(lake below) Forester Pass 12600 ft - Guitar Lake 11440 ft ...16.6 miles
day 17 : 16 July 2003
  
  arid trek  
  spending the previous night just below Forester Pass at 12,600 ft was the highest camp we established throughout our journey on the JMT  
  
  
   
  16 miles  
  taking a break at the junction to Shepherd Pass... at this point we were a mere 16.1 miles from Mount Whitney  
  
  
   
  first glimpse  
  our first glimpse to the highest peak of the lower 48 states of the United States of America... Mount Wihtney  
  
  
   
  stepping stones  
  fording across Wright Creek on precarious stepping stones  
  
  
   
  amongst giants  
  Leon being dwarfed by the many mature pine trees in this forest  
  
  
   
  gang of four  
  Max Wilcox, Drake McDonald, Rene Aguilar, and Tito Menjivar... our friends on the JMT  
  
  
   
  couple  
  Natty and Kelvin having their lunch under the shade of the giant pine tree  
  
  
   
  zoom  
  Tito zooms ahead and in a moment dissappears into the woods  
  
  
   
  practice makes perfect  
  Alan and Steve practicing the art of reclination with the master  
  
  
   
  timberline lake  
  glancing towards the last challenge of our voyage... climbing the Sierra Crest one last time over Trail Crest  
  
  
   
  bouldering  
  at the fringe of the timberline where boulders and rocks dominate  
  
  
   
  meditating  
  like a giant radar antennae, Alan attempts to communicate with extraterrestrial beings  
  
  
   
  camp by the guitar  
  a perfect last campsite with a perfect view for our last night in the wilderness on the JMT  
  
  
   
  waterworks  
  harvesting the pristine fluids at the outlet of Guitar Lake  
  
  
   
  last supper  
  time for a feast as we emptied our canisters for one last grand meal in the wilderness