Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 50 years old

Here's a question: Is there anyone who posts on this Board who is not in his/her 50s?

Besides Bob R., I mean.

Alan-I'm 52 now, but I think perhaps I posted here once when I was still in my forties; does that count?

For myself, I notice my speed has declined. I just don't feel as driven to race up the mountain. Maybe I'm gettin' all Zen-like in my old age! I don't feel my endurance has suffered, but maybe that's because I'm not going as fast:)

I'm under 50. I post here because golf sucks.

Dave -- It just seems like there are a lot of people here in their 50s. Nothing wrong with that (especially since I'm in that group).

I do know that there are younger and older people among the regulars. Kurt Wedberg, for example, has a long time to wait until he makes 50.

I am still driven to keep a stiff pace because I hike with my son, who is 17 and running 50+ miles peer week. I used to leave him in the dust. Now? What goes around has come around.

My favorite story about slowing down: When Eric and I first did Cactus to Clouds in 2002, we ended up hiking with a fellow we met who was obviously around my age. On the summit of San Jacinto, we were lounging around and listening to two guys complain about the fact that they were getting old, couldn't take the abuse they used to, etc. We were being nice to them because one of them had handed me a cold 22 oz bottle of Beck's. But I could only take so much, so I finally asked how old they were. 35. Thank God I hadn't taken a gulp recently, or beer would been coming out of my nose. At that point, our friend anounced that he was 49 and still feeling great. I got to deliver the best line of all: "I was 49 once." (Four months earlier, to be exact.)

Snow Nymph is 50? I guess she hires a young actress to pose for all those summit photos...

Da••,
Because of the name.....
I thought she was at least 18!
With the body of a 12 year old!!!
Oops.....
Keep on Hiking!

Loud and proud and 33, baby! I'll try to keep all you codgers in line, here! :-) Actually, I wish I could bottle what y'all have and give it to my patients. It's that sort of gusto and drive for life's experiences that they need to overcome what ails them!

Nuthin' but love for y'all!

-L 8)

Ive been on top of Whitney three times since 50, at 52 I hit Muir on the way up, allways in a day.

Almost forgot, did Mt Rainier at 51

Hey felipe nabokov, there's a difference between "nymph" and "nymphet." :-)

Felipe's new nickname is Humberto Humberto...

Fifty? Hell, I can't even remember when I was fifty. Not doing Whitney - too crowded - but doing a 16 day solo loop out of Shepherd Pass this summer. Twenty years in a row of solo Sierra trips. I'll be 64. Told my wife - whose idea of nature is a motel with a tree out front - that I'll know when I'm old when I can't do the Sierra anymore.

there is some talk in the high altitude literature that 'more mature' adults might do better at higher altitudes than younger ones. Some of this is pulmonary vascular/pressure response (that children especially are bothered by), experience, pacing, and factors other than testosterone-bulked muscles which can be advantageous when load-carrying. Lots of anecdotal reports on this.

I' d trade my 56 yo "muscles" for some younger ones if I could, but have agreement with my son to do Half Dome when I turn 80. Maybe they should have an honorary "no permit needed" for Whitney for anyone over, say 70?
Harvey

Hey there... I'm only 33 (34 in a month and some change). I ran across this one lady from Germany who was 62 and I could barely keep up with her. Here I am, some guy thinking he was all cocky for summitting Whitney, and someone nearly twice my age was leaving me in the dust. I found that both humbling and inspiring at the same time.

No, Snownymph really looks that good at 50!

I'm 35. I still have a ways to go. I also frequently get dusted by old farts.

Rafael...

How fun & interesting to read all this :)I sure am hoping when I turn 50..im 48 now..so I do not have long to go, that I still will be able to hike to a 13 or 14K peak like Snowy did on her 50th Birthday! I have only been on the top of Whitney once at age 35..so Im hoping I can get to her while im still in my 40's and then again in my 50's and so on. I really feel more healthy & stronger in my 40's than I did in my 30's...so im hoping my 50's I feel the same if not better! Most all the people I hike with are older than me...Emily she is my very good German friend..she is 82! and is still hiking..I took her on her 1st Grand Canyon backpacking trip at age 73 and than another one from the N. Rim to the S. Rim at age 75..she has done several backpacking trips with me in the Sierra all when she was in her 70's...she no longer backpacks, but still hikes and is extremely fit for age 82..she is so awesome and inspiration to me. You all are an inspiration to me!

Yeah, Cori's all that! And she can always be counted upon to bring the Preparation H (for mosquito bites only).

I like Harvey's idea on the 70 yr old pass. I've always thought it was kind of redundant for Bob R to stop and get a permit every time. Plus, it would provide a carrot for me to stay in "Whitney shape" for at least eighteen more years!

Dave

OK since everybody else is admitting it, I'll own up to being in the fifties club to. I would say I'm a slower but better hiker these days.

Cheers

Phil

You can hike Whitney in 1 day at any age if your mentally and physically prepared for a long day on the trail. My first ascent of Whitney was a 1 day hike at the age of 50. I will be 60 on my next Whitney 1 day hike, and I should record my 60th summit attempt this summer. Looking forward to seeing the over 50 crowd,or older, on the trail. Make sure you stop by the store and say Hi to Doug and WPS crew.

Curiously enough, I was planning to do the 1-day hike this summer, but my 25-year-old son (I'm 61)was the one who wanted to do an overnighter...seems like it's supposed to be the other way around 8^). So we'll see how the lottery goes, if it doesn't pan out, then it still may be a dayhike.

Either way is OK with me, though being a photographer I like the idea of having a little more time to waste by staying overnight, and I could use the backpacking experience anyway.

I hiked to the top and back last year in under 11 hours and I did so with a 73 year young man I met at the trailhead. I am 44 and thought I would be a senior on the trail and was very surprised to be one of the younger hikers. I truly believe that hiking is a fountain of youth!