Mt. Whitney Take Two

Two months ago Anil and I climbed Mt. Whitney, which at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) is the highest peak in the contiguous US. Getting to the Mt. Whitney summit isn't actually that difficult, as it doesn't involve a technical climb, just hiking. Still, not many people reach the summit, defeated either by Whitney's elevation or the length of the hike (it's 22 miles, round trip).

I'm proud to say that not only Anil and I reached the summit without any trouble, but also we didn't feel tired at all or had any pains the next day. It's great to know that our middle-aged bodies are still capable of such physical effort.

In few minutes I'm leaving for another backpacking expedition in the Sierras, which will also culminate in the climb of Mt. Whitney. But this time I'll be hiking over 120 miles, carrying tent, sleeping bag, mattress, food and all other supplies needed for the hike. All of these come to about 44 pounds and my camera weighs another six, so it'll be somewhat tough.

Wish me luck and don't get worried if you don't hear from me for a week or two. I won't have Internet nor phone reception.

Two photos from Mt. Whitney summit that we took in June this year.

See America–More Statistics

As a follow up to the previous post about the national parks in the United States that I explored within the last six-and-a-half years I decided to also map all the US states that I visited within last decade (I visited some of the states before I moved to the US).

As of 2013¹, the United States of America consists of 50 states and one federal district (Washington, D.C.²). So far I have visited 29 out of 51 of these units and I'd love to have the opportunity to visit the remaining 22 states within next several years.

I live in the most populous state (California) and just a month ago I visited the least populous state (Wyoming). This year I was vacationing in the two newest states–Hawaii and Alaska–which were admitted to the Union only in 1959. Alaska is also the largest state by area. Rhode Island is the smallest and–to the best of my knowledge–I haven't set my foot there yet.

Here's a map showing the states I visited (colors have no meaning, they were randomly assigned by the software that generated the map). I hope to color the remaining white spots within next five years but I might have hard time convincing my husband to travel there with me. Maybe it's a trip that I need to take by myself.

US states that I visited are shown in color.

¹ On May 15, 2013, non-voting Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico asked Congress to admit Puerto Rico as the 51st state.
² The District of Columbia doesn't have full statehood rights, as it was the intention of the Founding Fathers that the United States capital should be at a neutral site.

See America–Mid-2013 Update

Even though for me traveling is about journey not destination, having numerical data on the national parks and other federally protected areas in the US that I have visited during last six and a half years appeals to my overly organized nature. So here it comes. Again.

The United States has 59 national parks and 103 national monuments. The oldest national park is Yellowstone (established in 1872) and the youngest is Pinnacles National Park (2013). Most national parks are located in California (nine), followed by Alaska (eight), Utah (five) and Colorado (four).

I have been to 41 out of 59 national parks (to most more than once, see the list below). Each single one of these parks was beautiful and inspiring in its own way. And each single one of them made me feel grateful to the Mother Nature for creating such amazing wonders, as well as to the Americans who had enough foresight to recognize the importance of protecting these places and making them easily accessible to anybody willing to step out of their home.


Here is the list of national parks in the US and the dates when I visited them.

Parks of the Colorado Plateau:

Arches National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), and 2013 (summer)
Bryce Canyon National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2010 (summer), and 2012 (spring and winter)
Canyonlands National Park - visited in 2008 (summer), 2012 (winter), 2013 (summer)
Capitol Reef National Park - visited in 2008 (summer)
Grand Canyon National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2009 (spring), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and winter)
Great Basin National Park - visited in 2013 (spring) Mesa Verde National Park - visited in 2008 (summer) and 2012 (winter)
Petrified Forest National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Saguaro National Park - visited in 2013 (spring)
Zion National Park - visited in 2006 (fall), 2008 (summer), 2012 (spring) and 2013 (winter)


Parks of the Southwest:

Big Bend National Park - not visited yet
Carlsbad Caverns National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Guadalupe Mountains National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)


Parks of the Pacific Southwest:

National Park of American Samoa - not visited yet
Channel Islands National Park - visited in 2010 (fall)
Death Valley National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2011 (fall) and 2012 (spring)
Haleakala National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - visited in 2013 (spring)
Joshua Tree National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2010 (summer), 2012 (spring and fall)
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park - visited in 2009 (summer)
Yosemite National Park - visited in 2007 (fall), 2009 (spring, summer, and fall), 2011 (spring and summer), 2012 (winter)
Pinnacles National Park - visited in 2008 (fall), 2011 (spring), and 2012 (fall)


