A mini van and a truck parked on a dirt road in the middle of a beautiful valley. A gate blocks the road, which gets thinner, until it is simply a foot path. This was the beginning of my second hike I ever done.

I got out of the mini van, feeling a little nauseous. The road was windy, yet, I don't usually get car sick. Not often, at least. Jake and Ryan get out of the van with me, and Brother Davis* get out of the van soon after. Jake has dirty blonde hair, covered by a brimmed hat, and sunglasses. He is shorter than me by half a foot, but I am six foot one. Constant physical activity and a high metabolism has made him into a lean volleyball player. His almost permanent, goofy smile was on his face as usual. Ryan, on the other hand has brown hair and acne, and is about an inch shorter than me. He wears a baseball cap with the sides that cover the ears and neck, and looks a little exited and nervous. Sunscreen covers his face, and unlike Jake, he has a thicker build and isn't as defined. Brother Davis is as tall as me, and is pretty much the same size as me. He has brown hair, and has a look of mock-excitement.

“So, are you ready to hike Mt. Whitney, you weren’t doing so well on the road?” he asks me. I don't know if he was encouraging me, taunting me, or both.

“No....” Sometimes, I get angry for no real reason. Well, at the time I wasn't feeling good. I suspected altitude sickness.


In the LDS Church (Mormons), most members refer to each other as “brother 'surname' “ and “sister 'surname'

From the truck came out Brother Briggs, Brother Basset, and Brother Briggs' nephews, Ben and Jeremy. Brother Briggs, is an old guy, short grey hair and a smile. I don't know what his age is, but he certainly was doing much better than most his age. He seemed like someone who was very wise, and he looked exited for this. It made me think of my grandpa, who was in no good shape, and wasn't as old as you think he is. Brother Briggs was the opposite of my grandpa. Brother Basset was a big man. I can't remember what he did for a living, except he was wealthy, and lived on a golf course. He had greying hair, two walking sticks, and on his backpack, a solar panel for his GPS. Ben had long, brown hair and a bandana on. He seemed the smarter of the two, and the nicer. Jeremy was shorter, with very dark brown hair. He reminded me of someone in middle school that used to annoy me. He had a similar personality. Brother Briggs introduced us to his two nephews and we talked for a minute.

“Let's say prayer before we leave, this is a church activity” Brother Davis said. We prayed and after, Brother Briggs told us about the valley.

“This is mineral king,” he said. “Walt Disney wanted to make this place into a ski resort, but the environmentalists kept him from obtaining the land.”

“Well, wouldn't this be an awesome place for that,” Brother Davis chuckled.

Agreements went around. When I looked around, it reminded me of when my grandma was watching Heidi. It had hills, surrounded by mountains and lots of grass. I thought, “ This was a beautiful place! No wonder why Walt would want this.”





After a little wile of useless conversation, we started hiking. I was towards the back, and not feeling good. My suspensions where correct, it was altitude sickness. I dried heaved and Brother Davis got his camera ready.

“Wouldn’t a picture of you throwing up make this more interesting?” he told me. I glared at him.

Hours past and Jake wanted to stop for lunch. We all did want to stop, but he was the most vocal about it. For lunch we stopped on the trail, under some shade. There wasn't much room to sit, and because Jake instigated our break, we called it “Jake's Crappy Spot”.

