I led a trip that consisted of 10 participants, 3 adults and 7 scouts. We spent 10 days hiking from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal. Plenty of sun, water, and fresh air. One zero day, and otherwise 6 to 10 miles per day. No rain, very little snow observed, the only places to touch it were around Precipice lake and the trail to Whitney. Very few mosquitoes, a couple or rattelsnakes and a pika were the only real wildlife observed. Deer, Marmots, and squirrels and such don’t really count in my book.
Highlights include meeting up with a couple young ladies doing the trip for the first time and adopting thim into the troop for the trip. Meeting Brittnay Nielson, first person to hike the Condor Trail. Ultimate frisbee over 9000 feet on the Chagiioa Plateau. Great dinners courtesy of Andrew Skurka;s recipes for bean, rice and cheese, pesto noodles, and spicy Thai peanut noodles. The gift of a pound or more of macadamia nuts from a weight conscious hiker at Junction meadow went great with our chocolate bar dessert. The Kraken of Cigar Lake (ask Paul Johnson about that one). And finally, the realization afterwards that it is often now where you are, but who you are with, that matters. But being in the Sierras for 10 days makes for some great company.
Lowlights include the hike down from Whitney. Never again. Trail camp, what a cesspool. This helped to cement the decision to end next years JMT not at Whitney, but at Langley, and hike out via Horseshoe Meadow trail head.
Matt
