Our first night in the cabin was Sunday, July 4th, so on Saturday, we decided to get a hotel in Bishop, and at least get part of the way.

Virginia Lakes is a bit past the turn off to Yosemite (Tioga Pass). You go up the steep hill past Mono Lake to Conway Summit, and at the very top you take a left turn and go up even higher. The cabins sit at approximately 9800 feet. The trailhead out of there goes to a summit at 11,500 feet that Jane and I have hiked to a number of times.

I drove my truck to an area I've never been to, in the 35 years I've been visiting this area. I picked her up at a plateau near Mount Dunderberg, that was above timber line. I didn't know that any 4 wheel drive roads in the near vacinity of our cabin went up that high. I didn't have my camera, but Jane took a photo of us sitting in the suburban while hiking down, that still hasn't been developed.

As far as altitude sickness, I hope that we never get it to the degree your wife has it. It would be really hard to not be able to go up there. But, as we get older, the effects are more apparent.

Here is a photo Jane took of me at Cooney Lake. This is about a mile into the Hoover Wilderness on the Trail coming out of Big Virginia Lake. It is probably a little better than 10,000 feet in elevation: