Mt Whitney

IMG_2984, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Mt Whitney was named after Josiah Whitney, the state geologist of California, and was first climbed by Charles Begole, A. H. Johnson, and John Lucas, in 1873. This picture shows the east face of the peak. The west face lies within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park. Just 76 miles east of Mt Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, lies Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, which is the lowest point in North America.