Mt. Dana from east
Mt. Dana looking west across Ellery Lake on Highway 120, just outside Yosemite National Park east entrance.

Mt. Dana from northwest
Acclimated by camping at Tuolumne Meadows (8.6K') 8/27-29 and hiking Mt. Dana (13K') on Monday, 8/28.

marmot on Mt. Dana
Saw many marmots. They chirp like a smoke detector that needs batteries. Saw a couple of pikas. They move very quickly.

Mt. Dana peak
Looking up from about 700' down. We were bouldering more than hiking. See the trail? Me neither.

look out below
From the rim here to the peak in the previous photo is the top quarter or third of Mt. Dana.

Mono Lake
Mono Lake from the top of Mt. Dana. Trailhead to peak is approximately 3.6K' over 3 miles. Of rocks. Whew.

top of Mt. Dana
Another view from the top of Mt. Dana.

top of Mt. Dana
Another view from the top of Mt. Dana, the second highest peak in Yosemite.

thumbs up
Me at the top of Mt. Dana with Mono Lake in the background. TIP: Cheap hot showers at the RV park in Lee Vining.

supping in the meadow
Deer supping in Tuolumne Meadow. Overnight low was 26F. Thank heaven for three-season mummy bag.

Alabama foothills
Just west of Lone Pine, east of Whitney Portal.

Alabama foothills
Many cowboy movies and other movies filmed here. See the outlaw behind that rock?

Mt. Whitney
From the road up from Lone Pine.

Mt. Whitney family campground
Camped here 8/30-9/1. One mile from Mt. Whitney trailhead.

Jeanette
The camp manager, Jeanette, was so helpful. She and her husband have been camp hosts here since 2002.

Adolf
Adolf, "the noble wolf," has summited Mt. Whitney five times since he had his hip replacement.

NRT trail, Mt. Whitney trail
This trail runs along Lone Pine Creek from Lone Pine campground to the official Mt. Whitney trailhead.

trailhead
Official Mt. Whitney trailhead. "Do not expect to be rescued."

below Lone Pine Lake
The air is cool and moist from the creek crossing the trail. Waterfall barely visible in upper right.

Mirror Lake
I believe this is Mirror Lake far, far below. Lone Pine Lake is a mile to the right of this.

looking back
The view back down the trail as the sun is coming up. Previous pics were taken the day before or on the way down.

Mary and Ed
Mary and Ed stayed with me most of the long day. Here they are at Trailside Meadows.

pika
A pika near Trailside Meadows. These little guys are hard to shoot since they are so quick.

looking up
Lots of rocks.

face
Ah, more rocks, good.

clear
We were so lucky: blue sky, not a cloud.

ice
Ice in the shade on the switchbacks. The infamous 97 or 99 switchbacks. Adolf says he drinks the water unfiltered.

switchbacks
View from somewhere in the middle of the notorious 97 or 99 switchbacks.

toward Mt. Whitney
Looking toward Mt. Whitney from near the top of the switchbacks. Another hiker cautioned me this is not Mt. Whitney.

Trail Crest
Looking back at Trail Crest. The switchbacks are off to the left. Trail from Sequoia/Kings is on bottom right.

long way down
Watch your step.

Guitar Lake
Between Trail Crest and Mt. Whitney summit.

behind the needles
This is farther than it looks. There is a trail out there with at least two hikers on it.

the end is near
Every time I got to the top of a hill, there was another hill before me. This is the view behind me.

view from the top
Summit at last. The views are incredible.

another view from the top


another view from the top


another view from the top


another view from the top
We had a great group. Clement got the permits. He and Tes are from Colorado and experienced 14er summiters.

another view from the top
Clement and Tes summited early but came back down the trail at least twice to check on the rest of us.

another view from the top
Dana stayed with the last person all day. No one asked him to - he is just that way. A shepherd.

me in front of the summit hut
Where is that sunscreen?

me in the summit hut doorway
The hut was built with a Smithsonian grant by a Lone Pine scientist named Marsh for astronomical observation.

me in front of the summit hut
The hut is *not* a storm shelter!

Marine
My friend the Marine. We leapfrogged each other and encouraged each other from the switchbacks to the top.

trail's end sign
The trip was incredible but I was happy to get home. Spent a day with my mom, two hours with inlaws, and then HOME:)

our group
All seven of us made it: Ed, Tes, Dana, Mary, Catherine, me, Clement. 6K' in 11 miles to get halfway - now to get down:}