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

Good luck to you all, it should be almost ideal conditions. Should be chilly at the top...around 40 is the predicted high. Don't forget to get plenty of water at Trailside Meadow or, if you're heading up the switchbacks in the afternoon (see the above posts) you can get your last water a few switchbacks up. I'm hoping to land a day permit Friday or Saturday, so we just might run into each other up there. I'm a trail runner, so if you see guy plugging along that looks like he got lost from a triathlon, that would be me.

It's really a spectacular route - coming up out of the Lone Pine Lake area you see some amazing, huge expanses of granite towering on either side. Even before that, when you get to Lone Pine Creek, there is my favorite "bridge" in the world. You'll see what I mean as you cross it. Along the way, remember to stop and turn around and take in the views to the east. I didn't think to do that my first time and didn't realize how nice the views were until I was on the way back down. Makes the whole trip wondrous. Hope you have fun.


z

I hiked down the Main Trail yesterday (Saturday September 22) and at 1130 AM observed the absence of any flow from the spring at the 23rd switchback. Those heading up the Mountain in the near future might want to consider this in their hydration plan.

Have a nice Fall Season.

Jim F

PS: Some fall colors are starting to show on the switchbacks below Lone Pine Lake and in Bighorn Park.

Thanks for the trail condition update as the later portion of the season approaches. I am planning on making the climb on October 10th/11th after a friend and I scored overnight passes. Thanks to whoever was kind ebough to actually call in the cancellation! I have many question but will attempt to answer them through research first. Keep this thread updated - thanks in advance.

Bob

Coming down yesterday (the 24th) there was only a trickle at 1:15 PM at the switchback.

Bruceames, did you hit any rough patches of ice at all on the way up or down? Did any of the forecasts hold true and actually bring snow? Thanks

Saw very little ice on the trail (any ice I did see would of course be close to where water sources flow during the warmer part of the day), and virtually no snow.

The problem I had was with the wind. It was blowing very strong all the way up the trail and only subsided when I got down to Trail Camp. My thermometer was showing temps in the upper 20's on the ridge to the top during the mid morning. So it was pretty darn cold.

Yeah, my brothers and I were at the summit 7am on the 25th and the summit was in the teens not including wind-chill. A local day-hiker on her way to LPL told us that the winds had shifted and are coming from the North.

Therefore the biggest issues until snow is refilling water no higher than trail-camp and staying warm...

Hi all! Thanks for posting the conditions...we finally secured our first backcountry passes, but only for "day use" on October 6th. I have been keeping a close eye on the weather, and will continue to do so, but real-time updates from those hiking the trail itself are invaluable!

Any reports from over the weekend? Any new snow/ice accumulating at this point? The key for us is that we are hiking with a fit crew with plenty of backpacking experience, but virtually ZERO experience with snow/ice conditions. Most of us have never used crampons, etc... And at this point there is very little time to learn/practice.

So....please keep posting updates on the trail conditions and especially if there is a lot of ice and snow forming. And I will definitely be keeping a close eye on the weather. Let's hope the weather holds up for at least another week!

Oh yeah, one more question: I've seen a lot of recommendations regarding what time to get started, but they all seem to be geared towards mid-summer assents. I'm worried about having too little daylight this time of year. As a group of fit first timers, do you think a 3am start time will be early enough to get to the top and back down again safely? I know, it depends... Just looking for some general feedback here, do most people leave earlier in the Fall to maximize their chances??

Thanks all!

I would say the odds are excellent that you will miss any major snow as the storms come from the west and there aren't any forecast for this week.

I prefer a 2:00 am starting time because I'm a little slow and I don't like to be passed by 50 people on the way up. So not only do I get an uncrowded trail, the main reason is to summit in the mid morning before any afternoon thunderstorms have a chance to rain on my parade. On the downside, I have a few extra hours of darkness and cold to hike in, but it's minor compared to the benefits (which also include not having to spend so much time trying to sleep in the campground and getting out early for the long 8 hour drive back home).

Agreed,
It is absolutely critical to do a majority of the climbing before sunrise...a lot less stress on the body without the sun...

