In 2017, my partner, Amanda, and I hiked the John Muir Trail from Yosemite National Park to the summit of Mt.Whitney. It was a spectacular 15-day trip that tested our spirits, our relationship, and our physical abilities. But like so many big adventures that give us insight into the very fabric of what makes us human, words often escape me when I try to describe it. The sheer magnificence of the Eastern Sierra landscape that we called home for two weeks cannot be captured in words. It must be experienced. The scale of our surroundings shattered our egos and reminded us that nature is indifferent to our existence. And as we wound our way through the quiet, humid valleys, past raging torrents of melt-water and across craggy granite ridges, we thought to ourselves, this is living. Would I embark on this journey again? In less than a heartbeat.
The same year we hiked, a handful of people perished in river crossings which had become dangerously high due to above-average snowfall in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. We waited until August to embark on our journey, but the waterways were still swollen with icy snowmelt. Despite the summer temperatures in the valley bottoms, the mountains reminded us that winter’s icy grip rarely leaves this alpine wonderland.
There is something special about the early morning and early evening light—a magic quality really. Must be why they call it magic hour.
Hiking through a burn scar reminded us of nature’s fragility. Hundreds of years of growth wiped out in a brief inferno, only to give way to new life. Saplings sprouted forth from the ashes of their parents.
What goes up must come down. On the JMT, high mountain passes constantly test your resolve, blocking easy passage into the next valley. Fickle afternoon weather means early starts are crucial, lest you get caught on an exposed granite outcropping with lightning bolts nipping at your heels.
Sunrise on the highest peak in the lower 48 looks like this. We concluded our journey on the summit of Mt.Whitney as the closest star to planet earth slowly rose from its smokey, hazy slumber.
