Saturday I bagged my 2nd 14er (over 14,000 feet) that is White Mountain
It is also the 3rd highest peak in California after Mt Whitney and Mt Williamson
it is one of the eastiest 14ers in CA but to get there isn't easy.
25 miles of rough, unpaved road that took us over an hour to drive to and back from the paved road portion.
Without a high clearance car (like a truck or an SUV), it's like a turtle crawling.
Total mileage: 15.5 miles
Hiking Time: 7 hours (4 hours up and 3 hours down)
Total Time: 8 1/2 hours
Starting Elevation: 11,680'
End Elevation: 14,252'
Net Elevation Gain: 3,500' (with two 250' dips)
Compare it to last year's Langley hike (my 1st 14er), I felt stronger and had more stamina.
Langley (22 miles) took me close to 15 hours to finish.
Due to the high elevation, I wish I could spend a night above 10,000 prior to the hike to acclimate but our camp site (Grandview Camp) is at 8,500'.
Hiking is a learning process.
My energy source for White Mt. is completely different than for Langley.
I also learn that drinking more water is critical while hiking in high altitude.
From hat to boots, my hiking get-up had changed, too.
The system is not perfect but is close.
The next big one will be Mt. Shasta.
I have two weeks to get a set of crampons that will fit me and learn how to put them on fast in cold weather and how to walk with them the right way (vs. wasting energy).