Successfully hike Mount Whitney with the highly informative guide that helps you prepare and provides the details you need to know.

As the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, California's 14,505-foot Mount Whitney is on the ?life list? of many hikers. And it's no wonder: The views from the top of the 21-mile-round-trip Mount Whitney Trail are unbeatable, extending across the jagged granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the expansive Owens River Valley and beyond.

While tremendously rewarding, this hike is demanding. You must prepare for the altitude, long distance, elevation gain, mountain weather, and other potential dangers. One Best Hike: Mount Whitney by experienced hiker and author Elizabeth Wenk is a step-by-step guide that tells you how to tackle this trip with confidence.

Inside you'll find:

• Advice on proper physical conditioning?including hikes for altitude training
• Details on finding your pace, what to pack, when to start, how to get permits, and trail safety
• Helpful maps and tables to identify campsites and water sources, plus a panorama to help identify peaks from the summit
• Dozens of photos so you know what to expect

One Best Hike: Mount Whitney, with its can-do approach, nuts-and-bolts advice, and practical tips, is your first step toward a truly special hiking adventure.

Elizabeth Wenk has hiked and climbed in the Sierra Nevada with her family since childhood. After she started college, she found excuses to spend every summer in the Sierra, with its beguiling landscape, abundant flowers, and near-perfect weather. During those summers, she worked as a research assistant and completed her Ph.D. thesis research on the effects of rock type on alpine plant distribution and physiology. She lives in Sydney, Australia.