Mt Whitney during sunrise

Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous United States, at 14,505' elevation. It is also the terminus for both the John Muir Trail, which runs North South from Yosemite National Park, for 230 miles and the High Sierra Trail, that runs East West, for 80 miles. This photograph was taken from Trail Camp, at an elevation of 12,039 feet, on the seventh night of hiking the High Sierra Trail. We had summitted Mt. Whitney that day, by walking along the trail along the ridge from left to right on that photograph. It is 1.8 miles and you are hiking from 13,645 feet at Trail Crest (left edge of this photo) to Mt. Whitney at 14,505 feet to the right (second from the right most peak). As anyone who has done this walk would attest, it is the longest 1.8 miles for a typical hiker. The infamous 99 switchbacks are to the left of the screen here. The 99 switchbacks take you from Trail Camp to Trail Crest. We had started at Crescent Meadow at Sequoia National Park and hiking East. This photograph was taken during sunrise.

September on Mount Whitney, and the alpenglow was intense this morning, painting the granite peaks a deep orange. The sky was still a deep blue before sunrise, with just a wisp of cloud.

Mount Whitney, California · 2019