Mount Whitney in a Day: June 2002

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Steve Hamilton, Rick Loop, and I decided to climb Mount Whitney in a day by going up the Mountaineers Route, and down the normal route. The trip was approximately 20 miles and started out at an elevation of 8,361 feet, to 14,496 feet and back.
The approach up the North Fork of Lone Pine above the Ebersbacher Ledges and before Lower Boy Scout Lake	Looking west above Lower Boy Scout Lake
Looking back at Lower Boy Scout Lake	Upper Boy Scout Lake
The Mountaineers Route	Relaxing at Iceberg Lake before the final push to the top
Up the Mountaineers Route	Mount Russell to the North
Looking North at the High Sierra	Pushing over the final summit blocks to the top
The Smithsonian Summit Hut at the top of Mount Whitney. Finished on August 27, 1904, this hut was built by the Smithsonian Institute to study solar radiation.	Rick, Bob, and Steve on top
Keeler Needle	Sky Pilot -- a wildflower that only grows in the harsh environment of the Sierra Nevada above 10,000 to 12,000 feet.
Decending the normal route with a view of Outpost Camp and Lone Pine Lake	Snow still thawing to water spring flowers
Back down after 13 hours. What a great day.