HST: Day 6

High Sierra Trail: Day 6

7/15/2021

Crabtree Meadow - Guitar Lake

Miles hiked: 2.7 miles

Elevation gained: 961 ft (10,646 - 11,507)

Animals seen: leinie geckos, marmots, park rangers

Elevation chart created on AllTrails.com

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We slept in and enjoyed the morning. It was glorious. I am definitely feeling better, though my voice sounds like crap. We relaxed while enjoying our instant coffee and breakfast (apple cinnamon oatmeal, carnation instant brek mix, throat drop). Brian was unable to find the backcountry pit toilet rumors were running about. Jake and I took a trip to the lower area to attempt to find it. It took us a long walk around the meadow and asking some other campers but we found that luxury throne surrounded by a measly 4 x 6 ft sheet of galvanized steel.

Jake and Target filtered water while I started breaking down camp. The area gradually cleared of people and we hit the trail by 10am. Our plan was to take our time getting to Guitar Lake so that we didn’t expend too much energy. There was a climb to Guitar Lake and we needed to rest up before the summit attempt tomorrow.

The trail started on a gradual incline while it meandered through alpine meadows that could rival Kaweah Gap. We took a pack off break just past Timberline Lake.

Timberline Lake

After the break, the real part of the climb began. It was all exposed and the altitude did us me no favors. I could not seem to catch my breath unless I was not moving, which is counter productive to hiking. About a third of a mile from Guitar Lake, some park rangers were working on trail maintenance. The only thing going through my brain was “Don’t look like you’re dying so that they don’t drag you off trail to a hospital”. That was playing on repeat while I was sweating profusely, panting worse than a Saint Bernard in a Minnesota summer, moving at a pathetically slow pace. I attempted to greet the first one, but it probably came out as a garbled mess of wheezing, choking, and asthmatic gasping and not the least bit discernable. I avoided eye contact after that, pretending that I wasn’t audibly gasping for air and with, hopefully, a look of nonchalance on my face.

Once past the rangers I hid behind a boulder to rest and not die. I was behind that nice boulder for at least 10 minutes. Once I could breathe without my eyes bulging out, I continued on and rounded a bend and looked down upon Guitar Lake.

Guitar Lake has a reputation, good or bad depending on the person. It is known for being very, very crowded and kind of a dump. It was very, very crowded. It was also very exposed with zero tree/bush/etc coverage what-so-ever, and therefore extremely hot. And while we didn’t get our water from the actual lake (how many backpackers who haven’t bathed in how long have swam in there??), it wasn’t messy or in any way what I would interpret as a dump.

View from our tent of Guitar Lake

Our tent (Nemo one in front, Target’s is hiding behind the rock) in front of Mt Whitney

We set up camp and used our rainfly as sun protection while keeping our tent doors open for that glorious, glorious breeze. We could look straight up at Mt Whitney summit from Guitar Lake which was amazing and intimidating all at once.

Another pic of Mt Whitney

Brian and Charlotte got nice tent pads near the stream feeding into the lake, with Derek not too far from them. We socialized for a bit with our neighbors, a couple from Oregon doing a weekend trip to summit Whitney and a large group comprised of family in-laws. We rinsed off in the lake which was so cold and did camp chores.

I will now discuss Wag Bags.

Normally while backpacking, a hiker digs a cathole (hole in the ground) and deposits their homebrew fertilizer in said hole. Toilet paper or other hygiene products have to be packed out (not buried/burned). The fertilizer decomposes and little impact is made on the environment. Now at an elevation of 12,000ft or higher, that fertilizer has a difficult time decomposing in a timely fashion. Solution: wag bags...doggy bags for people. Yes, you are expected to pack out your own fertilizer. We did not bring wag bags with. (Yes, you are allowed to use whatever bag you choose as long as you take your business with you.) Our solution: don’t go until we descend back below 12,00ft. I always have stoppers on hand for backpacking and travel.

On that note…. We ate dinner (White Cheddar Chicken & Brussels Sprouts, brownie crisp, no alcohol due to atltitude) and discussed when to leave camp. It ranged from midnight to 4am, but I honestly don’t remember what was agreed on except that Jake would wake us up. Off to bed mid-afternoon, long rest to replenish spell slots for our summit attempt tomorrow.

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