Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 10/9 Trip report - Whitney - Snow

I've been on a few hikes in the Sierras before, but today was the first time with this much snow.

I left the trailhead at 3 AM. I got to Trail Camp by 9 (I'm not in good shape, I know), made it past the cables by around 11:30 (my watch altimeter showed the altitude of 12800'.) Past that point, the snow fields were getting increasingly daunting, and it started looking like I wouldn't make it back to the car before darkness, so I decided to turn around. I got to the parking lot around 5:30 PM.

Now, if you are like me and you aren't familiar with mountaineering in snow, but you want to go there anyway because you have a reservation, or because it's real easy to get an overnight permit with all the cancellations, here are some things that you might need to know, and some things that you probably don't, and some mistakes that I made so you don't need to.

First, let's talk about snow. I'd say that about 80% of the main trail is covered with snow in some form.

You might be thinking: "Snow is snow"! Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are some different kinds of snow that you might encounter on the trail.

* Firm, packed snow that you can comfortably walk on. (Unfortunately, somewhat rare.)
* Thick uncompacted snow to both sides of the trail.
* Partially melted, slippery snow, sometimes in the form of a 2-foot wide slippery trail, with 2 feet of uncompacted snow, followed by a 500 foot drop, to one side.
* Packed snow with a thin layer of ice on top.
* Mostly melted snow that turns the trail into a small stream.
* A narrow packed-snow route across a snowfield that is so thick that it extends above your knees to both sides.
* A similar route except it takes you up a 45 degree slope and there's a 500 foot drop behind you, should you slip and fall.

Here's what you need to make it past all that snow, if you're really motivated.

* An ice axe is very helpful in deep snow.
* Many people bring hiking poles. Those are nice but not as good as an ice axe. I'd bring both.
* Crampons work great on slippery surfaces. Unfortunately, they are hard to use on dry surfaces (e.g. rocks) or when crossing creeks. More importantly, if you don't know how to use them, it's easy to trip and fall if a tooth of one crampon snags on the other crampon or on your pants. Mount Whitney main trail at 12000' elevation did not strike me as the best place to learn how to use crampons.
* Some people bring microspikes instead of crampons, those might be easier to use.
* You need to bring waterproof pants, waterproof shoes, and at least two pairs of spare socks, plus a full change of clothes, including dry shoes, waiting in your car.

I brought waterproof leather boots (they actually had a "waterproof" label on the side). By the time I made it to Trail Camp, both my socks and my shoes were thoroughly soaked. It's really hard to dry either when you're up on the mountain. (It's 1 AM the following night here, and my "waterproof" boots are STILL wet.) The problem is that there's nothing to stop the snow from getting into your shoes unless you have really tall shoes, completely covering your ankles, or your pants somehow zip onto your shoes. The "waterproofness" of your shoes does not guarantee that they don't have a nice thick fabric liner which can easily hold half a pound of water, if only it somehow gets inside.

* Be sure to sign a will before going on this trip.

Some other random factoids:

* It's really cold out there. It was 38 F at the Portal when I left, and 40 F when I got back. And it felt a lot colder than that. I had a long-sleeve shirt, a sweater and a jacket, and I was still starting to freeze whenever I stopped. Must be the altitude.
* It gets much warmer when the sun is up. Therefore, you need room in your backpack to fit all those extra layers.
* You can make hot water by melting snow with a portable boiler, but it takes forever, because you need a lot of energy to melt snow and also because snow is much less dense than water. Much easier to get water from a stream or a lake.
* You can knock yourself out at 8 PM and wake up at 3 AM with 3 mg melatonin + 50 mg diphenhydramine (both over-the-counter drugs), even if you don't normally go to sleep or wake up anywhere near those times.
* However, getting to Whitney Portal at 8 PM and trying to hike out at 3 AM the same night does not constitute adequate altitude acclimatization.
* The place on the corner of Whitney Portal Road and 395 in Lone Pine will rent you crampons for $1 if you buy an ice axe there.
* Don't forget sunscreen.

To conclude, if you're not sure, it's probably best not to go. If you really want to go, be prepared to turn around if things look too fishy.

That concludes the 2011 Sierra season for me, I wish you all a happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. etc.

There was a fatality on Whitney on Oct 6 due to the snow-according to LP ranger who i spoke with.
Yes a ton of snow and thats why i went for an amazing trip to South Lake and LLV.

Eugene, enjoyable report! Sounds like you had an adventurous, if wet, time.

I'm curious - you mention all the deep-snow hiking gear you were outfitted with, but I didn't see snow-gaiters in there. A pair of high snow gaiters probably would have eliminated most of that seepage into your boots. Was that an oversight, or you just don't care to wear them?

