Oh boy! FINALLY an uphill!

TOP LEFT: Mt Whitney in storm

TOP RIGHT: Joanna's feet

BOTTOM LEFT: Colby Pass sign (12k)

Frenchie spent a chunk of the night and the morning soaking her swollen ankle in the icy mountain stream. The area that we were camping in was basically an alpine desert, very sparse vegetation and lots of sand. So, why hot and exposed (and cold and exposed at night), it made for a relatively soft ground to sleep on. We broke camp and started on our long climb up to the John Muir Trail (JMT). From there, we'd be able to see Mt Whitney, our original destination, and at least reminisce about "what coulda been". But, nobody was saddened; we'd had an epic hike already, and we weren't done yet by any stretch of the imagination.

When we finally saw the peak, it was shrouded in a VERY heavy storm. We ran across a hiker who had attempted the climb and turned back; it was heavy rain and then hail. Nothing you want more than hiking up bare rock in a hailstorm. So, we didn't feel to bad about not making it there; it would have been very frustrating to get within a thousand vertical feet or so and then have to turn back. And, we still had out work cut out for us, with the dreaded Forrester Pass awaiting us tomorrow.

As we set camp for the night at 11k (our highest camp), a storm rolled in over the mountain. It poured rain for about an hour or so, and we remained sequestered in our campsite. A very frustrating feeling, as you're hungry, cold, and stiff, and all you can do is hunker down in your tent and try not to get too chilled. I don't know how the "big mountain" mountaineers do it.

That night, finally the rain clears, and we're treated to the most incredible starfield to date, the sounds of coyote's howling off in the distance, and the running water of the mountain creek adjacent to our campsite. A most bucolic scene.

Tomorrow: Forrester Pass

Lumpy out