As part an educational branch to my blog I am going to try to make a daily post on a specific mountain with a brief descriptive paragraph. Today I decided to talk about Mt. Whitney. Whitney was named after the famous explorer and geologist Josiah Whitney, who in 1860 led the first effort towards a comprehensive geological survey of the state of California. Located in Sequoia National Park, Whitney is the tallest mountain in the U.S. at an elevation of 14,505 ft. Interestingly, this mountain is within 100 miles of Death Valley, which contains the lowest point in the US at 262 feet below sea level.
Without any requirements for technical climbing, this mountain is the most ascended member of the Sierras. In fact, the trail used to become so crowded that the National Park Service has issued a permit requirement to any hikers that venture beyond the base. Crampons and ice axes may be needed while climbing during the off summer season. The hike to the top is 11 miles, and during the summer month well fit climbers have been known to reach the summit and then come back in a single day. Given that Whitney consists primarily of exposed granite without perils such as glaciers and with an otherwise unimpressive view, many experienced climbers lack interest in this mountain.
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