Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 2024

Hi Richard, Interesting about the Coyotes.... How were the bugs?
Do you have a favorite repellant? Going up next week for a couple nights ... High Lake, Chicken spring... Any input appreciated.
Happy Hiking to All, Rick

What - no coyote picture?

I arrived late (really warm) and finished early, so I can't comment on how the bugs are...last week, when doing the longer CP to NAP, there were swarms around the lakes (South Forks...Cirque)...I forgot my spray, so I had lots of bites...

I just carry a can of Repel when I don't care about weight...I have an order coming that has a DEET-Free formula that I'm curious to try (only cost $1.89)...(ruined plenty of plastic using DEET)

First off thank you to this extremely useful forum and it's contributors. Successfully summited on July 1st. We were a group of 12 and it took us anywhere from ~17-23 hours. The team was from Midwest so no real altitude training other than regular running and stairs. Stayed at the Whitney Hostel, few spent one night at the campsite at the trailhead. Not a lot of acclimatization so we did a practice hike in the morning all the way to LP Lake, came back down by noon, slept for a few hours at the hostel. Started at 12:20 AM from the portal, caught the sunrise at the trail camp. Simply awe inspiring! Continued on to the switchbacks and the group got split into multiple teams. No issues at the switchbacks at all. At the end of the cables, there is a real nice walk path on the side with no snow or ice. But I can imagine the challenge couple of weeks ago with the major exposure on the side. Continued on to the trail crest, then JMT JCT and the final 1.9 mile stretch. It was hard but as long as you keep a steady pace, no issues at all. One thing caught us by surprise was the snow patch at the top. There was a bit of scrambling but no major issues at all. The views throughout the hike was amazing but at the top it was a bliss. No major altitude related issues other than a slight headache. Spent a little extra time at the summit waiting for others in the group. The weather was amazing and the entire team summited before noon. Water refill at 23rd SB was key, depending on your fitness level, you may spend several hours to get back to that point so make sure to fill'er up. Another important thing is paying close attention to the trail, there are couple of places we deviated from the trail but quickly realized and got back on to the right path. This happened mostly while we were traversing through rock tops on the trail. No major issues on the way down other than the never ending trail to the portal. Most of us were marathoners so they knew how to grind it out. There were few lessons learned on the way when it comes to refueling, H2O management, communication when you have a large team etc. which we will implement for future hikes. Overall great day at the mountain, we all summited and made our way back safe! Definitely come back one of these days.

Made a video here:

https://youtu.be/8LHy5SiTyKA?si=nLiABApfVHnzOtCM

TLDR: two small patches of snow, neither at all dicey. Summited 7/4/24, started at 12:00am, summited by 8:45am, spent an hour at the top, back to whitney portal by 3:00pm. Lots of folks out, trail is beautiful.

Xander,

Thanks for sharing this outstanding and detailed video.

You and your Dad clearly had a plan, executed it well, and were in control. Great teamwork!

I appreciated all the clips done in the darkness of night. This is because for most of us doing a day hike of Mt Whitney, the reality is that many hours will be spent hiking in the first hours of the new day. It seems to me that being alert and hiking safely in the dark is an underestimated skill and part of the Adventure.

I also hiked the Mountain on July 4, topping out at 10:45 AM. Since you left the Summit at about 9:45 AM, we probably said hi to each other somewhere on the Backside (in Sequoia NP). We sure had great conditions for a memorable day.

Jim

Probably been 2 decades since I've read an article on AMS...

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/how-to-prevent-altitude-sickness/

I turned around...



The webcam image didn't look too bad, but the hazy view and smell of smoke had me make a loop around Ridgecrest, rather than heading up to HM for another altitude workout...I actually felt buring in my throat for part of the ride...dang...I was looking forward to a Burger...

Summitted on 7/08/24, with two friends Stuart and Ernie. The Cables -- my least favorite area, were functionally snow free. There was a thin slab easily negotiated around. Along the switchbacks (I counted 98), there were a couple where I thought there was a tiny bit of disintegration which was likewise reasonably navigated.

For those interested in reassurance, saw two relatively small children (perhaps 7 or 8 years old) that appeared non-plussed walking back down through Trail Camp with their parents.

We left Portal on 7/07 about 5:45 a.m. and arrived at Trail Camp at approx. 11:15 a.m. Because Trail Camp is above the tree line, there is relatively little shade and it made for a relatively warm (and actually kind of boring long afternoon). However, I'm not certain I'd recommend leaving later because we noted coming back down that the trail really warmed up. And some of the ascending hikers we met in the p.m. looked kinda bushed.

Left Trail Camp for the summit at about 3:30 a.m., which -- while sleep disruptive was, in retrospect, a solid idea. Navigating the switchbacks by a headlamp avoided the psychological challenges of looking up and seeing how much more there is to go.

The snowfield near the summit which I'd read a lot about last summer is, to me, a non-issue. You simply walk through a 3-4 foot high hardpacked (almost) "trench" of for perhaps 25 yards. It was interesting to see but, as noted, represented no obstacle whatsoever.

