That was the first utterance I heard as I strolled through the parking lot at the Mount Whitney trailhead earlier ... but all the way up the notorious 99 switchbacks, where hikers gain 1,800 ...

I was lacing up my hiking boots by 12:05 a.m. “We’ve started up a few switchbacks on the old Mount Whitney Trail. I’m already too hot and have to ditch my insulated jacket. Just passed a ...

But the climbing you’re doing to train for Mt. Whitney starts in earnest on the Jones Peak Trail, which rises through chaparral and sage scrub in relentless switchbacks on its way to the summit.