Mount Whitney
- Good for Kids:
- No
11 reviews for Mount Whitney
5 stars for being the highest point in the lower 48 states. The views at Trail Crest and the summit were breathtaking. And the marmots were cool. Don't let them steal your food though.
Like others have said, start early, especially if you have to deal with snow or ice. As of July 5, 2009, there was still a little bit of snow on the switchbacks, the cable section, and the final portion of Trail Crest before the summit. Ice axe and crampons weren't needed, but that was only because a well beaten path was already made through the snow by previous hikers and you could literally follow in their footsteps. Things slow down to a crawl on portions of the trail covered with snow, and for good reason. Slip and you might be saying goodbye. Also, there's generally only room for one person to go across when the trail is snow covered, so you have to wait for the person to finish crossing if you are going opposite directions. Finally, make sure you can get past the snow covered portions before nightfall, otherwise the snow can ice up.
All these things point to an early start, which generally means well before dawn. I didn't get to Whitney Portal until midnight, so I ended up sleeping in and didn't start until 6:45am. It turned out OK, but because I started so late, I was encountering a lot of hikers, mainly overnighters plus some dayhikers, coming down the mountain. And when this occured at a snow covered trail section, that meant waiting until they were finished crossing before I could go.
By the time I reached Trail Crest, around 1pm, the wind was really blowing, probably above 30 mph. Afternoon storms are a common occurence on Whitney, and lightning or a sudden snow storm is a real danger. That's why it's often recommended to get off the summit before the afternoon. However, the sky was still clear, and the weather reports I read suggested that it was probably going to remain clear all day, so I pushed on. Reached the summit a little after 3pm, so it took me 8.5 hours to ascend Whitney. A lot longer than I was expecting. The descent was fine though, since I was one of the last ones coming down and didn't need to wait for people to pass. Took about 6 hours to descend, so 14.5 hours total to cover 22 miles with over 6100' elevation gain via the Mount Whitney Trail. Finished around 9pm using the moonlight to see my way. Bringing a headlamp and using it is recommended though.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (4)
Amazing. Coolest experience of my life (and I've falled from planes and experienced the rapids...)
We began our hike close to 1am in August (we got the lottery for a perfect time of year!) We finished around 6pm. We hiked with headlamps and absolute darkness and beauty. I just can't quite describe the serenity and mystery there was in the hike. We reached the "99 switchbacks" -- not the fun part--- just around sunrise and filled up our camelbacks (we didn't filter, just iodine).
We reached summit around 10 a.m. and found many people along the way. There were birds and marmots at the peak and an EASY button (you know, the one from Staples!) at the top. Out of the 4 of us, one was minorly altitude sick. The rest of us were great... well... as great as you can be at the peak of the continental U.S.
As we were about 1 mile from the bottom on our way back, it began to rain. I just hoped the people at the summit weren't being struck by lightning.
Recommendations:
1. Begin super early.
2. You have to pick up your permit for after hours in this random lock-box. That was a little scary.
3. Bring lots of trail mix, clif bars (still haven't eaten one since and it's been 2 years...), and an orange. Just trust me on the orange. There's something about fresh fruit when you hike for that long eating only stale protein bars...it was my reward after coming back down from the 99 switchbacks...
4. Optional: I brought my crocs and hooked them to the outside of my camelback. Feet get super hot and sometimes it's nice to take a breather.
5. Wear thick socks. I wore ski socks and they were great.
6. Choose the water wisely. We definitely drank algae water because we couldn't see clearly at dawn.
7. Take photos and nothing else (cliche... but I don't care. I think others should also experience the glory)
8. Take your trash and unmentionable other items you bring. No one thinks it's cool to see garbage in nature.
9. DRINK lots of water and don't fear running out... you can always fill up with the fresh water sources.
10. Do it in one day. Camping may be great, but it's such an experience to do it in one day.
Have a great time!
