Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board What do you do???

kim fin, it is nice to have someone else in this forum know the same language as I do since I am hard of hearing. I am wondering is there is any deaf or hard of hearing member in our group.

To get back to this subject, I'm working for the City & County of S.F. Been working there for 17 1/2 years. I process the claim for Workers' Comp. benefits. I work 5 days for 40 hours per week but I get 4 weeks of vacation plus 4 floating and 11 legal holidays per year which would give me a plenty of time in the mountains. Vann.

Mono,

You need to find a job where you can work in the mountains, like Kurt Wedberg's. He has to have about the best job on the planet! Go around the world to just about everywhere...and someone else pays for it!

I read two books written by the Whittaker brothers Jim and Lou, Jim being one of the creators of REI and they started their mountain careers guiding on Rainier. They both then moved onto the biggest mountains in the world. They had to be coaches and psychiatrists to clients who chickened out in dangerous places or who demanded to go on in conditions that would get everyone killed.

Kurt was featured last year in a National Geographic show where he was guiding an inexperienced man and woman who insisted on being led up Rainier to be married. Rainier is an extremely dangerous mountain, so dangerous that the Whittakers took their Everest hopefuls up there first. I talked to Kurt about this show and I believe he said the woman fell into a crevasse first, then the man and then Kurt (all roped together.) There were some broken legs involved I believe and they would have all died, but Kurt was able to get to his cell phone and get help. I can't remember all the details, I'm hoping Nat. Geo shows this program again. I saw it in the summer of 2006 so it's fairly new. Lesson learned: If you aren't an experienced hiker and you aren't in superb physical shape and you want to get married on a 14'r, do it on Whitney!!

nice to meet you Vann. I enjoy conversing in A S L when Im hiking. such a beautifull language in the most beautifull setting! kim

I don't have a steady career. I have worked from Manufacturing Technician, Quality Control Inspector, R&D Engineering Technician, Production/Warehouse Supervisor, and now a Class B Bus driver. And I am still looking for a new career. My wife works for Kaiser. We used Friday and/or Monday with the weekends to make a 3 or 4 days trip. Example:1 day to drive, 1 or 2 days to enjoy and last day to come home.

Oh, here's our little story...

Just a little less then four years ago, my wife asked me to take her somewhere different, instead of doing the same routine every other weekends. I asked her if she wanted to go to the Grand Canyon National Park? She said,"yes." So our adventures started from this point on. The natural beauty of nature and this park opened our eyes and released our stresses, it was the most amazing feelings just to stand there and look at the Grand Canyon. From that point on, we started exploring other National Parks and planning trips to see other natural places. We’ve learned to hike, camp, and backpack as the trips got more challenging.
Our routines would be loading all the equipments in the car the night before we leave. We would leave as early as 5:00am from San Diego to our destinations. Lyda hates it, but she got up any way. This was my idea, so that she can sleep while I drive. She would wake up around 9 or 10am and we’d arrived at the location between 2 or 3pm. It was tough for Lyda, because she was bored from looking at nothing while I am driving the first year. We would stay in hotels closed to the parks, because Lyda and I never camped before. She was afraid of the wild lifes and didn’t like the cool air. I insisted to Lyda that we camp one of these trips. She agreed, so our first campsite was in Yosemite National Park. We couldn’t sleep in the tent, because we got scared from bears. Two bears came into our campground and we saw them. Some one left food out to attract the bears and it worked. It was an exciting moment to see the bears. This park is the most beautiful place to visit because of the vistas and the waterfalls.
We had a small digital camera(3.2mp) that we used to take turns taking pictures of each others. I broke that camera in Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona. So I decided to invest in a good camera. I decided to get 2 new cameras. This makes the trip more enjoyfull, because Lyda can take any pictures she wants and I can take my own pictures.
I told Lyda about Havasu Falls in Arizona and she wanted to go. So we started training for our first backpacking trip. It was tough, but we did it. It was a wonderful place to visit. We backpacked Mt. whitney in 2005 and 2006. In 2007 Lyda didn't want to go, because of the cold. So, I decided to go to lone Pine on Saturday and waited at the Ranger/visitor center until 11:00am to get a permit for an overnight for the 15th and spent the night at the top of Mt. Whitney. There were only 2 parties waiting in line for this day and I was the other party. Lucky me, because I took a chance and I got the permit. It took me 8hrs to hike to the top. I spent a night at the top by myself, it was 29 degrees at night. It was very cold to sleep. I was able to sleep for about 5hrs and got up at 3:30am. I packed up and got down from the mountain in about 5hrs and 30minutes. I can say this, "I was at the highest point in the lower 48 states on the 15th of Sept, 2007 by myself!!!!" It was a great accomplishment for me.
All in all, we learned how to enjoy nature and we did it with out spending a lot of money. And our adventures will continue for many years and many new places.

