Day 25 - Aravaipa Canyon part 2

The nice thing about Canyons is that they look different going the other way. Having hiked from the west to the east end of Aravaipa the previous day, I got up early at 6am, had some coffee and protein bars for breakfast, packed up my gear and headed back to my supervan.

The sunlight hitting the top of the canyon walls made the east hoodoo-like section human-like (pic 1). The cool spring water on my feet was delicate as I sped down the creek. After about three miles I look a right turn to explore Hell Hole Canyon, a dry side canyon that I had read was stunning. The walls were towering and winding and narrow. Being in the narrow dark canyon so early in the day was a bit creepy feeling for some reason. Like other animals I felt safer when I was close to the water. After thirty minutes I turned back around and left the Hell Hole Canyon (pic 2 shows the entrance of Hell Hole) and returned down stream.

It wasn't until noon that I ran into another human being. The middle and west sections are the popular sections because of the massive canyon walls (pic 3) and great campsites. I took a final "conquered the canyon" photo (pic 4) and hiked toward the west entrance. The views and skies were incredibly scenic on the final section out. (Pic 5).

80% of the people I've met in the parks are retirees enjoying their free time. When I tell them about my trip they all have the same response "That is a great idea, to do it while your young." I agree, temporary retirement is grand!

I arrived back to my van, put away my camping gear, cleaned off the dirt from my pants and other clothing, took a French bath in the parking lot, put on fresh clothes and drove down to Tucson to a state campground. I devoured a big salad, breadsticks and spaghetti and meat sauce at Olive Garden, drove back to the campsite and crashed. 31 miles walking in a creek bed over two days is tough on the feet and legs. My left ankle/calf was bothering me. I hoped a nights rest would fix it.

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Day 171 - JMT Guitar Lake

Wow, was it cold this morning. After waking up and eating breakfast, we packed up quickly and found this scenic sunspot to warm our bones. We had a short eight mile hike to Guitar Lake today, the last viable campsite before the five mile hike to the 14,505 foot-high Mount Whitney summit. We stopped at this lovely meadow and looked for bears. We only saw deer but were able to enjoy the incredible peace of the far mountain range. Steady hiker traffic, the most of the entire trip, including one group of twelve elder hikers, passed us as we rested, and jumped! Views of Mount Whitney finally came into view at Timberline Lake, a quaint lake where camping was unfortunately forbidden. We passed a group of twenty Taiwanese hikers. The summit of Mount Whitney looked heavily defended when viewed from below. We were going to wake up tomorrow at 230am and hike up to the summit for sunrise-on-the-top-of-the-world*. The thought of this dark task was a bit foreboding. We made it to Guitar Lake by

Day 172 - JMT Mount Whitney

Our day began in silence, at 315am in pursuit of the summit. We walked carefully, looking for slick, sandy rocks and icy sections--not wanting to fall. Hiking along a cliff edge in total darkness was thrilling, vividly black and white. By 5am, we had reached the three mile marker and the turnoff up to Whitney summit. We removed the heavy items from our bags and set off towards the summit sunrise. The trail was spectacular, a special creation of this nation, winding from one side of the mountain to the other, going down and around one side before coming up to another, creating anticipation with each turn. Looking back, the sloping ridges caught the early sunset delicately. As we hiked along the two mile upper trail, the views east would open up for the narrowest of moments. This opening was my favorite. 14,000 foot cathedrals of nature thrusted towards the heavens at each turn. The summit was almost in sight, the highest peak in the lower 48 states nearly attained, the end of our 2

Day 170 - JMT Forrester Pass

The mountains had a surreal glow this morning as we climbed up towards the 13,200 foot high Forrester Pass. One of the wonderful things about the mountains is that they change appearance as the sun changes height, creating a movie-like experience as you walk. I felt so free and happy this morning--just in love with this light. After sixty minutes of walking, we stopped in the first sunny spot we could find to thaw out and rest. Another hiker came bustling up the trail behind us and stopped at the sunspot to shed a layer of clothing. Sly was a Canadian hiker, just turned 40, who seemed happy to see us. We struck up a conversation about travels and when we pushed off Sly asked if he could join us. We said yes of course. We hiked quickly up the trail, reaching a high plateau with epic alpine views. Selfie time! We skirted around a high alpine lake and then went up a ridge line ever further higher. We were at 12,000+ feet now and the world began to look small yet vast.

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