Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Stream Crossings

Can anyone comment on the current condition of stream crossings..the one about a mile up the trail, as well as the ones @ Outpost & below Mirror Lake? Are the stepping stones above water, or do we need to prepare to go wading? Thanks!!

On July 6th, the stones were not always above water, and for a newbie, crossing the first stream looked a little daunting (at night with headlamp light only). However, with care and accurate timing, our boots managed to stay somewhat dry crossing the creeks (on the way up). We weren't so cautious with the streams on on the way down, since our feet were wet from coming down the chute (no gaiters). With a bit more sun and heat this week, I'm assuming there is even more water in the creeks. They were fun obstacles . . . kept us alert.

I was on the Mountaineer's Route over the weekend. The water is about as high as I've ever seen it. Since we ascended the North Fork Canyon we didn't get beyond the first crossing you're asking about. Here's a picture of that crossing taken Saturday morning July 9:

Our hike was on July 8. The water at the first crossing is not too high in the morning. We barely stayed dry crossing it. In the afternoon (rather, in the evening when we came back), it's higher and there was no way to stay dry. There are a few (3?) other crossings as big on the main trail. One of them is in the similar condition, the other two you can cross without getting wet at all.

Thanks for the info. Looks like we should plan to cross streams early in the morning!