Arriving in South Lake Tahoe to begin a personal challenge of a supported bike packing adventure from South Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney, I started the trip with hiking Freel Peak. My goal was to start at the Freel Peak trailhead and hike to the top for sunset, but that didn't happen. Getting a late start, my journey to the tallest peak in Lake Tahoe ended in the dark, but that is okay, I brought a head lamp.
After tromping my way to the summit it in the dark, I set up my tent and hunkered down from the cold and the wind. Before hiding, I set up my camera to snap images of the milky way. Honestly, I am kind of a shit show up here on the peak. The late start and quick packing meant I left behind some critical gear, like gloves. But, that didn’t stop me from attempting to enjoy my solo night camping on top of Freel Peak. If you are looking for a little story, here is a hiking Freel Peak recap from my journal:
I am on the summit of Freel Peak in my tent, tucked away in my sleeping bag, as it is freezing outside. The wind is so strong the it is causing my tent to slap me in the face as I write this hiking recap in my journal. I forgot gloves in the van, so my hands went as I set up my camera and the tent. They tingle, is that what frost bite feels like? I don’t think so, they aren’t blue. Anyways, I think the night is going to be cold. Like very cold. I left all of my warm layers in the van and only have a puffy jacket and base layers. I’m an idiot LOL. The sleeping bag I have is a bit large for me, so I need to figure out a way to fill the extra space, otherwise I am going to be miserable.
Dang! The pulsing tingle from my fingers makes for an uncomfortable time writing. Let’s not think about that…
The sunset while hiking Freel Peak exploded into a beautiful orange… drooling just thinking about how pretty this sunset was in Lake Tahoe. I wonder who else watched it? Did they see the shimmering light at the lake level, or was it just those foolish enough to be on the side of the mountain who got to watch the color show? Clouds always make for the best sunsets!
Currently, I have the camera set up in the freezing cold taking a timelapse of the milky way over the tent, I hope it turns out [NOTE: IT DOESN’T]. The cloud coverage has started to block the Milky Way, so we shall see what comes out. It’s always funny to me that I sit inside of my tent as my camera does all of the work, in the freezing cold. It’s just so cold out there I couldn’t imagine standing there my camera snaps 240 images.
The late start really got me. While I made the summit of Freel in just a couple of hours, making the summit in the dark is kinda anti-climatic. I couldn’t see any of the stunning views, nor could I enjoy the night sky because the temperatures are just to cold for the layers that I have with me. Mistake! Oh well! I am happy that I have this sleeping bag and will get to watch an awesome sunrise tomorrow morning from the summit of Freel Peak. This was a great start to a very challenging trip ahead of me!
The overall goal of the Freel to Whitney Challenge is to hike Freel Peak, ride a bike to Mount Whitney, then climb Mount Whitney. In total, the journey took six days, but we didn’t make it to the summit of Whitney sadly. Watch all six episodes and experience the Freel Peak to Mount Whitney challenge.
Check out Day 2 of the Freel to Whitney Challenge by clicking here
