The Mt. Whitney lottery is officially open!

This year marks the introduction of their online lottery system. With only 100 day use passes available per day between May 1st and November 1st, here’s hoping that this new online lottery doesn’t suddenly develop a bug and ace me out of a spot on the mountain.

Stats on Mt. Whitney:

• Height: 14,505 feet (2.75 miles straight up)
• Trailhead: Whitney Portal
• Elevation gain: 6,100 feet (1.8 miles)
• Length of trail: 22 miles round trip

Three years ago was my first attempt up this mountain, and I accomplished the round trip in 10 hours.  Two years ago I drove back up to Lone Pine but fell incredibly ill and had to abort.  Last year I started my new job and couldn’t break away.

I’m hoping to equal or better my time of 10 hours.  This time around I have altitude sickness medication, which should curb the nausea and splitting headache I experienced during my last trip up.  Last time my gear included nothing more than shorts and a tank top.  As I stood on the peak a snowstorm rolled in, and I definitely felt the chill on the descent.  Will be sure to pack a windbreaker along with my Camelbak!

And so, the training begins in earnest, under the assumption that I’ll secure a permit for a trip up in September.

See you on the trails!

It’s funny how quickly your body reacts to not working out; the flesh doesn’t look tone anymore, the tan disappears making you look gaunt and haggard, and the desire to sink into the couch is unnervingly powerful.  When I don’t work out I tend to get depressed, and when I’m sick and can’t work out I feel about as cheerful as a clown at a funeral.

Perhaps I’m suffering from an addiction?  It could be that my exercising is a serious cry for help.  Perhaps some part of me is hoping that some kind soul would see how helpless I am in the grim, intransigent grip of an endorphin rush.  It could be that my addiction is so deeply entrenched that I’m unable to even recognize the terrible truth that I have no control over this foul monkey called “exercise”.

I’m thinking I might need an intervention; somebody to pull me aside, sit me down on a couch, hand me a TV Guide and a bowl of Cheetos and tell me that, “I’m not getting out of this chair until this Hogan’s Heroes marathon is over.”

I’m unsure if I’ll be able to keep up with my daily posts for the next seven days, but I’ll do what I can while on the road.

Picture from last year's run, looking down at the Crabtree Lakes from 13,600 ft.

Here’s hoping that the cold I picked up yesterday eases up a bit for my (hopefully quick) ascent up Whitney Trail. I’d like to complete this in under 10 hours, but this cold has me very worried.  I trained quite hard these last few months, and now feel that I might be sidelined with a damned cold.  Typical.  Fly in my chardonnay indeed…

Regardless, Karin and I will have a great time.  After Whitney we’re heading off to Mammoth to hunker down in a cabin for a few days to relax.  We’ll be spending our 3rd anniversary taking in the scenery and a good meal or two.

Man…three years of marriage have gone by so quickly.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re married to the woman you love who also happens to be your best friend.  How did I get so lucky?

Whelp…see you when I see you!

As the distance between us quickly closed I could make out that she was the grandmotherly sort, pushing mid-sixties, yet doing so in style with brightly colored clothes and a skip in her step. I was close enough to make out the smile wrinkles in her cheeks, and could now very clearly hear her loudly belting out the tune “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands”, with one hand pushing the stroller while the other wildly circled above her head as if she were swatting away at an unusually persistent dive bombing insect.

Looking down as we passed I saw a small dog, possibly a Yorkshire Terrier, strapped into the five-point harness of the stroller, wearing a bonnet and a pacifier strapped around its neck.

Mind. Blown.

It’s nice to know that I need to concentrate on squats and lunges at the gym, and that I have time to round out my training and improve what needs improving. The run up Baldy this year was rougher than I expected. My legs felt like they were filled with lead during the final 700 foot scamper up the steep trail. I’m now beginning to doubt that I’ll break my 8 hour runtime goal up and down Mt. Whitney.

But then again I felt the same way last year and did quite well on Whitney. I guess it’s all a state of mind…

"The Devil's Backbone"

Looking down at the I-15 Freeways as they snake their way towards Las Vegas