High Sierra Trail

August 16, 2019, I boarded a redeye at Logan International, flew to Los Angeles, transferred to a greyhound at LAX headed, then switched to a Sequoia National Park shuttle in Visalia. 10 hours later, I arrived at the Crescent Meadows Visitor Center at Sequoia National Park, 30 minutes before opening, to snag a solo walk-up permit for the 72-mile High Sierra Trail.

On the shuttle to the trailhead, a 70-something year park veteran pinned me down to tell me about the pins in his legs (broke both on Denali). Before I stepped off, he told me "when I can no longer walk that's when I'll be ready to die". He was headed into the backcountry to look for abandoned mines in the Mineral King Valley.

My destination was Whitney Portal, 70-miles and 6 days away. On the way I'd go up and over Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental U.S.

I wished him luck and headed uphill.