We took a lot of pictures(over 1000s or 80gb+) and just wanted to share with everyone.
Here are some sample pictures to share at Picasa Web Photo: Here's the Photo page.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PKithiraj

Here's what we have accomplished in that time.

2003
May 30-31 Grand Canyon National park
July 12-13 Sequoia National Park
July 13 Kings Canyon National park
July 14 Yosemite National park
August 31 Joshua Tree National Park
November 20 Zion National Park
November 21 Bryce National Park
November 21 Capital Reef National Park
November 21 Dead Horse Point State Park
November 22 Arches National Park
November 22 Canyonlands National Nark
November 23 4 Corners
November 23 Goosenecks State Park
November 23 Monument Valley
November 23 Mesa Verde National Park
November 24 Grand Canyon NP North Rim
November 24 Zion National Park
December 22 Death Valley National Park

2004
January 15 Cabrillo National Monument
January 31 Zion National Park
February 7 Joshua Tree National Park
March 28 Anza Borrego State Park
April 4 Cabrillo National Monument
April 20 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
April 21 Muana Kea 13,796ft
April 21 Pu’uhonua O Honuanua National Historical Park
April 26 Yellowstone National Park
April 27 Devil’s Tower National Monument
April 28 Badlands National Park
April 28-29 Crazy Horse Memorial
April 28 Wind Cave National Park
April 28-29 Mt. Rushmore National Memorial
April 29 Rocky Mountain National Park
April 30 Grand Teton National Park
May 1-2 Grand Teton National Park
May 3 Idaho Falls Lewis & Clark
May 22 Saguaro National Park
May 29 Guadalupe National Park
May 29-30 Carlsbad Cavern National Park
May 30 White Sand National Monument
June 19 Petrified National Park
June 19-20 Grand Canyon National Park
July 3 Death Valley National Park
July 4 Zion National Park
July 24-26 Yosemite National Park
August 14 Antelope Canyon
August 14 Glen Canyon National Monument
August 14 Rainbow Bridge National Monument
August 15 Sedona
September 5 Channel Island National Park
September 11 Grand Canyon Cavern
September 12-14 Havasu Falls (Grand Canyon)
October 9 Channel Island National Park
December 24-25 Yosemite National Park
December 26 Alcatraz National Memorial
December 27 Golden Gate Bridge
December 28 Chandelier Tree
December 28 Muir Woods National Monument
December 28-29 Redwood National Park
December 29 Crater Lake National Park
December 30 Lava Bed National Monument
December 30 Mc Arthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
December 31 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

2005
January 1 Oceano Sand Dunes State Recreation
January 15 Cabrillo National Monument
May 29 Channel Island National Park
June 29 Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
June 30 Devil’s Post Pile National Monument
June 30 Mono Lake
July 1-3 Yosemite National Park
July 25-27 Mt. Whitney 14,496.811 ft
September 3-4 Kings Canyon National Park
September 4-5 Sequoia National Park
September 10-11 Washington DC Monuments
September 11 WTC
September 12 Statue of Liberty
September 13-14 Niagara Falls
September 15 Lancaster Amish
September 16 Liberty Bell & Independence Hall
September 22-25 Havasu Falls (Grand Canyon)
October 8-9 Grand Canyon National Park
October 10 Goosenecks State Park
October 10 Mexican Hat
October 10 Monument Valley
October 10 Natural Bridges National Monument
October 11 Wilson Arch (191 Highway)
October 11-12 Arches National Park
October 13 Canyon De Chelly National Monument
October 13 Meteor Crater
November 6 Catalina Island
November 23 San Elijo State Beach
December 31 Pismo State Beach