Also, your point about acclimating from 8 pm to 3 am one "night" at the Portal before starting a hike is right on point. Far too many people do this and then wonder what hit them at Trail Camp (or before).

Again, enjoyed the TR!

I simply did not know about these snow gaiters. Now that you mentioned them, I'd definitely add them to the list of required gear.

I was wondering if anyone had more details about the fatality mentioned for 10-6. Sad deal.

Hi I know all the details of the death, but first lets talk about say your last brother or sister, son or daugther that died and all the details .Maybe we could get a few photos and post showing the details .

Maybe we could just show some respect for another person and family that will need to deal with the loss for a long time. Thanks Doug

I don’t believe that he meant any disrespect by asking the question. Death within a family is obviously an extremely personal and emotional ordeal that most of us have, or will deal with. It is paramount to show the utmost in respect and understanding for the grieving. However, in the context of a mountaineering forum, I believe it is often important to understand atleast the circumstances, albiet perhaps not the details, behind such a tragedy so that others may learn, and not fall into the same scenario.

My heart and prayers are with the family.

Hi Thanks Sphazo , the board has over 15,000 members 81,035 post 9930 threads and linked to unlimited resource sites. We know from past experience that opening the topic for a free for all adds no new knowledge or value. This topic most years never reaches the Alpine Journal accidents of the year so I hold that we have followed a very true mountaineering value. This topic should never be taken to the yellow papers level. Doug

THANK YOU DOUG SR! Yes, I'm in caps.....and yes, call it yelling!
If people are that nosy, well, they have other websites for that-photos and all.
Spazo: If you have to learn from the details of another's death, you are in sad shape amigo(a). My mama always taught me look up to the positive on how to live a "right" life. We have us some
more positive and proactive "what to do" from experienced climbers we can learn from. If you want to learn how not to die on the mountain....why don't you go experiment and get back to us. Have a nice hike! Mr.Eugene K. Amigo-thanks for the proactive help and suggestions. Glad you're back safe and learned
a lesson taught to the rest of the nuevo (new) snow bound hikers.
Sincerely a "positive" hombre,
Hu

I also don't see any disrespect in the question asked. People need to chill out and quit jumping on people with legit questions!

yes to a point. I 'spose if ya just need to give it some time. Let the wounds heal. I reckon you may be half correct, yet there are many "older" sceanrio accidents to learn from. Just respectin the dead. B'sides, prep is the best- read, speak up, go to
blogs, speakin engagements, ask the typical "what if" pain in the "your buggin me" ass questions, etc. To me, death is death, mountain or combat. No disrespect intended but more respect for the next-a-kin as Mr. Doug Sr. put it best...'ats all.
HN

I'm married with 3 average kids. My background is changing diapers and slowly running ultras. I was changed my first time climbing Whitney 10-10-10. So I was very lucky to climb it a couple more times this fall on 9-13 and 10-2.

Reread my quote- "I was wondering if anyone had more details about the fatality mentioned for 10-6. Sad deal." Is there an ounce of insincerity or lack of sensitivity? I'm puzzled I need to even bother defending my statement. I'm a novice on the mountain and the things learned from many of the experts on this cite have been invaluable for me and I am grateful to those who are so generous sharing their expertise and knowledge. I also learned many great things specifically from the first timers thread that likely saved me from countless small failures or maybe worse.

Doug your blast at me out of line and miss directed. My sense is this tragedy was close to you hence the response. I am very sorry if that is the case. Yes I've been touched by true tragedy and no I don't want photos and posts showing the details as well.

Hu Nker please re-read Sphazo comment and then please re-read your response. Respectfully you owe him/her an apology.

There is a news report stating that the person most likely succumbed to HACE. Search and rescue was notified on the evening of 10-5, but he did not make it till helicopter's arrival.

On the 9th, a 27 year old hiker was airlifted off the trail with symptoms of AMS. No word on his condition.

Here is a link to the Inyo Register article on all the SAR activity in the last few weeks.
Most of the SAR has been around Mt Whitney.

http://www.inyoregister.com/node/1858

In the unfortunate circumstance of a death in the outdoors, there is a spectrum of what happens to the survivors, which I think is often lost on onlookers. In my occupation, because I'm known to an outdoors person, I've spent many times counseling survivors weeks, months, and years after the fact....and I think most people would be surprised by what they experience.

