Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Setting the Age Standard - We Should Be So Lucky

After all the recent controversy, I thought it was time to be reminded of how lucky we are to be able to share the Sierra - and realize that it really does become a wonderful addiction.

Not Mt. Whitney - but an inspiration to all us old farts. I was coming out of Sierra over Army Pass after a 16-day solo loop in 2008. Ran into a group of 3 from Utah - two brothers, 86 and 80, and a 63 old son of one of them. They had just spent 4 days climbing Mt. Langley (14K+). They continued down the trail as I rested, but I soon caught up with the 86 year old (the two "younger" guys had gone on ahead) slowly negotiating the log over the fairly fast moving stream near Golden Trout Camp. He looked back at me and said, "Sorry sonny (I'm 66), but I go a bit slower now after two strokes and three heart attacks." My instant hero. He may end up dead on the trail some day, but he didn't care.

We encountered an 87-year-old gent coming out over Piute Pass after a 3-week backpack. He looked in pretty good shape - and very happy.

I did a 60 mile, solo hike, this past July: Mosquito Flat/Mono Pass to Pine Creek. It wasn't always easy, at 71, but very personally rewarding. But a little disconcerting to be addressed as "sir" by several young backpackers...ha ha.

Our local mortician is going to hike with me next year...I guess it pays to be prepared! If there are any other geezers in the Owens Valley who would like to join me for some serious hiking, let me know: dustrunner6@msn.com.

Bob West
Bishop, CA

I took my mother, 83 at the time, on her first bp trip 6 years ago. She's a bit too wobbly at 89 to backpack now but still has her crony friends in awe of the fact she did a bp trip at all. A 3 dayer. She got to sleep in a tent, dig cat holes, and all the fun bug stuff.

Well, I am 52 and I do hope that I am out and about with my wife on some trail in the Gr8 Yd Opn in our seventies and eighties.

I (we) don't want to sit on our duffs watching t.v. like our folks. We want to get up, get out, get going and get it done. I don't want to die in a hospital or at home surrrounded by family and friends. I want to die in the Gr8 Yd Opn surrounded by mountains and trees and my remains cremated and scattered to the breeze.

I remember seeing a couple of months ago a Japanese bodybuilder who was 74 years old. My God! The man had a body that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger envious! He was so humble during the interview. If he can do it, so can I.

If the 80 yo's can do it, then that is incentive for us to do it as well.

Have fun!

Last summer I was descending from trail camp and met a fellow hiker going up at trailside meadow. We stopped to chat and he ask how old I thought he was, turned out he was 86. His big concern? He had lost his comb and wanted to buy one from me, was a bit upset what everyone might think of his mussed hair. While we talked he busied himself with a bit of trail maintenance, clearing small rocks from the path. I sure hope that I can stroll up Whitney when I'm in my 80's.

+ @ti2d
You and I are "puppies" at 52! I did my first marathon at 40 (Wild Wild West).

I used to take my mom fishing after she lost both her legs. She'd be out there next to the Owens River or a lake we could reach via her Wheel Chair! You can't imagine the looks she would get, sitting next to lake in her wheel chair, fishing pole in hand, oxygen tank attached to the back of the chair......and trying to reel a trout in. She was 76 at the time. She loved the Sierra's and asked me to take her there "one last time". I hope to God, I have as much strength and will as she had.

I love this thread and am sending it off to friends.

Add one more to the 52 YO puppy list . . .

Guess we should organize a "Full Deck of Cards Minus the Jokers" hike!

Then, we can make plans for a "Double Decker" and show the 80 yo's how its done!

Get up off that!

Have fun!

My next trip to CA will be in late February for my annual week camping/hiking Death Valley. Let's get together in Lone Pine and bug Doug.

In early September three of us hiked up to Kearsearge Pass for lunch. I was the baby at 61, my two friends are closer to 70. We passed a group of three on the way up - they had big packs with technical gear - and hadn't quite made the Pass upon our return. We visited with one fellow - he was in his 70's, who was waiting for his brother - in his 80's - to catch up.

