[pct-l] on whitney

[scourtway@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Steve Courtway)]

Please Matt.

It's posts like these that make we want to quit, plan, and head out.

try to keep the inspirational posts to a minimum.

thank you.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Geis" <mgeis@yahoo.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 11:59 AM
Subject: [pct-l] on whitney


> On my hike (last year), I was considering skipping Whitney.  It's a 19
mile
> side trip, and I live in California (several hours away, but in the same
> state at any rate).  Just when I was about to cross it off my itinerary,
> Caboose spelled out some very simple reasons to do it.
>
> 1.  You're already here.  No driving necessary.  Just detour off the trail
> No taking an entire weekend to do it, and spending all that time in the
car
> just getting there.
> 2.  You're acclimated.  You're not coming up from sea level, and you're on
> the high western side of the mountain (as compared to Whitney Portal down
on
> the east).
> 3.  You're in awesome physical shape for such a climb.
>
> (a fourth reason I might add is that you'll never have the opportunity to
> use a toilet with such an amazing view )
>
> The hike is easy.  It's also a really cool way to benchmark your
> transformation into a hard hiker.  We only took a couple very short breaks
> on the way up, mainly to grab a snack or put on a layer of clothing.
> Compare that to the weekenders on the trail who were huffing and puffing,
> stopping every 150 feet near the top to suck air, when the summit hut was
> within sight.
>
> They looked at us as if we were insane when we invited them to join our
> dance party (the creation of Caboose and Heavy Pack).  Who were these
freaks
> who had the energy to camly stroll up the highest mountain in the
> continental US, and then start *dancing* to old sould classics?!?  But
> that's another story.
>
> On the top, look south, think about what you've accomplished by getting
this
> far.  Look north, at all the mountains you have to hike through, and grin
at
> the fact that you're meeting the challenge head-on.
>
> Iron Chef
>
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