We had our permit checked twice, which was unusual. Both Rangers were really kind, polite and professional. One asked to confirm that we had a Bear cannister. He also really emphasized the point of packing out your Wag-Bags. Very legitimate request. There were multiple Wag-Bags strewn about the Trail Camp area and some along the trail. I do not why people who choose not to pack out their Wag-Bag compound they're disregard of the regulations by not only leaving their poop but also non-biodegradable plastic.

Best Wishes for a Safe Hike! 

Hi Richard,
Went up on Monday to HM Summited Langley Tues... perfectly clear
weather. Packed out from Long Lake at 5am this morning and the weather was still smokeless.. Based on the WebCam Looks like I got
out just in time.
Hope to see you and/Shin up there one of theses Days.
Happy Hiking..
Conditions on Baldy Rick

I looked at the AQI Readings this morning and RC was Moderate...Lone PIne was Good...

I rode up to the Old Trailhead and did the Army Pass / New Army Pass loop...the air that I encountered was fine...the Kern Canyon and Owens Valley looked pretty hazy from up at NAP...

BTW: Army Pass is a go without gear with about a half dozen minor detours around the remaining snowfirlds...nothing difficult, or scary...stay on dirt and avoid the snow traverses that are trying hard to sucker you in...

Great report!!
Can you give any info on water availability along the trail, or where I might find info?

Thanks

Will be hiking on Mt. Whitney July 25th….how are the conditions after Outpost camp to the summit and is there good spots to get water still at Outpost and Trail Camp?

If you are asking about Horseshoe Meadows Campground/TH to Langley
this was the situation on Wed 7/10. Water at the TH was turned off
Don't know if that was temporary or perm. First water on trail to
Cottonwood Lakes is 1.5 miles in.... good running water. Another stream crossing at 2 miles and then again where the trail splits to go to NAP or Army Pass. I camped at Long Lake... it has a strong flow coming in from High lake, which is at the base off NAP... from there to Langley summit there is no water. On the Army pass side, plenty of water in the lakes last being at #4. Once you start up Army Pass I don't think you'll find in water, unless you are descending down toward Soldier Lake. reported good flow in Rock Creek. Hope that helps.... Happy Hiking, Rick

I and 4 others summited on 7/8/24. The trail is in amazing condition, and we all had an incredible time climbing this lovely, idyllic mountain. The sun was intense and it was quite warm, but shady sections and a constant breeze kept us from baking. We had to reapply sunscreen every few hours. There is one small patch of snow near the summit, but it's inconsequential.

Water sources are plentiful, even available on the 99 switchbacks (#24 or so). Trail camp was very hot and exposed; luckily we had a thunderstorm roll in that kept the sun at bay. We rose at 2am and hit the 99 switchbacks around 3. We experienced a wonderful view of the sunrise at trail crest. The last 2 miles were the most interesting and adventurous part of the hike IMO. Some say they're the hardest; we kept our pace slow, so it wasn't an issue for any in our party (see below).

A few tips that helped us all summit without any altitude sickness and feeling strong:

1. Camp the night before at altitude to acclimate. We stayed at Cottonwood Lakes. Gorgeous campsite!
2. Pre-hydration. We all drank over a gallon of water a day for almost a week before the hike.
3. Constant hydration during the hike. I drank about 4 liters a day, some of which included electrolytes.
4. Eat as much as possible. Snacking all day long was key.
5. Slow pace. We were rarely out of breath, and if someone was, we would slow down.
6. Frequent breaks. We stopped every 45-60 minutes.

Thanks to all who have posted on this forum; the information was helpful in preparation for this amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.

backdraft,

Enjoyed reading your report. Thanks for posting.

Question for you: I have been at Horseshoe Meadow a couple of times this season and have noted many campers at the Walk-in Campground adjacent to the Cottonwood Lakes TH. I heard that possibly this year a Camp Host was stationed at this Walk-in Campground. Did you see any evidence of a Host during your visit?

Thanks,

Jim

Hello Jim,
Was at HM last Mon/Wed... Didn't see the host... wanted to see them to ask about the water being turned off at the TH... talked to a
couple at the Walkin.... they had had seen anyone. Had the same question re water. If anyone knows if this is temp or Perm please post. We have group camping there in two weeks...Need to know how much water to bring. Thanks. Rick

We did not see a host at Cottonwood Lakes. The water was turned off, no one knew why.

I have a permit starting next week on the 25th. We tried last year but due to all of the snow did not feel safe going too far past the Outpost camp. This year we are hoping to camp at Outpost, wake up early with lightened up backpacks, and summit the next day and come back down and stay another night at Outpost. Really not sure if we should stay at Outpost or try and camp at Trail Camp in order to summit and come back down. Don’t know what to expect after the Outpost camp and if there is much snow still on the mountain.

We are from Louisiana so I was trying not to plan too much each day of the hike. Is Outpost to summit and back down to Outpost too much for one day?

I prefer to camp high in order to acclimatize and shorten summit day. However, sleeping at Trail Camp comes with greater risk of sleeping problems due to altitude. I would sleep at Outpost Camp unless you have previously slept higher without issues.