White Mountain Peak

September 3, 2022 / 14,252’

RT STATS: TOTAL TIME - 6 HR & 43 MIN, 15.24 MILES, AND 3,354’ ELEVATION GAIN

TIME STATS: 3 HR & 22 MIN TO SUMMIT, 35 MIN AT SUMMIT, 2 HR & 46 MIN BACK TO TH

RATING (HOW MUCH I LIKED THE HIKE): 7/10

So, to pick up following the Mt. Whitney post, Friday, September 2nd was a “rest day” between Whitney and White Mountain Peak. What did we do on this “rest day”? Well, OF COURSE, we had to check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest first and foremost. Bristlecone pine trees are the oldest trees in the world…some of the trees are apparently 4,000+ years old. We drove around a lot and walked a decent amount checking out areas. Other notable things: mexican food at Roberto’s Cafe in Mammoth Lakes, checking out a very scenic track in Mammoth Lakes, driving up to the area near Yosemite, and eating Subway in Bishop (lol, so notable).

The next morning, I wake up at 4:47am (yes, I remember this over a week later), and, go ahead and get up (you’re welcome, Dad). We had set alarms for 5:30am, but might as well get up! We didn't have to start White Mountain Peak very early because it was going to be a (relatively) short day and the weather forecasts looked great. We left the hotel in Bishop at 5:20am and arrive at the trailhead just after 7am. I frankly did not feel good at all on the way to the trailhead and the bumpy road didn’t help much. After eating my breakfast (cinnamon raisin pb bagel and extra cheddar goldfish), I felt much better. There was about 20 other cars at the trailhead. We started the hike at 7:30am. As I told my dad multiple times during the trip, I am low-key obsessed with all of the signs that have “California” on it...since I have never been to California before this trip, it was just cool seeing it. Hence, check out the “University of California” sign picture.

This hike reminded me of a combination of Mt. Antero and San Luis Peak—2 14ers in Colorado. It reminds me ofAntero in that a lot of the hike was technically up a 4WD road (although it doesn’t really feel like that when you are actually hiking it) and San Luis Peak in that it was about the same distance/elevation gain/total time hiking. 2 miles/46 minutes in, we passed the University of California Weather Station and, another 15 minutes/0.60 miles later, we passed the Observatory.

For the next hour+, it was just a steady, easy hike. White Mountain Peak has about 500’ descent on the way up to the summit (meaning 500’ to gain on the way back to the TH). All of any descending we did ended at the 5.5 mile mark/2 hours and 12 minutes in. At this point, White Mountain Peak felt a lot more like an actual hike than a walk up at high elevation.

3 hours and 22 minutes later, we reached the summit of White Mountain Peak. We stayed up there for 35 minutes before descending. There is a hut on the top and I suggested that we go the other side of the hut to have the summit to ourselves in a way. It was interesting that everyone stayed on one side of the summit…I don’t get it. Anyways, my dad will get this joke….I don’t like the name “Gustavo” after this hike.

The descent wasn’t anything special. We decided that we would go to Upper Crust Pizza in Bishop afterwards and I hammered the uphill sections on the way back to get them over with. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoy the elevation gain haha.

15.24 miles/6 hours and 43 minutes later, we finished the hike! 2nd California 14er and 57th 14er overall complete :). After this, we drove to Upper Crust Pizza. I got a bowl of Minestrone soup and had a veggie pizza. My dad got spaghetti….who doesn’t get pizza at a pizza place?! Insanity.

After this, we got ready for the rodeo and I got some gelato at Erick Shact’s Bakery. After this, we drove over to the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair. It was quite the experience. We went there to the rodeo…10/10.

To sum up the last day of the trip, Sunday, September 4th, we drove back into the Vegas area. Such a pretty drive, but made me sad to be leaving the mountains. How to sum up this day? Let me go ahead and say, I am one and done with checking out Vegas. It was entertaining, but also shocking (in a bad way).

Drive from Bishop to Vegas, Chipotle, check into Circus Circus hotel, very short hike (3.5 miles) at Red Rock Canyon Park, back to Vegas, walk down the Vegas Strip to OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, walk back to Circus Circus from Outback, see a circus act, and go to bed. Then, wake up 4 hours later to get ready for the flight back to Greenville.

I am shocked people actually like Vegas and go on vacation there. Very interesting to actually see it, but I would never go back…I mean, we were only there because we had flights out of LAS at 6am the next morning. We did not fit in AT ALL walking down the Vegas Strip. Like, I have never felt more out-of-place in my life (note: I don’t care, I just didn’t quite Vegas to be as “extra” (for lack of a better word) as it was. Anyways, this was such a fun trip. Enjoy the pictures of this last day below. :) )