Joe and Herm's Excellent Whitney Adventure

Joe saw a t-shirt that said, "I climbed Mt. Whitney" and, being Joe, asked "Why are there so many t-shirts that say 'IclimbedMtWhitney'? So, doing some research, he discovered that climbing Mt. Whitney is a big business. You apply for a three-day permit that allows you to depart the entryway at 8900 feet and, The Mountain Gods willing, walk to 14,000 feet after an 11 mile trek.

Well, Joe being Joe, he said to Seren, "I can do this!" Seren, having known Joe for more years than is good for her, said, "Who will you get to go with you?"

Joe pondered the question for the shortest measurable period of time in the known universe and said, "Herm!"

Well, as it turns out, Herm will try anything. So, several months later, Joe and Herm head for the mountain with hundreds of dollars of survival gear and only three brain cells between them. They start at 8900 feet and embark on an eleven mile hike to 14,000 feet. At least that's the plan. They did really well and we're really proud of them. (Our collection for the widows will be recycled by Marilyn into wine and cheese for future parties.)

There are better captions for the photos but you have to sit and listen to the stories and I'm sure that if you spend any time with Joe in the next ten years you will have a chance to help him relive the entire adventure. (Ask him what the pictures mean. It's my website and I get to be as sarcastic as I want. Deal with it.)

The Explorers	Cute hat, dontchathink?	Herm always looks good in shorts, boots and a running hat.	The infamous Bear Can. It only holds a quarter of a bear and it falls a lot.
Herm doing what any sensible person would do after hiking a mountain.	Herm demonstrating the proper way to ford a stream. The boyz did discover another way to ford a stream and it prompted a Ranger to ask, "Did it on purpose?"	Joe just has to have a stained glass window in every dwelling.	Herm is filling the empty Arrowhead Spring Water Bottles at the source. Verry tricky, this Herm guy. Pack empty bottles in and charge Joe a buck a bottle to have a drink.
This is the same lake that Herm is filling his bottles from. Nobody told him that only moments before, Joe was dipping his tootsies in the water.	A view.	Another view.	Joe pondering "What ever possessed me to do this?"
Joe pondering again.	Yet another view.	This is granite. It is not snow. Who gives a shit? It's way up and hard to climb.	One of the many shots of somebody standing on one leg in the mountains. Given that the stylish hat has an overall brim, we'll infer it is Joe.
A view with an intrusion.	A meadow view with a stream.		Yet another roaring stream lying in wait for a clumsy climber.