Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board main trail conditions thread 5/1/12 - 11/1/12

Thanks RAC.

I'm thinking the Memorial Day hikers may blaze a path on the switchbacks but I will be prepared if not. Looking forward to a great mid week hike!

Thanks for sharing.

In case you don't read some of my other stuff, here's a link to an album that has some photos of the Main Trail from 05.19.12:

http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/Whats-New-1/Finishing-Off-Half-A-Year-Mt/23074724_QwbHzN#!i=1857046951&k=F22k3Cf

Hi Richard, Your photos (and weekly adventures) always impress me. We are planning a day hike on Mount Whitney on June 22nd. What would you predict the trail conditions to be? I'm mostly concerned about whether to drag along crampons or not.

Is 26 weeks in a row a record? How many weeks do you think you'll do? Good luck and keep on posting pics!

Thanks,
Mike

Right now, I would say bring the gear. I'm guessing you won't need it in a month. Watch the posts to see when hikers start telling stories about using the Switchbacks.

Stop in and talk to the Doug or the other folks in the Store about current conditions before you head up.

This project started on a whim... Scully mentioned that this past winter was going to be mild. I took that as an opportunity to try something CRAZY... I hope to stay healthy and get to 52 and then if I haven't gone mad, try and get thru the calendar year...

Record? Doug's climbed Whitney 10 times in 1 week. Dr. Dirtbag did HM to SP (mostly on a high route) in well under 24 hours. One of the FS folks did the same route in reverse, tagging all of the major peaks along the way. (He also did the MR in 2:08 and the RT in a little over 3.) I don't think we do these things for records... It's more about challenging ourselves. If I do it, do I think anyone will ever do a repeat: Yes, someone will be more obsessed than me.

OMG Richard your pictures are AMAZING!!! They give me goosebumps. I'll be going up in Sept but your pix make me want to go NOW!!!....

-cat

Sharif, My son and I are heading up the day before (June 9th), so we should cross paths as we head down. It is just him and I so if you see us say hello. We will be easy to spot, my son will be the only 7 year old on the mountain.

Hi All,
Was up at Trail Camp Sunday, plan was to overnight and summit on Monday. We did not head up on Monday morning however - all the reports we heard from people coming down were that the switchbacks were okay until the end, where the ice/snow would very likely require crampons, and knowledge of how to use them; our group had neither. Rather than go all that way only to be turned around due to lack of gear, we headed back to the Portal. A lot of people were taking the chute, but again, our group did not have the right gear (or skills) to try that. We'll be back Longer trip report to come later in the First Timers forum.
-Caroline

I just summited on Sunday the 19th. I took the chute without crampons or and ice axe and everything was fine. Also met a couple guys at the top with tennis shoes who just completed the switchbacks and they said it wasn't too bad. They were also wearing t-shirts and basketball shorts

How do you post pics on this forum?

Ergh. Thanks for making me feel like a loser, MtnDozer! Here's a link to my slightly longer TR on the WZ page - gives a little more insight into why we didn't summit (hint: it wasn't just the negative reports of the conditions). Of course, doesn't help me look any less loser-ish hehe... BUT, I live close by. I'll be back. Ohhh yes, I will be back

I went up from the Portal on Monday morning. Spent the night Sunday at the portal hikers campground which was full; most of the campers, however, were just hanging out - good for them! Trail was clear of snow and other debris all the way past Trail Camp - there were a couple of minor obstacles (trees, etc) that were down, but from what I heard, a trail crew was working on them later in the day. None of them were anything to worry about at the time.

I arrived at Trail Camp ~8am, surveyed the chute and the snow conditions in it, and decided that due to its molasses-like consistency, I would be better off on the switchbacks. The only real obstacle I found on the switchbacks was at the cables which had snow and ice up to the cables themselves. This was causing a lot of consternation among some hikers; however, I and several other people bypassed the obstacle carefully and were fine. Even though I had an ice axe/crampons, I did not put them on for that obstacle. When I returned after summitting, the area had melted out some; but I imagine it will still be there for another 10 days or so before it disappears for the season.

From Trail Crest to the summit, the route was mostly clear, aside from two icy obstacles of ~3 feet or so in width near the windows. The snowfield directly below the summit is still there, although it is quite slushy. Due to the issue at the cables, and a small breeze (~10-15mph), I didn't see more than 12 people on the final section of trail or on the summit, which was surprising, since it was Memorial Day, and a great sunny one at that. I also can't believe how little snow is up there as compared to the last two years!

For pictures (couldn't figure out how to post them) and a more in-depth TR, check out my blog here: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventure...l-may-2012.html

Good times, as always!

Hello All.

I just got back from my trip and wanted to fill everyone in.

We hit the trail Tuesday morning and came across a few people descending, a few folks ascending and a crew working on the trail. So we pretty much had the trail to ourselves. Since we were in no hurry so we took our time and hit trail camp (12,000 ft) about 2pm. There was no one there but there were 4 tents. By the time the sun went down, there was about 15 people in camp.

