July 4, 2011- I was in the middle of an 800-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail and this was our first full day in the Sierras. We'd gotten held up at Crabtree Meadows by a thunderstorm, so we didn't get up to Guitar Lake (11,460') at the base of Mount Whitney until early evening. As we made the final push to the lake I turned around and saw this scene unfolding behind us. That night I went to sleep as a sliver of moon shined overhead, surrounded by towering peaks and some of the dearest friends I would ever have.