We, in America, have a rather odd way of dealing with death issues. We tend to want to take the issues involved, and put them, and the people involved, and shut them out of our minds and lives as quickly as possible so as to not remind ourselves of the tragedy. The "treadmill to nowhere" I've heard some survivors describe it. Calls don't get returned, etc. People don't want to deal with the central issue any longer, the death, after the memorial and a short time therafter, and the survivors remind them of the lost. Most survivors have to find virtually a new circle of friends that never knew the lost one.

There tends to be an evaluation of the worth of outdoor people, in the minds of survivors, by how much is said and written about them. Nothing written=no worth. Look at what gets written up about famous people, of presumed great worth. Articles in every paper in America, flags flown at half-mast. Is this point of view reasonable or rational? Probably not, but these are people in grief.

A common survivor refrain "Is there no good that can come out of this?" or "Can't there be any sense made of this?", believe it or not, answers to this often come out of the "lessons learned" discussions. A common statement might be "well, at least people learned from what happened to my Jim. Maybe it will save someone else" This can be of IMMENSE solace over time to survivors.

It is often not also realized that our community members are also survivors of tragedies. As such, members may also go though a grieving process. Talking about what happened is absolutely what that is about. The various accusations I've seen over time relating to gruesome interests, macabre thoughts, are way off base. For many, they have no trouble visualizing it being themselves as the victim. And the less is known, the easier it is, one reason some like to discuss the cases, as a type of purging. Most psychologists would tell you this is a highly healthy thing to do.

So, from a survivor/family point of view:

no discussion=no worth

no resolution of what happened=no one learns, victim's death was "a useless waste" that no one learned anything from.

Well said, Ken. The caveat I would add is that sensitivity should be shown to the victim’s loved ones/survivors during the course of the discussion, especially early on when emotions are raw. Unfortunately, when these discussions are conducted on the internet they all too often fail to do that and seem to follow a pattern. The initial posters are usually just curious or want to learn from the tragedy and typically show compassion. Not long after, though, the criticism starts. What was the guy doing hiking solo? How irresponsible! Didn’t he know how to read weather reports? He only had a 40 degree sleeping bag? He shouldn’t have been out in the wilderness if he wasn’t equipped properly! What an idiot—why didn’t he knot his rappel rope? What spot did he fall from? Is taxpayer money being used to rescue/recover these fools? Does anyone have photos of the body? When the dialogue gets to this point, no one is learning anything and the grieving process sees no benefit, which is probably why some moderators (Doug) will shut the threads down quickly before they gain traction.

I have better memory for real accidents than for textbook stories.
I believe that discussions of the details of real acccidents is better education than reading of the "Freedom of the Hills".

I know your heart is in the right place. You've seen this more than we know. It was not his fault. People here are more compassionate than the news story responses. RIP and may peace be with his loved ones and with you.

I have a few serious quotes from the mountaineering literature that may provide some food for thought on this topic. In no particular order, they are as follows:


When one is young and has been climbing only a few years, one’s experience is limited and death is abstract. After having been around awhile, things are different.
Nicholas Clinch, A Walk in the Sky page viii

The mountain…is a cold and inhospitable place guaranteeing adventure for all and a promise of disaster for a few.
Greg Child, in foreward to
Jonathan Waterman, In The Shadow of Denali page 3

To lose a game may be beneficial and is always educative; to be beaten on a mountain may incur the loss of a life.
Geoffrey Winthrop Young, Mountain Craft, page 1

After the avalanche, the pace of living resumed as abruptly for the survivors as it had just been halted for the others.
Andrew Harvard, & Todd Thompson, page 14
Mountain of Storms. The American Expeditions to Dhaulagiri , 1969 &1973.

I look back across sorrow seeking the rationalization to justify the loss. There is no choice. The addiction we all shared, the risks more or less appreciated, the joys and depth of togetherness transcendant. We, who remain and remember, go on, our inspiration and vitality mellowed but intact, enriched by moments intensely shared and now an element of our living memory.
Thomas Hornbein
Everest. The West Ridge, page 5 preface to 2nd ed

What makes mountain-going peculiar among leisure activities is that it demands of some of its participants that they die.
Robert MacFarlane, Mountains of the Mind, page 17

This is why I feel it is important to understand these situations. We have all experienced some form of AMS to a certain degree, however HACE & HAPE are very serious conditions and there are a great number of people who do not understand that this condition can and does occur at "low altitude", often with tragic outcomes. Potential climbers need to be informed of this danger, how to recognize the symptoms, how to treat the condition (immediate descent) and how to avoid exposure. A good resource is: Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment.

http://www.amazon.com/Altitude-Illness-P...5743&sr=1-1

My prayers are with this family, as they struggle through this terrible time.