(all images are clickable for a larger version)
The next morning I had a late start around 10 am but I was not in a hurry: my destination today was Guitar Lake, the Mt Whitney “base camp”, just 8 miles away, and through decent terrain.
I fully went up to Guyot Pass (10.900 ft) and then followed the PCT further through a wonderful landscape until the Crabtree Meadow Trail leading to the ranger station.
There is a large campsite which was nearly empty because of the high snow reaching into July, and thus few southbound hikers at the end of their thru-hike. And it has a privy!
Crabtree Meadow (10.600 ft) is also the boarder to the Mt Whitney area so a friendly ranger checked my permit. The hike from there until Guitar Lake (11.500 ft) passes the Timberline Lake while the landscape gets more alpine again.
One could see the “red snow” which colour stems from algae.
When I arrived at the lake I was not alone – more than 10 tents already set up at various sites, but I easily found a place for myself. After a Mountain House dinner I tried to sleep for an early start tomorrow.