I am a avid hiker/ Mountain Biker/Jeeper,OK I love the out doors you get the picture. I did many training hikes to prep myself for this one. 22 miles in under 24hrs. Got the needed permits We made our drive up 2 days early. We did various hiking around the area before the big hike. Tried to get to sleep around 9pm. Our plan was to start at 2am. Needless to say I was too excited to sleep. Around 2 am we started he hike we reached the summit 14497ft cooked some food and took many photos. The date of our hike was 8/22/07
The weather was great. There was fresh water on the switchbacks.
You need to uses a filter or steri pen to be safe
I carried 200+ oz of water. Missed the Burgers at the bottom so we returned the next day to get our shirts and signature food.
visit http://www.whitneyport.../
for the latest info and very good hiking prep info.
hope this was helpful
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
Oh Mount Whitney how I love thee...
You make me climax, moan, and leave me breathless.
You are thrilling, peaceful, and beautiful.
You make me want to scream on your peak
You stroke my senses and stroke them some more.
Oh Mount Whitney how I loathe thee...
You leave me sick, moaning, and.breathless
You are painful, relentless, and a beast.
You make me want to puke on your peak.
You kick my ass and then kick it some more.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (4)
LMAO, I can Yelp about a mountain!
My first trip to the area was to climb Whitney via the East Face and Russell via the Fishhook Arete. I camped and hiked in Onion Valley to acclimate before heading to Whitney Portal.
The hike in can be a route finding challenge for first timers, not that you could really get lost, but you can waste a good deal of time. Negotiating the Ledges is a little unnerving because the rock is sandy and a fall would lead to discomfort.
Whitney itself is just plain awesome to look at and you get to climb the highest peak in the lower 48 (although it's only marginally taller than a whole mess of other peaks in CA and CO).
I take a star off for these reasons: red tape, busy summit, and loose rock on the climb. Nearby Mt Russell has much better climbing and 3rd class scrambling, and a much less crowded summit.
***IF YOU PACK IT IN, THEN YOU PACK IT OUT***
***THIS MEANS YOUR POOP TOO***
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
After 5 years of waiting to climb Mt. Whitney (the tallest mountain in the continental U.S. at 14,482 feet) I finally got the chance this year.
The weather happened to cooperate that whole week, and I stayed in Mammoth Lakes and did some small hikes to get used to the altitude.
I drove into Lone Pine the night before and camped at the base of the mountain. The night was one of the coldest nights I have ever experienced (make sure you bring many layers of clothing and a really good sleeping bag).
I left early in the morning and planned to make it to Consultation Lake to camp out for the night. I hit a bit of altitude sickness but managed through by drinking lots of water and taking vitamins.
You cannot comprehend the amazing views from the trail - snow capped peaks all around you and blue water lakes.
After a night of no rest at Consultation Lake, I made my attempt at the peak. 10 hours later I was on the top of the world (at least in the U.S.) and had the biggest smile on my face. This hike takes lots of preparation and lots of pain but it is well worth it.
Make sure you wear lots of layers so you can take off and put back on based on the weather.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Who dared me into doing this 22 mile hike to 14,595 feet in one day?! This was the most physically and mental challenging thing I've ever done. But boy am I glad I did it.
This hike is not for the faint of heart. You need to prepare for this one. For starters you need permits. To get a permit you need to enter and win the local lottery to get them. Once you've got permits you should warm up with some high elevation hikes to acclimatize and overnights to avoid altitude sickness.
Aside from that bring at least 3 liters of water and lots of high carb snacks.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
Way back at the start of 2007, my colleague Ms. M told me of her plans to ascend Mt. Whitney this year. She looked at bagging that peak as a great goal to get in shape over the coming year. Being an avid outdoor enthusiast, I was turning green with envy over the prospect. And so I was delighted when she invited me to go along with her on her quest.
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the continental U.S., well over 14,000'. Because of that, it's also one of the most over-loved parks in the west, and so the park service limits the number of people on the mountain by having a lottery every spring.
We entered the lottery February 1 (and not allowed a day earlier) and learned we won our place for a late September ascent over four days during a full moon. Sweet!
