Day 43: Kings of Turd Rock

Day 43 – 6/3/16

Mile 747.2 to Crabtree Meadows 766.3

Total miles :19.1

5 Star’s alarm went off at 5 as usual. I wasn’t feeling it and wanted to stay under my quilt for a few more minutes.  5 Star gets out of his tent and says no rush in getting packed since he has to go off and bury some treasure. Perfect.
I hear 5 Star come back and so I start my packing procedure. Opening the valve of my sleeping pad and stuffing the quilt. Nothing to do but get moving if I want to get warm.

The morning consisted of climbing an additional 1,000 feet to 11,600. The climb wasn’t too bad but I definitely am feeling the elevation and lack of air.

The scenery is getting better every day. Word and pictures just don’t do the Sierra Nevada justice.

At 7:15 we reached a saddle that looked down on a valley and off course 5 Star had service. 

We continued making our way over the seemingly never-ending pass. We came up to Chicken Spring Lake and a creek. There was a sign that said camp at least 100 feet from water. Except no one was doing that. Hikers. Bunch of savages.

We reached the top around 8. Although we would go back down we would have another long climb in the afternoon.

We stopped for a break at 11 and laid under a tree for an hour. We had a few more miles to go downhill before the long hot climb upwards. Luckily there was a lot to look at.

At 4 we reached the top and only had a couple more miles downhill to Crabtree Meadow where there is a trail leading to Mount Whitney.

Our tents are on the edge of a meadow with a creek running through it. The view of the mountains on the other side are amazing. In the distance there are two groups of deer grazing. Marmot running around and sitting on top of a rock that we have named Turd Rock due to all the marmot poop.

I set up my tent, ate some beef jerky, took a melatonin and was in my tent trying to sleep by 6:30. I had to be up by 1:15 so I could try a sunrise summit of Mt Whitney.