If somebody called you at 9 in the morning, panting, breathing heavy and talking about body parts feeling like the size of walnuts, you’d probably hang up and call the cops. But this morning, it was just Brian calling while on a fruitless salmon hunt at Mt. Whitney base camp. So, I let him pant and talk and I grabbed a pen.

SqueezeOC staffers Brian and Jessica have been training diligently for the climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney—the highest peak in the continental United States. When Brian arrived at base camp yesterday to let me know that he planned on blogging (meaning he would call and dictate his posts to me.), reception seemed great , except that he said he had to balance on a tree branch to get it. If you know Brian, then you probably don’t doubt that it’s true.

He wrote the following last night and dictated it to me this morning as he hiked to a river that a ranger told him was 5 miles from base camp. He set off at 6 a.m. and at 9:30 when he called he was tired, almost out of water, lugging two fishing poles and a backpack, and wondering whether the ranger (who said he was sure of the directions even though he hadn’t been up there himself in 30 years) was right. But Brian was dedicated to catching some salmon for lunch, so he was persevering.

Here’s his post dated Sunday, June 3.

“After a drive through the dessert where the temperatures reached almost 100 degrees, I’ve arrived at Mt. Whitney base camp. I’m covered in sweat. The campground is in the shadow of Whitney and temperatures here are in the 60s. We’re expecting overnight lows in the 30s by Wednesday.

My hands and arms are already covered in bug guts. When I opened my car door, mosquitoes attacked every inch of exposed skin on my body. The pesky varmints even punched through my shirt. I probably look like I have measles. Still, I’d rather be here covered in bug guts and bites than buried in press releases at work.

I’m expecting the rest of the 5- member Mt. Whitney team (including Jessica and Orange County Register staffer Shawn Price and Paul Bersebach) Monday afternoon. I decided to get to camp a day early for some peace and quiet before sharing the next 100 hours with the team.

Our campsite, number 43, is one of best in Whitney Portal. Lone Pine Creek is 20 feet from the tent. Towering pines shade the site and our closest neighbor is more than 50 feet away. The only downside: The creek’s roar is apocalyptically loud. In my tent, as I set up my sleeping bag, I felt like I was in a lion’s stomach.

After I set up camp, I went on a trail run so my body could acclimate to the 8,000 foot elevation at base camp. Two miles into the run I felt the effects of the altitude. I felt dizzy, my eyeballs felt like they were popping out of their sockets and my lungs felt like they had shrunk to the size of walnuts. I took a 5 minute break and felt a little better. Since I ran out of water, I didn’t want to push my limits anymore. I went back to camp and took it easy.

It’s 6 p.m. now, I plan on hitting the hay in a couple of hours so I can fish in the morning. Hopefully, next time I can tell you about my big catch.”

To read about how Brian and Jessica trained and prepared for their Mt. Whitney adventure, click here.

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