Next time, I'll start at mid-night or maybe, sneak in a bit earlier than mid-night so I can watch the sunrise on the summit

Excellent - thanks for the advice (you too btsan!). I think we'll leave at 2am, if not earlier. I'd love to summit before noon, and for sure want to make sure we maximize our chances. Since we have 4 first timers, we have no idea what our rate of assent will be, whether we'll have issues with AMS, etc... I'd hate to have ideal conditions, no issues with AMS, etc..., and have to turn around over something as silly as getting started too late in the morning!

Yeah it would suck to have to turn around because of a thunderstorm that would have hit you around Trail Camp going down if you gotten an earlier start. Also an early start means you don't have to be in any sort of hurry and that's the last thing you need in altitude.

If you guys/gals jog or swim regularly, you guys will be fine. Just remember to pace yourselves and take it one switchback at a time, and you should have no problem getting to the summit by noon.

Oh, don't forget to eat a full dinner the night before...you'll need the energy...

Good luck!

We do lots of long trail runs (10-50k's) and hike regularly, so hopefully we're good to go! Thanks for the vote of confidence. Driving up to Portal tomorrow, camping at 8300, then day hiking Friday up to 10k++, and hanging out as long as possible above 10k. We have Diamox too, but most of us are still on the fence about taking it...

Then the big day, early Saturday, start time 2am.... If the universe cooperates, we'll be at the top before noon, and will have the rest of the day to enjoy the views on the way down.

Wish us luck, we are as prepared as we are going to be, and are all super excited for the journey to begin. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Get over it. This isn't the Olympics or TDF. No one is going to give you a lifetime ban for using a drug that helps acclimatization.

For the longest time, I never used it because I was supposed to be allergic. Wouldn't head on a big trip without using it now.

[quote=Richard P.]Get over it. This isn't the Olympics or TDF. No one is going to give you a lifetime ban for using a drug that helps acclimatization.

For the longest time, I never used it because I was supposed to be allergic. Wouldn't head on a big trip without using it now. [/q

I don't know the exact reasons for "man in the maze" being not sure about Diamox but I seriously doubt that he is worried about failing a drug test after his climb.

There are some people out there, including myself, who don't believe in taking any drugs (OTC or prescriptions) unless it is absolutely necessary. We certainly get exposed to enough chemicals and pollution in our daily lives that it doesn't make sense to me to put more crap in my body unless I don't have any other choices.

SUCCESS! Well, at least for 3 out of 4 of us. I had no issues whatsoever with altitude sickness. My wife had mild symptoms (minor headaches), while her sister had more severe symptoms (headaches and some vomiting) above 12k feet, but still made the summit and felt completely better after descending back below 12k. The 4th, a friend, was having mild to moderate symptoms, but opted to stay at 12k feet.

Amazing experience! One of the best hikes we've ever done, for sure. We are hooked - we'll be back to do it again, but next time we hope to camp at 10k or 12k, and not try to do it all in one day. More time to enjoy the windows and summit, etc...

Regarding Diamox - yep, not too worried about a lifetime ban, haha. I also do not take any medications unless necessary, but I was worried about the side effects. Most importantly, the dreaded side effect of making beer taste awful. ;-) For me, it was absolutely the right choice, but the other 3 in our group may have been better off with Diamox in their system.

Anyway, thanks again for all of the advice and support. Great community!

Group of eight headed up Friday (10/5) morning at 12:30am for the summit. Seven made the summit, one suffered AMS halfway up the switchbacks and had to descend. There was no water above trail camp. Made the summit by 8 am and had burgers and beers at the store around 4 pm. There was lots of ice at the cables, but easy to walk around it. Thanks to all in this community who provided invaluable information. A member of our party put together a video of the assent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&h...&nomobile=1

That is an amazing video! Thanks for taking us up to our favorite place with you.

Steve, what a great video! Very nice camera work and perspective.What kind of camera and rig did you have? Very steady, not shaky. Looks like your group had a fun? time together. My last trip was 1 year ago on Sept 28, taking a group of family & friends. None of the others had ever been there. That was my 6th time and by far the latest in the season. 1 of us made it to the summit, I was second highest, only as high as Consolation Lake, I mean Consultation Lake. We are going back up next summer.

If you don't mind, I'd like to share it with others as a teaser to perk their interest in The Mountain! As a 64 year old, I even enjoyed your choice of music!

Thanks again!

Bob