunrise Lakes trail. So go right. Then, within about 2 miles of the Clouds Rest summit, you will notice another fork. If you turn left on this one, you will reach the John Muir Trail leading to Little Yosemite Valley. Stay to the right.

As you start out on the hike, there are a few water crossings. Since we were there end of July, they didn’t pose much of a threat as if we were hiking earlier in the season. There is some steps, wood, and rocks to cross it. I didn’t get great photos of it.  In this early part of the trail there are some nice open meadows and the trail is relatively flat.

The switchbacks. So, the nice thing is that they are early on in the hike. The bad thing, it’s about a 1,000 foot gain in elevation. About a mile and a half in, they start. I can’t imagine doing this in the late afternoon, but there were people hiking up when we were on our way back. Be careful as the opportunity to sprain an ankle going up is possible. This part of the trail is pretty uneven. Also note, you are at a higher elevation hiking making it more difficult if you are not use to it.

After the switchbacks, you will get to the first fork in the trail. Remember, if you are going to Clouds Rest, stay to the right. This is the scenery at the top of the switchbacks.

And so now after you get to the top, you will need to go down the hill… sorry. Not what you wanted to do after switchbacks up, especially when you know you will have to go back up again! The hike continues for several miles along a beautiful trail of trees, creeks, ponds, and wildlife. Even though the elevation gain is 1,775 feet, you will be doing more. My iPhone 6 (although not completely accurate I know) states I hiked 199 flights of stairs on this day. And yes, there is cell service and 3G/4G in spots along this trail.

I want to remind everyone, there is no potable water on this trail. So, unless you have a filtration system on you, you will need to bring all your water with you. Again, this is about a 14.5 mile round trip hike. I brought with me my 3 L camel-back full of water, plus 3 one liter bottles of a sports drink with plenty of food. You should drink enough water to be able to urinate after your hike. If you can’t, then you didn’t drink enough and you are dehydrated. I didn’t drink all the fluid on me, but better to be safe then sorry. Plus, we ended up talking to hikers on our way back down who clearly did not have enough water on them and they were still hiking up. We gave up extra water we knew we didn’t need to a few people who were very unprepared. Do not expect that to happen! (people giving you water)  And don’t give away your water unless you are sure you have enough first.

On our way back down, we passed several people carrying only a 16 ounce bottle who thought they were going to the top. Consider bringing 1/2 to 1 cup of water for every 3o-45 minutes of hiking, especially on a trail like this. We passed one women who asked my brother if we thought the pond water (in the picture above) was okay to drink. She had no filtration system with her. Quite possibly she could have drank it and had been fine, but my younger sister has had giardia and I remember that experience for her.  I do have a UV Water Purifier which I did not bring, but after that hike, I might bring it for others. The nurse in me wanting to help.  I have seen some people say UV doesn’t kill bacteria, but read here for the science on it. Hospitals now use UV light to kill the worst of bugs in their rooms. Note, it won’t get rid of the dirt or floaties, so use a bandanna to rough filter first.I digressed.

Now comes the climb back up! The trail becomes more rocks, less trees as you climb. The views are great and you can start to see the top! This final section up is not nearly as bad as the beginning with the switch backs.

There is the top off in the distance!!

It might be fair to note here, or before you start this hike, that if you are afraid of heights, you may not like this last part. In order to get to the top, you will have to hike the ridge line. And it’s a pretty shear drop on either side of the ridge line, which is only about 10 feet across in spots. This is not a good time to get dizzy, pass out (from dehydration), or trip and fall. It is less dangerous than Half Dome, but I was calculating the ways I could accidentally fall to my death. I wouldn’t hike this last part in the rain or wind. Trust me, the pictures do not do the drop off justice.

After you get past this, it does open up to an area were many people can rest. Watch out for the trail bandits. This little guy actually got into my brother’s pack with me sitting next to it, and ate part of his sandwich within a few minutes. Remember, do not feed the wildlife!

While the top is large enough for many people, it does get crowded as people stop and hang out for a while to enjoy the views. You will have an uninterrupted 360 degree view of Yosemite! With a pair of binoculars, you can watch people pull themselves up the cables on half dome from here. You then feel much better about your choice in day hikes. You do not need a permit to hike Clouds Rest.

This was an amazing hike, and it took almost as much time for us to hike down as it took to hike up. The trail, and switchbacks on our way back were getting more traffic, and so we stopped often to let others pass on their way up. Hiking etiquette notes that it is polite if you are heading down, to move to the side to let others hike up. Why? It takes more energy to hike up so stopping unnecessarily and then starting takes more energy. The ascending hiker might want a break, and if so, they will wave you by.  This hike took us about 7 hours with our  break on top and a few rests along the way to grab a snack and pictures.

One other minor issue on this hike, along with the individuals who didn’t bring enough water, were the two people music playing. With no headphones. Don’t. If you want music, wear headphones. Use only one bud in one ear so you can listen for potential dangers with the other (think rattlesnakes at the least). Leave No Trace principles are clear that music like that is a violation. Take the online course to learn more about these principles. I personally am in nature to listen to nature and country music is not nature I am looking for.  And I am pretty sure the deer, bears, and other wildlife don’t want to hear it either.

And to end, my picture of the geological survey marker at the top!

Clouds Rest – Yosemite National Park Do you want some of the best views of Yosemite? Do you want to watch hikers struggle up the cables on Half Dome?

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More nature photos at http://almightynature.tumblr.com

Source: Unknown

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Her bad girl

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Hiding

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Sexy