Joshua Montoya: A Starry Camping Trip & the Healing Power of Nature

As we drove near Bishop we noticed a streak of light to our left and realized it was Neowise, the comet everyone has been talking about. We carefully pulled to the side of the road, exited the car, and also noticed the Milky Way above us. It was a sight to see, both Neowise and the Milky Way lighting up the sky.

At 11:30 pm, we finally arrive at our campsite. We quickly put up our tents and began making burgers and bacon-wrapped hot hogs for our late dinner. According to all of my friends, I make some delicious food. So if you're ever in need of a cook for your next camping trip, you know what to do.

It was 2 am when my friends headed to their tents. While they slept, I grabbed my camera and tripod and took some photos of the Milky Way. As I was standing out there all alone in complete darkness and watching the sky filled with bright stars, my heart was quickly filled with gratitude.

3 am hit, I knew I had to call it a night.

5 am, our alarms go off and we begin our day. We decided to head over to the Whitney portal and finish at Lone Pine Lake, a 6.5-mile hike. I thought this was a great way to acclimate and get a taste of this mountain before my summit to Mt. Whitney in September.

The views through this entire hike were spectacular, but it got better when we reached the lake. The water was like a mirror reflecting the sun and mountains around it.

Around 11 am we finally make it down the mountain and headed back to camp to finish up the remainder of our food. It was at this time where we reflected on our trip and began remembering our past adventures.

See you in September, Mt. Whitney!