My Solo Ascent of Mount Whitney

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

“I just want to be left alone lately,” I told my friend, who was not leaving me alone but who didn’t seem to hear what I was saying. The combination of a new job that requires me to talk all day, plus a busy summer schedule of traveling/working/racing, plus an uptick in training has left me feeling too tired to care that my unanswered text messages and phone calls and emails are slowly piling up. I needed some space and time to be alone, and what better way to spend some alone time than climbing a mountain? I had a permit for June 2nd. Mount Whitney is one of the most popular mountains in the Eastern Sierra, and the tallest peak in the lower 48. To help manage crowds, a quota system is in place whereby you need a permit in order to climb. There are three ways to get a permit to climb Whitney:

1. Apply during the annual lottery (February 1 — March 15)
2. Buy one during the permit mini sale on April 1st (when unclaimed/unpaid for hiking permits from the initial lottery open up to the public)
3. During the hiking season (May 1 — November 1, these must be reserved online)

During the hiking season (May 1 — November 1), you can also check up until the day before the date you want to hike to see if there are any available permits resulting from…