Week 25 of 26

This is getting exhausting. I have now lost about 17 pounds. We seem to have settled in to a pattern of Life cereal with fruit and skim milk for breakfast, a hardboiled egg and some nuts and a tangerine for lunch (the once-staple Clif bars are now carried only for emergency), and some stew or something for dinner.

Last week we left for White Mountain late (2 pm) and by the time we got to Bishop, CA, we were hungry so we stopped for Mexican food. We were not aware that the drive up the mountain was 35 miles up almost 8000 vertical feet, so we got caught by dark and just pulled off the road onto a level spot at 10,700 feet. That first night was difficult -- kept waking up and gasping for breath. After that it was OK, maybe because we were tired from hiking.

The next morning we drove the remaining 45 minutes to the trailhead for White Mt. where we camped for 4 nights at 11,700 feet. The White Mountains form the east wall of the Owens Valley in California just south of Bishop and east of Big Pine. White Mt is the northern-most peak of the lot and is the third highest mountain in California. For an account of one person's hike, see:
http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/WhiteMountainPeak/WhiteMountainPeak.htm

The trail up White Mountain is basically a 4-wheel drive road (see pics below). From the trailhead you climb a pretty steep hill 2 miles to the University of California Barcroft Field Station where they do high altitude research of various types. After another bit of a hill behind the facility, the trail descends gently and then rises gently as it crosses a long saddle. At about 5.5 miles from the trailhead, the trail goes downhill for about 300 vertical feet, and then you climb steeply up 1300 vertical feet to the top. Total distance out = 7 miles.

No problems with feet except a blackened toe on the left foot after the summit day. And I thought I was being so careful to make sure nothing contacted the front of the boot when I bought them. Probably everything has loosened up now that they are fully broken in. I'll pay another visit to Ryan and see if he can help. Also, I forgot to mention that I canceled my second visit to the podiatrist, as I have had no trouble with the right foot, so no need for another cortisone shot.

We are really getting tired of all this now. I keep thinking of all the things I need to do at home, while sitting in the RV reading a book instead. This week the weather was colder (and we were higher) so it was good to kind of assess the clothes for cold weather. But it meant we spent more time inside our little tin box, and after 5 days with nothing but sponge baths, that got a little unpleasant. Thank goodness we have only one week more of this and, ready or not, we'll do the deal.

This week:

August 30: Nothing (drove to White Mt)
August 31: 8 miles between 11,700 and 12,700 approx.
Sept 1: 14 miles, to top of White Mt 14,246 feet
Sept 2: 8 miles same as Tuesday
Sept 3: 11 miles to where the trail drops 300 feet
Sept 4: Nothing (drive home)
Sept 5: Nothing

Total mileage for the week: 41 miles

Pictures: (1) The road trail with White Mt in the distance (no clue why it is called White, since it isn't) (2) Bad photo of us on top (3) The Owens Valley with the Sierra Nevada on the west side