Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Around Mt. Whitney - June 1, 2012

I did the "loop" around Mt. Whitney again this weekend, heading down a little closer to Guitar Lake and then exiting via the Mountaineer's Route because there were a lot of people on the Main Trail.

Here are a few photos:


LBSL view.



Mt. Whitney looking rather squat from the north side of Iceberg Lake.



Polemonium on June 1?



Guitar Lake view.



Mt. Hitchcock and the Lakes.



This felt like a hundred people on the summit of Mt. Whitney.
It was way more than I've seen this year.


Felt like it was way too hot... Got snowed on... Got rained on... Had to swat skeeters... what a fun day!

Stats this week vs. last:
Up to the summit was 11.56 miles this week. Didn't look last.
Round trip was 16.16 miles with the exit via the MR. 19.67 with the exit via the Main Trail last week.

BTW: the new GPS, which uses GLONASS, also calculated the MR as 4.60 miles.

The rest of the photos: http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/Whats-New-1/Around-Mt-Whitney-June-1-2012/23329409_W3qHG3#!i=1883044815&k=6ZdN3Kv

Those are beautiful pictures Richard..thank you. Have you ever seen Sky Pilots in bloom this early? What a difference from last year in the snow pack!

Richard, are you shooting with the Sony? Those are fantastic pictures!!!

Stacy

I ususally think of Sky Pilots blooming in July / August.

I had the other Sony with me this time. I seem to be missing my 55-210 for the 5N snd wanted something longer to get the photos of Keeler.

Thanks.

Great shot of the Sky Pilots. The best smelling flower in my opinion.

Forgive the probably noobish question but how do you get so many permits? Do you always go the day before and get a walk-in permit?

During the Non-Quota season, there is supposed to be "self-issued" permit paperwork available at the Visitor Center. I stopped by a couple of times and the forms weren't there, so I quit looking for them and just climbed without.

During Quota Season, I stop by at the VC the evening before. It was a LOT more convenient when they stayed open until 6:00pm.

On another note: During the 2009 Quota Season, I was skunked 5 times and was forced to do other climbs. I am concerned that the same thing may happen this year, so I am looking at alternatives, such as Volunteer Work for the Forest Service and alternate routes in to Whitney. (This second one stirs a lot of debate because some say you can't enter the Whitney Zone without a permit, but I have been told by a relable FS Employee that I can pass thru the WZ without a permit. I just can't enter at the Main Trail or North Fork, or exit via Trail Crest without.)

Hi Richard -

I'd say "nice to meet you!" but you didn't return our wave as you sped past us at Iceberg Pond on 6/1. No problem. You are an impressively strong hiker and you were getting it on.

I took a couple of shots as you headed over the pass, but I can't find you in any of my images now that I have returned. You're like Dracula or something!

I found your photos and sent the link to my partner - so that's who that guy was. Unfortunately he was somewhat upset when he replied - I hadn't looked closely - your caption to photo 48 annoyed him:

"A couple of climbers below. They went left when they should have gone right! I was down at Iceberg at least a half-hour ahead of them... learn the route prior to heading up!"

I can understand his issues. First of all, we didn't know we were racing - though I'm happy to offer you my congratulations - you won.

Secondly, we were unaware of the rules concerning "the route" and the consequences of any deviation. My partner and I spend a lot of time visiting places which exist in no guidebooks, where there is no "the route," let alone "a route," it's more like "no route." I'm sorry if that is frowned upon in this playground, but that's how we roll.

Thirdly, you incorrectly assume we are all playing the same game.



If you want to play that hole to the right, that's fine - but you'll save a couple of strokes going left. Honest.

See you next time. Have fun!

LOL.

Not answering in any particular order...

You must have blinked as I waved... I was in a hurry. The forecast was calling for the possibility of snow after 11:00am and it was already nearly 10:00am as I blazed past Iceberg.

I say the same thing after I've taken the hard way down...

So do I...

You guys should be in that photo I took looking down towards the lake on the way up to Whitney / Russell Pass...

I definitely wasn't a race... I'm known for not being very fast on descents...

In the last photo, it looks like the guy is doing some Tai Chi.

Q,

Did Chick-On make it to the top?

I have hiked with The Goat; he is not used to routes, 'cause he hardly ever hikes trails.

Let's play "drop the goat" blindfolded in Yosemite and see how many minutes it takes him exit!


* I am not incoherently babbling! One of those guys that Richard P saw is a hiking buddy & and one of the most talented backcountry navigators I know.....so it's great fodder for me to know that he was 'off route'.....gonna hassle the goat.

Hi Bee -

I'd like to respond to you privately. You are over your PM limit or something.

Thanks,

-Joe