At 14,497 ft. above sea level Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous U.S. and is one of many wonders in the Sierra Nevada of California. Reaching the top is a hike, no technical skills are needed. But it is still quite the chore to get there - get fit, haggle with park authorities over permits, buy a bear canister, drive into the California desert, etc. We hiked to the top of Whitney as part of a weeklong 52-mile backpacking trip. Our ascent came near the end of the trip and was set up so it wouldn't be the death march required by a single day attempt.

The ascent of Whitney came on day six of our trip. We started from Guitar Lake on the western side of Mount Whitney, made our way to the top, and finished the day at Outpost Camp on the eastern side. The early start wasn't mandatory - but it gave us the chance to enjoy sunrise on the climb and avoid a surge of dayhiking traffic that comes midday. The elevation gain for the day was a reasonable 3,000 ft. or so and our descent was just under 4,000 ft. We were in camp by 3 p.m., even with delays associated with helping a lone hiker down the mountain who was experiencing serious altitude sickness.