John Muir Trail, August 2005 Day 16: Whitney summit sunrise. I arrived on the summit just before the sun broke the eastern horizon.

This view due east from the summit, with Iceberg Lake living up to its name. The portal road is clear all the way to Lone Pine. It's more than 10,000 feet down to valley floor. Inyo Mountains in the background.
Due north from the summit. The peak on the far right that is taller than everything else is Mt. Williamson. Of course a hundred peaks could be named in this shot. This picture looks back at the mountains through which I just spent the last 16 days walking.
West from the summit. The hut, built in 1909 to shelter scientists, has a wooden floor that is isolated from the ground, to help protect occupants from electrocution by lightning. It's still not safe.
South.
The legend himself. When I arrived at the summit, he was already there, having spent the night in the hut. It is Reinhold Metzger, who at the time of this meeting on the top of Whitney holds the record for the fastest unsupported trip on the John Muir Trail. He was preparing to depart on an attempt to break his own record. He had made another attempt only a week prior, but was repelled by the big storm. We compared gear, and I gave him my pen, as it was lighter than the one he was carrying.
A close-up looking west. The Kern River trench in the middleground, and the Kaweah Peaks beyond.
Looking south along the west face of Whitney.
Keeler Needles from the west face.
One last view to the west. Guitar Lake on the right.
Decending the east side of the Sierras, a shot of the ridge from Mt. Muir (far left) to Whitney (right of center).

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