2006
January 1 Morro Bay
January 2 Hearst Castle State Park
March 24 Quail Botanical Garden
May 27-29 Yosemite National Park
June 11 Death Valley National Park
June 13-14 Zion National Park
June 14-15 Bryce National Park
June 15 Antelope Canyon
June 15 Grand Stairecase-Escalante National Monument
June 15 Kodachrome Basin State Park
June 16 Grand Canyon National Park
August 13-15 Mt. Whitney 14,496.811 ft
September 2-3 Yosemite National Park
September 16-19 Havasu Falls (Grand Canyon)
October 29 Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

2007
March 24-25 Death Valley National Park
April 7-9 Grand Canyon National Park
May 27-28 Zion National Park
June 9 Mammoth Twin Lakes
June 10-11 Yosemite National Park
September 8-11 Havasu Falls (Grand Canyon)
September 15 Mt. Whitney 14,496.811 ft

I serve Cokes in a silver tube. (I am a flight attendant for American Airlines).
The trade-offs are worth the opportunity for time off...as much or as little as I want!

I own a custom cabinetry business. I do not get any paid time off but being a small shop, just me and my business partner, allows me to control my schedule pretty well. That is, when I am not coaching soccer or out on cub scout outings. I have 3 boys between ages 4 and 10 and they do take a lot of the weekend time. Fortunately, they enjoy camping and hiking as much as my wife and I.

That would be sweet. The dream would be to get paid while sleeping.

Business Systems Analyst - Currently looking for a new company...the mortgage company I was with closed.

I am an automation technician at Cirque du Soleil's "Zumanity" at the New York New York Hotel and Casino (we care for and operate the winches and mechanized scenery). After being here four years, I get 18 days of PTO.

I'm a complete newbie at wilderness camping and hiking; I've done a couple of two-week motorcycle tours that involved camping. Last May's two-day trip to Zion National Park and a hike up Angel's Landing was so incredibly relaxing that I want to spend more time on trails. It remains to be seen whether I can get the time away from my new wife and six-month-old baby boy.

--J

WHOA ! Have you noticed the views this topic has , seems we are interested in the other people on the board and if we share any other common ties. Thanks Doug

I work in Law Enforcement. I too am able to swap shifts and take extra personal days off. But don't tell my wife what I do, she thinks hiking, riding and packing are my full time job, and that law stuff is my hobby.

I'm a biology professor who canNOT swap shifts, etc. The result is, I get out to the Sierras only every few years.

As my title proclaims, I am a "pumpmonkey". Meaning I run a heart-lung machine (Pump) for open heart surgery procedures. Having done this for over 20 years I have a bit more vacation time than my wife, which allows me to get out on several trips each year. Only once to Whitney last year (unsuccessful), but maybe again this September.

How cool is this?
I'm a commercial real estate broker. I had a "massive head injury" some 27 years ago and Whitney is one goal I've never realized. I still like to lurk here a couple of times a week and follow other's adventures and pictures.

Great community!

Law Enforcement. I work 4-10's, so three days off makes it fairly easy to get out. After 13 years, I have plenty of discretionary time, plus my current assignment is very flexible. So three days can turn into five easily.
I am fortunate.

Program Manager for a defense contractor in Southern Maryland (just a few miles from our friend BSquared!). I get plenty of PTO, but the wife will only allow one long Sierra weekend each year. Thinking Mt. Langley this year!

I keep post-poning the inevitable–––there always seems to be a trip I want to take, or not. Lately, it's been doing the Muir these past ten or so years and every summer, it's like, Darling, I can't get a job that I'll just have to quit . . . I do catering, convention and security work while I write the great american short story. My dream, even at this point is to get a job at a ski resort and ski for a complete season . . . meanwhile, I have to go to Nepal and Tibet in May and then do the JMT again in august. Damn.

Neurologist self-enslaved in SoCal. Started hiking just two years ago and summited Whitney on 09-11-06. Love to browse through the fascinating trip reports and abundance of information in this super site.

Moved to top

I'm a special ed. teacher and have the whole summer off from June 12th through August 29th. I also have a wife who is very understanding about my passion for the Sierra and hiking. From August 29th to June 12th I start planning my next year's calendar of what I would like to do mixed in with several hikes here and there locally.
Greg Lukenbill