Lowest ebb and highest tide
June 9, 2015 12:48 PM   Subscribe

Hiking from Death Valley to Mount Whitney - the Lowest to Highest Trail.
posted by Chrysostom (18 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
*jealous* Wish I was that fit! :(
posted by Melismata at 1:12 PM on June 9, 2015


What panoramas. How empty America still is.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:18 PM on June 9, 2015


I admire the toughness of people like this, nigh-reckless though it seems to me (hypothermia, dehydration, heatstroke, sunburn, etc.). No way I could have done it, even when I was their age. But the scenery sure is beautiful, and the author makes a compelling case for that lifestyle.

Though I'd still rather just take the Blue Pill, blip there, enjoy it, then blip home again for a cold beer.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:20 PM on June 9, 2015


Hah, I saw the post and thought "That seems like something Carrot Quinn would do."
posted by ghharr at 1:26 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


"...we finally became friends, when Chance, Jess and I were working on the same pot farm in the fall to make money to fund our hikes. During the long days trimming weed I learned..."

There's so much to envy about these people.
posted by Annika Cicada at 1:27 PM on June 9, 2015


I'm pretty much with Greg_Ace on the blue-pill-and-beer stuff, but I have enough of the the old boy scout in me to have this make me really, really want to give it a try.
posted by Navelgazer at 1:28 PM on June 9, 2015


The Appalachian Trail is pretty tame as it goes - in the sense that deaths aren't common. Like most multi-month escapades the problem is dedicating the time and money when you have a job, mortgage, kids, etc.
posted by MillMan at 1:33 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


This has been on my list of hikes to do.

That tension she talks about - between cutting loose and living free, and having a home and a bed and a 401k and a washing machine and a property tax bill... God, I feel it. If the world's at large, why should I remain?

I lived that homefree life in my 20s. My son coming along made me change gears, because I could choose to live like that, but he deserved better. And now I find I like the prison I've built for myself. Truly, they are golden handcuffs.

Take off to the mountains, on weekends and those afternoons when I can sneak out early and try to work the kinks out of my chain. It's weak sauce. So, I curate my list of hikes I'd like to do and probably never will, and daydream of winning a small lottery.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 1:34 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


That was great. Thank you.
posted by rtha at 2:45 PM on June 9, 2015


I hiked all the way from Death Valley to Mount Whitney but she wasn't interested.
posted by w0mbat at 3:57 PM on June 9, 2015


That's probably because you were all sweaty and stinky.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:19 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


135 miles? 8000 feet of elevation gain? That sounds like a nightmare hike-

How about doing it as an ultramarathon?

"demand to participate usually far exceeds available spots"


....humans. wtf are we doing? this is awesome.
posted by DGStieber at 4:36 PM on June 9, 2015


Also Carrot Quinn's blog is pretty great. I think I learned about her from this post about hobos and riding freight trains, so thanks Metafilter! I enjoy the way she writes about all kinds of ordinary events and details that are so unlike my life in the city.
posted by sneebler at 4:41 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


How about doing it as an ultra marathon?

Badwater only goes up to Whitney Portal nowadays.
posted by sideshow at 12:37 AM on June 10, 2015


Great article. I'll be looking for more from her. Thanks OP
posted by drowsy at 4:33 AM on June 10, 2015


Man, I used to love camping. These days I've got the American Dream - monthly bills that prevent me from leaving my comfort zone.

I've improved it slightly - no car payment, debt that I can immediately pay off with cash on hand, extremely low housing costs for my area. But my job gives ten days of vacation a year (and only five sick days), so my chances to do long-term activities are limited.
posted by caphector at 11:03 AM on June 10, 2015


REM, right? I've been repeating this post's title in my head and it's so familiar!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 9:50 PM on June 11, 2015


Yes, "I Remember California" off of Green.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:03 AM on June 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


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