[pct-l] MT Whitney PCT

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

"everyone hikes their own hike" or something like that...
A great phrase I've only just recently learned from this AWESOME e-mail list.

My 2 cents...

Last August, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Colorado, peak bagging four of the state's 14'ers.
The week before I flew off, I spent at a Boy Scout summer camp here in the San Berardinos, about 6k high.
I didn't have any acclimatization problems once I got to Dallas Peak, our base camp, 4k below Mt Sneffels.
I really believe that the prior week at just 6k helped me out a lot. The rest of my week in CO was fine.

Probably, the greatest advantage thru-hikers have over the occasional hikers going up the portal is simply the better physical condition they're in. Also, the trail from Crabtree starts much higher than the trailhead at portal...

M i c h a e l   S a e n z
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i o r s
w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  .  c  o  m

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Christopher Willett [mailto:chwillet@indiana.edu] 
Sent:	Tuesday, February 17, 2004 9:06 AM
To:	vivek
Cc:	pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject:	Re: [pct-l] MT Whitney PCT

It isn't so much about a rush as it is about a quality of experience. 
There is only so much time to hike, and I would rather have spent the 
day climbing Whitney doing something more aestheic, like climbing Shasta
or Halfdome or one of the Sisters.  
Or taking a zero day by the shores of Mica Lake.  Or hitching into
Chico to visit the Sierra Nevada factory.  

While the views from Whitney are good, they are better in other places.
It is 
certainly true that climbing Whitney is a breeze for thruhikers, although 
acclimatization isn't really there yet. Whitney is 14.5k, where as the 
route before is mostly at 10k.  I, and the other PCT hikers with me, all 
got zapped by some AMS, requiring (hee hee) a nap in the sun back near 
Crabtree.  Permits are easy to come by.  For many people standing on 
this highest of places in the lower US is important and worth the 
trip for this very reason.  But, if it isn't for you, consider hiking 
on.

Suge

----------------------
Christopher Willett
Department of Mathematics
Indiana University
831 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN. 47405-7106
(812)-855-1448
chwillet@indiana.edu
mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet

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