We continued to hike and I was in the back with Brother Briggs. He got to hear most of my complaining. By the time we got to camp, everyone was set up. I had my hiking tent, Ben and Jeremy shared a tent, Ryan and Jake had Bivies*, and the leaders had their separate tents. We camped by Franklin Lake, a man made lake with a small dam, that was in the middle of nowhere. Surrounding us was mountains and specifiably, Franklin Mountain. Having walked uphill for the entire time and looking at this didn't get me or anyone excited. We had and old, strange evergreen tree of what I did not recognize over us. It looked scraggly but I liked it. I slept surprisingly well that night.
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The net day would be the longest hike by mileage. I was feeling significantly better. Jake and Ryan where soaked because of the morning dew, but everyone else was fine. In the beginning of the day, Jake, Ryan, and I where leading. When we got up to the top of Franklin Mountain, we waited 30 minutes before everyone else even showed up. We went down a sandy mountain side from there. The rest of the day was uneventful. Me and Jake where usual ahead, but at the last stretch, I fell behind. We went through Rattlesnake Canyon and ended up in a river valley. The river would feed into another river that runs through Bakersfield. I started not feeling so well again, so I drank a lot of water.
*Bivies are a minimalist alternative to tents and only cover the sleeping bag.
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Once again, I felt good. Today was going to be the shortest day for hiking, and at the end...hot springs!
Brother Briggs warned us that it wasn't luxurious in any way, but we imagined it so. We hiked about 5 miles, saw a rattle snake on the way, and Brother Briggs made an incredible discovery. He found a toilet. On a hike like this, you couldn't be more exited if you found a suit case of money if you found a toilet. Unfortunately, only he got to use it.

We set up camp, around lunch, and went to the hot springs. While hiking, we followed a river, so the springs was right next to it. When we got a good look at it, we realized that Brother Briggs wasn't kidding about it not being luxurious. The scalding hot water, provided a perfect breeding ground for algae and bacteria. There was a tub that had a plug so the water could be gathered up in it. If unplugged, the water drained into a place where the river and the spring water met, making a bathtub temperature area with green floaters that would cling unto you relentlessly. The water felt good, but I felt like I needed to jump in the frigid river to cleanse myself. I washed my clothes in the lake and left them to dry, but the wind blew the smoke on them anyway.

That night, it was dark, quiet, and a little scary. Ben, Jeremy, and Jake where talking by the fire, and I was sitting quietly.

“Dude I swear, every time I go to do my business, there a deer staring at me!” Ryan said as he walked into camp. Me and Jake laughed.

“Didn't you say that there was a deer yesterday?'” I asked. “Maybe the deer is stalking you.”

“I don't know, maybe.”
We continued joking around, and I told a scary story. Everyone was gripped, and even I started getting chills.
“So, did you guys like it?” I asked.

“It interesting, because it's weird” Jake told me.

“Yeah, especially that part with the song.” Ben said. ''Was it true?”

“No,” I said. “I kinda took a part of a book I read and combined it with something of my own.”

“You know the guy who wrote the song also wrote another song that a serial killer thought of while murdering his victims.” Ben commented. “I can't remember the name of him.”

“Well, I kinda like the song. Someone's knocking at the do-or, someone's ringing the bell...”
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For the most part, the beginning of the next day was uneventful We started climbing out of the river valley and up to where we would climb Whitney. We had lunch where it was very similar to “Jake's Crappy Spot”, on the trail, on the side of the mountain, and no real seating. After that, we had more frequent brakes than usual. The elevation was getting higher. Brother Basset was having a harder time. We where all having a harder time. Brother Briggs was, however as usual, in the back, and still looked happy and confident. We where crossing a mountain stream, when it started raining. We all had ponchos, so we where dry for the most part. Later on the trail, let's just say I had a terrible experience and was really mad. I walked into camp late, and when Jake asked about it , I blew up on him.

After I calmed down, and we set up camp, things where really casual. I walked around the camp without shoes, and earned the name “Frodo”. I tried to tell another story, although not as successful. Brother Davis told stories about his teenage life, one of which involved his ne’er-do-well brother painting his older brother's motorcycle green.
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This day was not as hard as the previous. The previous day was uphill for most of it, this was going up and down hills, then come to a camp that had a toilet. It was made known unto us that once at guitar lake, all fecal mater would have to be carried in a bag, so the toilet was important. We would rest for a couple of hours at this site before going to Guitar Lake, at the base of Mt. Whitney.

The hike itself was uneventful, like most, it was wooded with conifers, and it never changed except to go uphill, or downhill. When we reached the campsite, it was a relief for all. The trees where thiner here, and the grass reminded me of the grass in the foothills near where I live, golden, except significantly shorter. A small stream was north of where we stopped and in the far distance, Mt. Whitney.

