We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise over Chicken Spring Lake. The location was one of the more unique places I’ve visited, let alone camped at. With that in mind, we had somewhat of a slow morning as we talked with Candy Crush, Bastione, Berry, Sonic, Tomas and Icy to see what their plans were. We shared with them our plans to hike up to Soldier Lake and continue on a path that reconnects with the PCT at the Mount Whitney PCT Junction. It would add an additional 6 miles but we would see some of the best kept secrets of the Sierra.

We arrived at the Siberian Pass junction that leads to Soldier Lake and brought Berry along with us. Our group included Mackenzie, Spoons, Fly Lord, and now Berry. Fly Lord had a fly fishing rod and I think that convinced Berry to tag along.

Soldier lake itself was beautiful. Only one other person on the other side of the water with amazing views and plenty of fish. As they were setting up the rod (I didn’t take part as I don’t have my CA fishing permit), I noticed several bald eagles flying around the area. These fish were going to be tough to catch given their predators lurking.

As Berry, Spoons, and Fly Lord kept fishing, Mackenzie and I continued on the path through the various lakes and streams located around the area. It was a tough several climbs as we had to ascend over several passes but the views were incredible. This area was recommended to us by a park ranger and we all gave the views a 10/10. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was as if we reversed back in time 300 years. The rivers were full of Golden Trout and Cutties, marmots were running all around, and bald eagles were soaring above us. We were surrounded by some of the grandest mountains in America walking along glacier lakes and waterfalls. The hiking was incredibly tough but so worth it.

We got to the end of our side quest and approached what is known as ‘Magic Mile’ just as the sun was setting. Again, the views kept getting better. Photos can’t capture this beauty. It seemed like untouched earth and we all felt lucky to see it.

Once the sun set, the mosquitoes assembled in full force. It was unlike anything I had seen before. Millions around us eager to prey on some unlikely guests. No wonder the fish were so big around here.

We’ve made it to Crabtree Meadow campground where we will take a slow morning tomorrow and climb up the tallest mountain in the lower 48 - Mount Whitney.

Hoping for some good rest.

For now, we hunt for the mosquitoes in our tent…

I woke up this morning extremely exhausted and I was so thankful for the late start. After all, we’re summiting the tallest mountain in the lower 48 at 14,505 feet. We got moving around 11:15 AM and had an eight mile climb up to the summit.

As we were walking up to the approach trail, we ran into a couple named Annie and Steve Frazier. Steve went to Georgia Tech so we had some fun conversation. Then, we got to walking. We didn’t have to bring our packs as we’d be back camping in the same spot we did last night but even still, the altitude immediately began taking its toll. It was slow walking with lots of breaks but the views began to unfold and expose more and more of the Sierra Nevada’s around us.

After multiple switchbacks and a steep climb up to the summit, we made it to 14,505 feet. It was a tough climb but wow… the effort was well worth it. We were surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains in America and could see for miles. When Mackenzie and I reached the summit, we had the whole place to ourselves for over half an hour. We sat and enjoyed the sandwiches and other snacks we brought with us. In the distance, we could hear the shouts from nearby climbers communicating information back and forth from the base to the climber.

After a while, we began our climb down. This was A LOT easier than our climb up. No brainer there but we did it in about half the time it took us to get up. The afternoon light began to shine into the meadow below us lighting up the wildflowers and glacier lakes before us. It was incredible. If only the altitude didn’t take so much out of us. We ran into Wingman again and he seemed to have taken the worst of it. Out of breath and much less talkative than normal he still managed to get back to the base.

We made it to our campsite around 7 and began preparing our dinner in our mosquito suits - full rain gear and a head net.

Full and exhausted, I’m ready for some serious sleep.

Happy dreams…