Mt. Whitney Adventure Part 2: Lows & Highs

After telling our gracious Flagstaff host Crystal, thank you for the great time at Fossil creek, we headed west. And then we went west some more.  Although this is not the most interesting drive there are a few great places along the way. We had the time so we decided to stop, look, take some pictures and have a little fun.

First we came to the spectacular Hoover Dam.  My first memories of this place are from way back in Jr. High, but more recently I was there in 2008 when my band was on its way to Spirit West Coast to play some shows. They have since rerouted the interstate so that you are not "forced" to go over the dam, but instead now you have to take a side route down to it.  It really is a great engineering feet, so large that you can't really wrap your brain around it. Just as unbelievable is the water table line way above where the water currently sits in Lake Mead.  We parked, walked around and took some pictures.  Satisfied with the time spent we moved on down the road.

Next stop was Las Vegas.  Slightly out of our way, but always an interesting place to stop.  From that trip in '08 there is a little tradition of eating at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Nothing exciting, other than trying not to buy a shirt or a hat while there. We enjoyed our lunch and kept moving.

Between Las Vegas and Mt. Whitney is Death Valley National Park.  Here you plunge into the desert and along with it the heat.  We saw temperatures over 100 decrees that afternoon. It really is hard to believe that you go more than 200 foot below sea level there.  The landscape is like no other place I have ever been.  I'm not sure I would want to spend large amounts of time there, but it is always interesting to go through it. Maybe more significant to be at the lowest point in the US knowing that in just a couple of days I would be at the highest point in the continental US, a 14,700 ft difference.

From there we drove toward Lone Pine, California, nestled at the feet of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Lone Pine is a quaint little town with a long history in Hollywood most notably in the Western genre.  We checked into our hotel and drove down the main drag in search of food. I love eating at local restaurants. They always have a quality that can't be achieved at a chain. We ate really well, and with our bellies full returned to the hotel. 

I knew I needed to repack a few items to prepare for the next day. I'm sure part of it was nerves, but it took me about 2 hours to sort through it all and determine what I actually wanted and needed on the trail with me the next day. The anxiety of meeting new people, hiking an unknown mountain, and thoughts about the rest of the week made for a restless night of sleep. 

In the morning we awoke, packed up and headed to breakfast to meet up with my crew. Mt. Whitney was looming in the background, inviting us upon it, challenging us to climb.

  
Isaiah 52:7
"How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news"