“You know there's a grave here?” said Brother Briggs to all of us. “Its just a little west from here. I can show you where the toilet is too.”

We went to see the grave and the toilet. The toilet was nothing more that a seat with a hole, with plywood on the ground all around. No walls, no water, just the woods. Everyone still took advantage of it. A little more south was the grave. I can't remember the name, but a long time ago, there was a mountain climber rock climbing a mountain by Mt. Whitney. He had done it many times, but this time, he fell. There wasn't much to do so he was buried in the national park that he died in. It was the only official graveyard in any national park. It was marked by a simple wooden cross.

Later that day, we where relaxing and talking, when Jake brought up in the conversation a girl that likes Ryan but he didn't like back. Jeremy then started to make fun of Ryan because of that girl. Jeremy didn't even know the girl, and it was bother ing Ryan. Ben then took action. He started making fun of Jeremy, and soon after jeremy stopped. Ben got my respect from that.

After we where done resting and using the bathroom, we finished that days hike at guitar lake. Guitar lake was another manmade lake, and was above the tree elevation, so there was nothing but rock. I was sunset when we set up camp. When I went down to filter water with Ryan and Brother Davis, it was an incredible sight. At the east end of the lake, I saw the setting sun, sinking into the mountains far beyond. Forest could be seen downat the base of the mountain, and while the sunset had it's bold reds and oranges, the mountains where purples and blues rimed with gold, and at the bottom where the green of the woods. To my back, was the crimson Mt. Whitney. It seamed bigger, and looming, red with black and orange stripes, and beyond, a dark sky. I knew I had to climb it the next day.
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We woke up around 4 O'clock. Many hikers where up, for there where red and white lights streaking the mountain. The sun was rising when we got to a fork in the road. This is where the trail would lead down to the Inyo valley or up to the top of the mountain. We set our packs down on this part and hiked up to the top. I was slow, for I don't seem to acclimate well, and for steps at walking felt like sprinting. People walked passed me, some even jogged past me. I was somewhat embarrassed. The top would have been a great view, if it weren’t covered in clouds. It was dirt and rock, save for a shelter made of rock. There was a sign-in sheet, and on it where three columns. One was name, another was where you live, and finally, comments. I wrote AAAAAHHHHHHRRRGGGGG!!! to show my frustration.

After taking some photos we went down the mountain on the other side. We unintentionaly split up into groups, I was with Ryan and Brother Davis. Jake, Ben, and Jeremy where in a group, and passed us. Brother Briggs and Brother Basset where far behind. This was five miles and downhill, but they where probably the longest five miles of my life. Imagine needing to use the restroom, you ran out of water, your worn out and tired, and you know that it's only a short distance. Brother Davis said at one point, “What is this, some never-ending hell loop?” That statement surmised our group's feelings. I think it took 4 hours to get down to the campsite with actual bathrooms, running water, and cars to take us home.

When we got to the camp-site, to my surprise, people from the church where there, with food! One of them offered me a banana once I got there. I didn't mean to be mean, but I yelled “NO” and went straight towards the water fountain and drank to my heart's content. After that and a visit to the restroom, I went to say sorry for being so mean. He said he understood and was not offended, and we went to the picnic table, with lots of food and drinks and snacks. Jake, Ben and Jeremy where there, eating, and had been there for a while. The church members that where there where handing out fresh clothing that my fellow hikers had packed before the trip. I was dismayed, because I had forgotten to do that. Then there was a package handed to me. It was an Apple bag like one would get at the apple store, with my name labeled on it. In it where a fresh change of clothes and two snacks. My mom had made it for me. I felt thankful for that. We stayed there for a while, because on the way down, brother Basset twisted his ankle and needed help.

Later we left, and before heading home, we went to the Pizza Factory, and had some pizza. We all talked ant thought that we would never do that again. A few sundays later, Brother Davis said, “You know, it was a lot of work, and it wasn't fun at the time, but now that I look back, I did have fun. I would do it again.” I thought he was crazy, But now, when I look back, I realize that I would do it again.
All 64 miles...