Parks of the Pacific Northwest:

Crater Lake National Park - visited in 2011 (summer) and 2012 (fall)
Lassen Volcanic National Park - visited in 2010 (summer)
Mount Rainier National Park - visited in 2011 (summer)
North Cascades National Park - not yet, likely next year on the way to Alaska
Olympic National Park - visited in 2011 (summer)
Redwood National Park - visited in 2005 (spring) and 2011 (summer)


Parks of Alaska:

Denali National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Katmai National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kenai Fjords National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park


Parks of the Rocky Mountains:

Badlands National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Grand Teton National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Great Sand Dunes National Park -visited in 2010 (summer)
Rocky Mountain National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Theodore Roosevelt National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Glacier National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Wind Cave National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)
Yellowstone National Park - visited in 2013 (summer)


Parks of the East:

Acadia National Park - not explored yet at all
Biscayne National Park - visited in 2011/2012 (winter)
Congaree National Park - not explored yet at all
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - not explored yet at all
Dry Tortugas National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Everglades National Park - visited in 2011 (winter)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - not explored yet at all
Hot Springs National Park - not explored yet at all
Isle Royale National Park - not explored yet at all
Mammoth Cave National Park - not explored yet at all
Shenandoah National Park - not explored yet at all
Virgin Islands National Park - not explored yet at all
Voyageurs National Park - not explored yet at all


I've also been to 35 out of 103 national monuments (Aztec Ruins, NM, Bandelier, NM, Cabrillo, CA, California Coastal, CA, Canyon de Chelly, AZ, Canyons of the Ancients, CO, Carrizo Plain, CA, Casa Grande Ruins, AZ, Cedar Breaks, UH, Chiricahua, AZ, Colorado, CO, Devil's Postpile, CA, Devils Tower, WY, Giant Sequoia, CA, Grand Staircase-Escalante, UH, Hovenweep, CO+UH, Jewel Cave, SD, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, NM, Lava Beds, CA, Montezuma Castle, AZ, Mount St. Helens, WA, Muir Woods, CA, Natural Bridges, UH, Navajo, AZ,  Organ Pipe Cactus, AZ, Rainbow Bridge, UH, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, CA, Sonoran Desert, AZ, Sunset Crater Volcano, AZ, Tuzigoot, AZ, Vermilion Cliffs, AZ, Walnut Canyon, AZ, White Sands, NM, World War II Valor in the Pacific (HI part), Wupatki, AZ), 5 out of 18 national preserves (Denali, AZ, Katmai, AZ, Great Sand Dunes, CO; Mojave, CA; Big Cypress), 6 out of 46 national historic parks (Boston NHP, MA, Chaco Culture NHP, NM, Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP, HI, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP, HI, San Francisco Maritime NHP, CA, Lewis and Clark NHP, OR), 5 out of 18 national recreation areas (Glen Canyon NRA, UH+AZ, Lake Mead NRA, NV+AZ, Golden Gate NRA, CA, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, CA, Whiskeytown NRA, CA), 1 out of 10 national seashores (Point Reyes, CA), and to none of 4 national lakeshores, 5 national rivers, 10 national wild and scenic rivers, 3 national reserves, 9 national parkways.

Actually, I do not aspire to see most of those places (e.g. majority of the historic sites sound pretty boring to me...) but I guess I would love to see all of the national parks. It looks like it will be a 10-year project!

Moreover, I would love to visit all 21 World Heritage Sites located in the US. As 13 of them are national parks, it shouldn't be too difficult. (The national parks on the list are: Carlsbad Caverns, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes, Mammoth Cave, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Olympic, Redwood, Glacier, Wrangell-Glacier Bay NPs).

Remaining 8 positions on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are:

Pueblo de Taos, NM - visited in 2010
Chaco Culture, NM - visited in 2012
Statue of Liberty
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, IL
Independence Hall
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
Papahānaumokuākea

So far I've been to 12 out of 21 of World Heritage Sites, and I hope to be able to visit remaining 9 within next five years.