A timeline of the top dogs

Mt. Whitney has posed a significant challenge since it was first ascended in 1873.

The first conquest of Whitney turned out to be of Mt. Langley, by Clarence King (1871).

John Muir was the first to climb Whitney from the Mountaineer’s Route (Oct. 21, 1873).

First women to summit: Hope Broughton, Mary Martin, Anna Mills, Mrs. Redd, on Aug. 3, 1878.

First scientific use of summit: Professor Samuel Langley for solar observations (August 1881).

First overnight summit stay: Capt. Otho Michaelis and company (Sept. 2, 1881).

First climb of the 1,500-foot East Face: Robert Underhill, Norman Clyde, Glen Dawson, Jules Eichorn (1931).

Whitney’s rank on the highest U.S. peaks list: At 14,496.81 feet, it’s 17th, after 16 mountains in Alaska, led by Denali at No. 1 -- 20,320 feet.