The next morning we headed out about 6am for the switchbacks. As most people are reporting, there was a lot of snow and ice buildup at the cables. It was a little tricky. TIP: take your time and be smart here! The rest of the way to the summit was pretty uneventful aside from the 2 minor snow obstacles on the trail and there is still about a 100 yard snowfield just shy of the summit. From the time we started to the time we hit the summit just past 11am, we only came across about a dozen or so hikers.

After an hour at the top we headed down. Once we got back to Trail Crest we did something that I DO NOT recommend. We had the idea of sliding down the snow/ice on mountaineers trail but when the 3 guys in front of us did it, we were quick to follow. While exhilarating and making for a quick descent it was probably not smart. There were some exposed and some hidden rocks we had to navigate around. This can only become more dangerous with the warm weather.

A special thanks to my girlfriend for nursing my altitude sick butt back to health at Trail Camp.

Thanks for the update. We will start our hike on June 12. In regard to the cables on your ascent, did you need to put on your crampons?

Nope, I did not use my crampons at all.

Have fun and be safe.

I have 3 overnight permits available for joining our group (15 total). We will spend the night on Sunday, June 10th and aim for the Summit the next day. If interested, please contact me at sharif.shakhshir@gmail.com

okay thanks

My husband and I summited this past Saturday June 2. We left at 4 a.m., reached Trail Camp at about 8:20 a.m. We set up camp, refilled our Camelbaks and headed for the summit about 9:30 reaching the summit about 1:40 p.m. After nearly an hour break we headed back to camp at 2:30 and arrived at 6 p.m.

Yes, we were slow, but intentionally kept a steady pace to ensure we wouldn't wear out since it was our first time. We spent the night at Trail Camp and headed back to the Portal Sunday morning from about 6:45 to I think 10:20 or so (I have bad knees so I go just as slow downhill as up).

The first three miles of the trail are mostly dirt, steadily uphill, some switchbacks. The next three miles there are a few stream crossings, the views of the mountains get even better and you break out above the trees while climbing more and more stone steps.

Following Trail Camp of course there are the 97-99 switchbacks. The cables weren't bad this weekend. If you hit them after 7 or 8 am the snow was slushy so you could just use your trekking poles and take it slow. We brought ice axes and micro-spikes and never used either. Others did note that the snow is more like ice and more dangerous before 6 a.m. We saw one guy haul @$$ up the chute but he seemed to be the only one.

Along the switchbacks there is a LOT of water flowing, literally down the trail and across it in several places. After Trail Crest there were two sections with big piles of snow/ice left but a pretty deep track through them; again, just plant the trekking poles and you'll be fine. Near the top there is a snow field with a well worn path. This last two miles is the rockiest and of course accompanied by long drops in places by the windows. It wasn't as bad as I expected though and the trail is plenty wide. Once we got to the top there were a few people suffering from altitude sickness and two guys who I think climbed the east face. While we saw a few people who turned around or didn't make it, it seemed like the majority were summiting. The weather was beautiful and I got sunburned in my tank top. At that altitude I failed to remember/realize how often I should have reapplied and maybe used a stronger SPF.

Our photos are posted in Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2zat7yre38vsaku/EDuFVASsyD

Hopefully that works!

Summited on June 3rd, Sunday. Sierra's report is excellent. Most of the trail is free of snow. Ice on the rocks is however the issue near the cables. I started from Trail Camp around 4.45am and was at the cables btwn 5.30 and 6. A few steps along the cables had me thinking twice as they were icy and had no traction. However, I checked with many people who came up later that day and all of them said the ice has melted (it was sunny. got warm early around 8 to 9am itself) and was easier to navigate. While going down I was thinking about taking the chute, but didn't have ice axe and decided to take the cables again. Turned out to be a good decision as the cable route was very easy to navigate. Apart from the cables, there isn't much risk anywhere else on the trail. Water was available most of the way. I filled it up at the stream feeding the trail camp pond.
People who started at 2am from Trail camp didn't have any issues at the cables either. They said it wasn't cold enough at that time to form ice. Hiking poles gave a lot of stability throughout. Took a shower at the Whitney Portal hostel in Lone Pine. Very good for $5 - they give towel and soap.
Be safe!

Summited on Sunday, June 10th. Started from the Portal at 3AM, Trail Camp at 6:30, summit at 10:30. Everything was passable with trail running shoes + hiking poles. Some of us had microspikes but nobody used them.

Unless things change dramatically, leave your ice ax and crampons at home! I left Whitney Portal on Tuesday morning, June 12th at 4:30, and summitted at 9:25 and was munching burgers back at the Portal before 2:00. The temperature felt like it was about 50 degrees on the summit with a tiny breeze and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The cables are not an issue because the snow has melted out enough to allow you to hike up the stone next to the cables.

The trail is wide open, the cables are clear for easy passage as of 6-20-12. Have a great hike!