Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mountaineer's Route in new Backpacker mag

I just got the new issue of Backpacker magazine and thought it was kind of cool to see a little writeup on the MR. It was an article about avoiding crowds on some popular hikes (like doing Half Dome in the dark).

It wasn't a great article, but worth skimming through if you are at the store and see it on the rack.

On our way to do Whitney, I saw a Southwest magazine on the plane with an article on the John Muir Trail. When I opened to the starting page of the article, there was a great pic of Whitney and a pic of Trail Crest. A good sign for a successful climb for summit on Sept. 14.

Speaking of magizine articles, I read an article about this past season on Everest in Rock and Ice magizine. I recall another article on Everest in Outside magizine as well. This past season was the second worst "on record" for deaths (since 1996).

Both are a good read as they illuminate the dangers of alpine climbing, the dangers of our fellow human companions, and the lack of regulation. It's sad to see that people place their own ambitions ahead of the well-being of others.