Hikers in their 70's seem to be more commonplace this days - (or perhaps I'm more aware of them the closer I get to 70) but those in their 80's less so. Perhaps in the next few years 80-somethings will become commonplace, with the occasional 90-something.

It's like when you buy a new car. You start seeing the same model all over the place.

May I join the list? I'll turn the magic 52 next month...

Another full-decker - we're everywhere! And all this time my wife was convinced I wasn't playing with a full deck. Maybe we should start a hiking club called the Full Deck Puppies. That has a short shelf life though. At 53 and 54 we could change the name to . . . what? The Jaunting Jokers?

You must have a nice boss! Then again, maybe, you are the boss!

Heck I am still playing "52 Pick Up" meaning I dropped my cards and I am still trying to pick them up. Ouch, my back! Dang it!

Bulldog34: The Pokey Jaunting Poker Jokers. I better stop there.

Sierra Addict: Anyone over 50 can join!

Okay, we can let you "young-uns" in on the action, too. Age ain't nuttin' but a number, right? Just don't go too fast.

Seriously, a couple of years ago, I had a bad case of sciatica. Stupid herniated disc. Then I find out it could possibly be my iliopsoas. I am better now.

I was thinking of a club called the Sierra Sciatica Social or something to that effect.

Have fun.

You might need a physical therapist along. I'll see if I can find you one...

Thank you booger for beginning this post as it was delightful and inspirational to read.

I once wondered if I was too old to ever dream of climbing Everest (a big dream I acknowledge) so I did a google search on age and stumbled upon this copy. Thought it may be appropriate here:

There are many opinions on age. You can’t do this, you shouldn’t do that. At 16 you are too young, at 60 you are too old, in between you should act as an adult. So when IS your time?

The way we see it, we are OK for anything - at anytime!
Medical research shows that the average male physical peak performance is in his late twenties, female in mid-thirties. This is - if you don’t do anything about it. Because research also proves that people caring for their bodies with proper lifestyle, nutrition and training, maintain near peak performance levels throughout their entire lives!

We started climbing at 32 and summited Everest at 40. We have trained Karate with men 50 years old and strong as grizzlies. We've been by- passed on the mountains by climbers 60+ of age, crossed the Atlantic ocean in a small sailing boat, just to get greeted on the other side by a tough 70+ female aboard her boat. If you think that you are too old for everything at 35 - think again.

It’s never too late, you can accomplish everything you want - as long as you put some work into it. Of course you could still die at 50. But by then you will have lived at your very best to the end. And filled your life to the brim similar of a 100-year old!
So no matter how old you are - if you dream to climb Everest, the time is now. The oldest Everest-climber we have met was 62 years. He looked forty and acted forty.

No excuses. Just do it.

Moosie...

Who did you have in mind?

I am, until I walk thru the front door ...

No complaints, though. She figured out how I could retire at 56, and we then moved from New England to the Eastern Sierra where we built a house for us and a yoga studio for her. I have pictures of her nailing OSB sheathing on her birthday two Februarys ago - said it was the best birthday she'd ever had.

Am not completely retired any longer, though. An east coast hiking organization asked me to manage a nomadic outdoor camp. This past summer was spent in the Oregon Cascades, near summer in B.C. My wife kids me that I had to retire in order to get my dream job. So, while I won't be doing RAGBRAI for a few years due to schedulig conflicts - have done it before and am confident I'll do it again. All in due time.

It's a tough job, but hey, somebody's got to do it!



There's a gifted commentator/storyteller in NH/VT who regales public radio listeners of his adventures. He and a group of his buds call themselves the "old GAS bags" - "Geriatric Adventure Society". Always thought that was rather clever.

+ @ti2d, I've been fortunate there - nothing over the years has been a barrier to my hiking addiction. Oh yeah, except the bad case of I'm-high-up-on-Whitney-where-the-hell-is-the-air-itis.