Well, at least you got to experience the Whitney norm - heading for the summit on very little sleep! I'm guessing you probably didn't make up for it at 14.5K' the next night either.
I arrived Monday night with Steve, and we car camped at Horshoe Meadows for the first night of acclimatization. The next afternoon, I met up with Bob R (while Steve went back to HSM) and we camped just beyond the log crossings. It was just the pace/arrangement that I had been waiting for.
You definitely had a killer entourage for your first summit. How cool is that? I knew summitting Whitney was a goal of yours, but was trying to recall if this was your first time up the mountain? John (catpappy) mentioned that he had met you during a group hike, last year I believe, but something is telling me that you had not seriously attempted Whitney before. Is that right?
I participated in the WPS Annual Group Hike & Ashcraft Memorial Hike, which accessed Thor by way of the Mountaineer's Route, so that I was introduced to the E-Ledges. I have never actually made a summit bid until this last week. Yes, indeedy, I had a killer escort for my first summit. I almost felt like I had been carried up on a litter....
I said ALMOST.
Regardless, the first one is in the books, and a memorable one it was!
It will take a while to digest the whole thing. BTW, it is the first time that I have been to Death Valley, too. (the second part of the trip)
