Siberian Pass

Hard to believe that just a week ago we were baking in 100°+ weather with no water! The conditions are getting real again! After a clear evening, we woke up to a tent so frosty it had started to sag. Frost was all around the lake’s edge too.

We took our time packing up, trying to get as much ice off our gear as possible. By the time we got to Siberian Pass it was snowing and the trail had become just a little bit icy. Since this is the first time we’ve had any kind of precipitation on the trail, I think Siberian Pass is well named. We were warm, visibility was good enough, and the weather was forecast to clear, so we kept going. In patchy sunshine we stopped in a small meadow area next to Rock Creek and hung our wet gear out to dry. There were a few other hikers sheltering there too. Unfortunately, there were no fish to be fished anywhere near our campsite. So, we watched the deer in the meadow and ate one of Mum’s gourmet ultralight meals instead.

The next day we hiked over Guyout Pass toward the turn-off to Mt. Whitney. It was pretty exciting finally being so close. At one point I was busy noticed more sequoias when the clouds parted and in the distance we could see Mt. Whitney for the first time. Wow! There was no mistaking the peak, even from the back side. It was HUGE!

Our plan was to get to Crabtree Meadow that afternoon, and set up camp. After an early night, we would start our ascent in morning darkness to make sure we were at the summit early enough to be off the mountain in full daylight. There were several other hikers planning something similar to us, so it’s possible Dad and I won’t be the only people to summit tomorrow. I’m so stoked I could run to the next campsite and get to sleep right away.

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