Celebrating their 50th birthdays, two Navy veterans and members of American Legion Adjutant Post 552 in North Pacific Beach recently participated in a rite of passage: scaling Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the Lower 48 at 14,505 feet.
Jonathan Owens and Travis Methvin climbed Mt. Whitney to 12,000 feet in early June but unfortunately were forced to turn back by thunderstorms. This was not their first time climbing California’s highest peak, both having reached the top in June 2022.
San Diego Community Newspaper Group caught up with the friends to talk to them about what it means to be a “14er” (climbs above 14,000 feet) and what the experience meant to them.
Methvin, who turned 50 while on Mt. Whitney, noted the actual climb up and down takes 20 hours or more and is 11 miles each way with substantial elevation. “The first four miles is pretty calm,” he said. “But the next two miles, it’s 1,000 feet per mile as you’re going up.”
For Owen, it was his third attempt to summit Mt. Whitney and a lifelong ambition. “I spend my time trying to push myself to climb things like this,” he said adding, “There are a lot of people who do it every year.”
Owen pointed out that climbing Mt. Whitney is no joke. “There have been famous climbers who died at 12,000 feet, so the altitude makes it a unique challenge.”
Both men agreed conquering Mt. Whitney was something special.
“It’s an iconic destination that’s on the bucket list of everyone who’s into outdoor sports,” Methvin said noting the town of Lone Pine, near the start of the climb, is also famous for “all the old Westerns that were shot there including some John Wayne films, spaghetti westerns, and the old Lone Ranger TV series.”
“I would encourage anyone to get out and push themselves out of their comfort zones,” urged Owen. “You can do it if you want to push your body and mind.”
But Owen warned, “Make sure you know what you’re doing and you have the right equipment, and learn how to use it properly.”
There is a big payoff near the top of the peak, added Owen. “There is nothing quite like watching a sunrise at 12,000 feet,” he said. “It’s truly spectacular, and you meet a lot of great people (along the way).”
Is scaling Mount Whitney worth the effort?
“A the end of it (climb) there is a huge sense of pride and accomplishment,” noted Methvin adding, “You can only get cell service if you make the summit, and then you can call family and friends. It makes it that much more special to be able to share it with people.”
But Methvin cautioned, “Altitude sickness is a real thing. Don’t try to do it (climb) in a day. Camp overnight and give your body time to not exert itself. The altitude really can start to affect you making it difficult to breathe, and it can give you headaches and dizziness.”
Owen noted this year’s unsuccessful Mt. Whitney summit attempt was extra challenging because heavy snowfalls can “definitely make the trail hard to follow, and this year it wasn’t there (at all). He added he was prepared to wear crampons (metal-spike boots) for climbing while carrying an ice ax, neither of which protected possible thunderstorm lightning strikes. He advised if something like that happens during your climb, “to turn around. You can always go back and do it again another time.”
Owen had this one last piece of advice. “Whether your dreams be big or small, every step forward is a step they take toward that greatness they are hoping for,” he said. “And don’t be afraid to fail. Even if you do, you’re still going to learn something.”
Both men intend to tackle Mt. Whitney again.
MT. WHITNEY
Located in the Sierra Nevadas, Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. The granite that forms it is part of the Sierra Nevada Batholith. In Cretaceous times, masses of molten rock rose underneath Mt. Whitney and solidified underground to form large expanses of granite. In the last 2 to 10 million years, the Sierra was pushed up, enabling glacial and river erosion to strip the upper layers of rock to reveal the resistant granite beneath. Named for state geologist Josiah Whitney in 1864, the mountain was called Too-man-i-goo-yah, meaning “the very old man,” by Pie Ute Native Americans. They believed the Great Spirit who presides over the destiny of their people once had his home there.