Two days before our departure, we are checking the weather reports with great interest. A major winter storm has rolled in and dumped three to six feet of snow on Whitney's peaks. I've done a fair amount of backcountry hiking and skiing, but have never camped in winter conditions. This was going to be interesting.
We hit the trail Monday morning under cold, but clearing skies. This place is beautiful (see attached pics), and it is steep. The trail to the top is pretty much straight up with lots of switchbacks. And you're dealing with all of this at elevation. Fortunately, I didn't have altitude sickness other than a persistent headache that waxed and waned the three days we were on the mountain. My hiking party experienced nausea occasionally, but otherwise we fared well.
But this is not a mountain to take lightly. While Ms. M had great hopes of being in peak condition by the time of the ascent, life just got in the way. And that made for a tough hike. But no matter, we made it a third of the way up and camped at Outpost Camp for two nights, and took advantage of a day hike up to the 12,000' level near Consultation Lake. Snow and ice on the trail made for some sketchy conditions...you definitely need some more experience (like using crampons and ice axes) if you want to ascend like this. But if anything, it just made me hunger to get back up there next year.
This was one of the most pleasurable hikes I've done, and I'm looking forward to bagging that peak in 2008.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Best hike I've ever done. We applied for the lottery in 2005 and hiked it on July 4th. The high sierra camps in Yosemite were closed all 2005 due to snow, and so we knew there would be quite a bit of snow. We camped for 2 days in Yosemite at 11,000-12,000 ft to try and acclimate to the altitude. I highly recommend either doing this, or staying a night at 12,000 on Whitney. A friend who had tried the previous year did not make it up due to altitude sickness.
We got up around 3:15 am to start the hike around 4:15am. If you want to hike it in a day, it's possible, although it took us 16-1/2 hours round trip with all the snow we ran into. It can probably be done faster if you don't hit a ton of snow. It's a good 6,500ft elevation gain, so going up takes quite a bit longer. We hit the summit around 1:30.
The view you get at the 12,000 ft crest is the most amazing view I've ever seen.
Do not glissade down the mountain, as tempting as it might seem! People have died trying to glissade down, it's dangerous!
Make sure you check the weather and dress properly. Do this hike, you won't regret it!
Nothing like Whitney in a day. Mid October was a great time to do it since it was not very crowded and the weather was cool. If you are in good shape and do lots of hiking, there is no need to hit the trail before dawn for a day hike. I started a little before 7am and hit the summit just after noon. Conditions were perfect that day, so I could imagine it taking longer when ice is a big problem.
The only tricky part of the hike was after cresting the ridge there is an area where the trail works horizontally and slightly down. Since it was still morning and that faced to the west, it was icy. The drop-offs in that area are--something you don't want to think about.
I spent about an hour around the summit and really enjoyed the experience. In hindsight, an hour was too long at the summit since I started to get a headache from the altitude. I had slept in a cheesy motel in Lone Pine, so I really had no aclimation.
The slope down the mountain is very conducive to jogging once you get back down past the switch-back section. So, getting back to the parking lot by 5pm was easy. That said, this probably only works when hiking alone. If you have a companion who wants to chat, share the view, or anything else, then it could probably take a lot longer.
I think people tend to over-burden themselves for this hike rather than taking the fast in and out approach. The only thing I had in my backpack were six bottles of Gatorade and a few energy bars. I passed people shuffling along with poles, crampons, etc. So, yes, if you go to Whitney but have yourself prepared for Everest, it will be hard and take a long time. So, know thine enemy or mountain as the case may be!!
We've never made it to the top. Tried twice. it's just a hike. In theory. Until Mother Nature at 14,000 kicks in. She got me with altitude sickness. We were a bit confident, overshot base camp at 10,000 and tried to sleep at 12,000. STUPID. Rule #1: Do it in 1 day or acclimate at the base camp. My sister turned back due to sudden rain and wind. The first part of the hike is steep steep steep. Makes the Dipsea stairs look like a moving walkway at Chicago O'Hare. Rule #2: Get those quads geared up before you try it. Rule #3: What the heck! Did you work for McKinsey? Why does there always need to be a 3?
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (3)
