Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Conditions at the cables

Will be hiking a one day adventure on September 11...any updates on the cable conditions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Descended Mt Whitney by the Main Trail three weeks ago. No snow at the cables. Very hospitable trail conditions. Met two 4 year old twins who went up and down the Mountain without issues.

No significant new snow since then.

Sept 11 is three weeks away. So will we see the first Fall snow storms before Sept 11?

Let's see what the weather decides to do as we approach the Transition Period.

Jim

Great! Thank you very much Jim!

I am also planning a day hike on September 11th, 2019. Did this hike in the past several times but typically in August when there were no ice or snow. A little bit concern about ice and bringing micro spikes but hope do not have to use them.
Any weather update will be appreciated.

For a weather update, see the link "Mt Whitney Summit Weather" on the Mt Whitney Portal Store website. Outlook for September 11 looks favorable.

I came down the Main Trail two weeks ago (Aug 26) and the Cables area was in superb condition. Last week finally saw some rain and hail on the Mountain (after a dry stretch spanning many weeks). With the recent drop in temps, this likely left some icy areas during the colder part of the day. There appears to be no significant new snow.

I spent the last two days in the Eastern part of Yosemite. Temps dropping/breezy. Starting to feel like Fall and the days are getting shorter. Creeks running much lower. No Fall colors yet.

Great time of year. Enjoy your day hike.

Jim

PS- After your hike, do not hesitate to give update on your findings/experience.

I hiked the main Whitney trail on 9/11/2019. Started at 3 am from the Portal and was back before 4 pm. Weather was clear, a bit windy but very cold especially when you cross on the other side at the Trail Crest. I had 3 layers, gloves and a beanie. There was some ice on the switchbacks and along the cables. Very easy to navigate especially if you have the trekking poles (I did). At 3 am at the Portal it was pretty cold as well (I am from SoCal) - but I met some folks from Minnesota on the trail and they were also cold. Otherwise a great hike!

Thanks for the report. Very similar to the conditions encountered on the west side Sierra (Kaweah area). At or below freezing temps above 10,500 feet. The forecasts say 10-15mph winds but double that and that's accurate. Found many frozen puddles/logs, etc. above 10k. The seasons are changing rapidly.