Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Nice article on Whitney/Climbing/Sierras

I have a celebrity for a neighbor - author Bruce Willey is my summer-time nextdoor neighbor in the Big Pine cottages along with his beautiful wife Caroline who is also a writer. They are both avid climbers. Bruce writes for Climbing and other mags. This article just came out. Enjoy.

Good Times

Wow, thanks for the link. That story is amazing. What a writer.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of his "glroious" work!

Great article. Thanks for posting the link. Just goes to show that being out there is really about the "good times"!

-L

I agree with the previous sentiments about the article. I live near Santa Cruz (Soquel) where the article was published and used to read Bruce Willey's articles before he left the paper last year sometime. He did a bunch of environmental reporting that was top-notch as well as a story about walking around the Monetery Bay that I saved. It was really well-written and funny. I wish there was a link or something to it because people on this board would like to read it, plus it would be a good backpacking trip for people to do. I think he did it in 2 days, something like 60 miles. I always thought he was too good of a writer to be working for the local rag, and am happy to see he is moving on. But still happy to see he occosionally contributes to our weekly paper here. Makes me want to quit work right now and head up to "surf the Sierra wave."

How strang that it is. This morning I was working hard on the eliptical machine at the gym thinking that I would like to write an article and post it here on this message board. It would be about my absolute love for the whole Southern Sierra Mountain range all the way from Whitney to where I live in Reno.

Last week after finishing up my climb of the Mountaineers Route on Whitney I crashed at Whitney Portal for a few hours then made it as far as Big Pine where somewhere along some back street there I zonked out for a few more hours in the back of my jeep. Upon wakening the sun was just lighting the sky. As I started driving again the orange glow was just hitting the peaks above Bishop. I thought to myself that I must be in heaven, heading North up past the Mammoth area then to the Mobil Mart in Lee Vining for coffee.

This morning though I was thinking that for me to write an article like that may bore some people and I'm not sure if my personal love of this area would fit in well on Whitney portal message board. I'm also still estatic over my 1 day climb of the MR on Whitney as all of that blue sky is still fresh in my mind. Well I'm starting to plan my next adventure to climb Split Mountain in 2 or 3 weeks so reading up on that and trying to figure out my route will keep me busy for a while.

Also, does anyone know off hand if a permit is needed for a 1 day climb there. I'll be stopping by the office in Bishop anyhow to check out some of the maps there. Thanks......

I'd love to read it, post away!

I'd give the article a passing grade, but no more. I have read many better.

One problem right at the beginning: When describing how to locate Big Pine, the author says: "As these ravens fly, it’s a straight longitude line from Santa Cruz toward the early morning sun. Due east."

You won't find Big Pine that way, because lines of longitude go north-south, not east-west. He should have said to follow a line of latitude.

Despite such a minor glitch, I thought it was an excellent article - well written. One can forgive a dyslexic writing moment for such a visually descriptive forage into the wonder that is the Sierra and the Owens Valley.

CaT