Today Mount Whitney stands as the tallest mountain in the lower 48 United States. The highest point of elevation is at 14,491 ft (4417m). Because of the fair summer/fall conditions in the Sierras and the mountain's well-groomed trails, Mount Whitney has become a popular hiker's destination. Each year over 30,000 people attempt to summit with only one-third making the journey. Aside from weather and poor pre-conditioning, altitude sickness is a major factor in failed attempts. To combat altitude and the long hike, we hiked in advance for this hike by hiking to some summits in Lake Tahoe. I hiked some others, but these are the ones Carina and I did together:
(1) Big Basin, (2) Meeks Bay, (3) Pyramid Peak, (4) Mount Tallac and (5) Mount Judah

Along with these hikes, we began weekly spin classes and cardio workouts at the gym. Further, we climbed at Lover's Leap each weekend for fun and in case we climbed the East Buttress of Mount Whitney.

Big Basin Description: We hiked at Big Basin from Sunset Trail to Berry Creek Falls Trail and back. Location: Santa Cruz The Crew: Jessica, Amy, Carina, Tiffany and Steve Conditions: Poor and muddy due to heavy rains Miles: 12 miles Elevation Gain: 600 feet	Meeks Bay Description: Hiked to Lake Genevieve and back. Met a nice couple who swam the lake! Got 26 bug bites. Ouch! Location: West Lake Tahoe The Crew: Carina, Amy, and Steve Conditions: Sunny with lots of bugs! Miles: 9 miles Elevation Gain: 2040 feet	Care and I at Big Basin
Pyramid Peak Description: Pyramid Peak via Horsetail falls trailhead. Hiked 14 hours total due to off-route trail that added 3-4 hours of hike time. Class 2 and 3 in some locations. Class 3 epic ascent of the direct face near the summit, making it Worth the summit! Skiing in some places too. Location: West Lake Tahoe The Crew: Harlan, Brian, Carina, John, Betty, Derek, Pat, and Steve Conditions: Perfect conditions Miles: 14 miles Elevation Gain: 4100 feet / 9983 feet summit	Mount Tallac Description: Off trail route finding leads us back onto the normal trail and to the summit by 2pm. Good all you can eat Chinese for dinner! Location: Southwest Lake Tahoe The Crew: Carina, Ian, and Steve Conditions: Hottest day in Tahoe! Humid morning. Back down to normal Tahoe conditions by afternoon. Miles: 10 miles Elevation Gain: 3255 feet / 9735 feet summit	Mount Judah Description: Full backpack journey up Mount Judah and back. Lots of friendly faces and good company on the summit. Location: Truckee-area/Northwest of Tahoe The Crew: Carina and Steve Conditions: Perfect conditions! Miles: 4.5 miles Elevation Gain: 1045 feet / 8045 feet summit