Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Help? Choosing date to hike Whitney

Hey all! My name is Andrew as the username suggests, and I am planning a trip to hopefully summit Mt. Whitney this summer with one other friend (well only one so far that is subject to change). I am trying to figure out when it will be best for us to go. The both of us have no mountaineering experience, but we have been training since mid October. We both are reading Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills and will be reading one of the many Whitney Books. My biggest constraint is that I will be in Africa between June 10th and August 2nd. This means it looks like late May or the middle of August to hike Whitney. The good part about May is that the timing is easier and I can plan my training better. The down side is that May will probably require an ice axe and crampons which my friend and I do not have exeperience with. August will be better for weather most likely, but it means trying to maintain training while on a 7 week short term missions trip and then intense training immediately afterwords admidst jet lag and culture shock. I am perfectly willing to go buy an ice axe and crampons now so that I can practice with them and get comfortable moving in them and self arrests of course, but I will still lack experience in the mountains. Illinois is very flat. I will only get practice going up and down some steep hills I know of. Any suggestions you can give would be great! I need to figure this out now I realize so that I can get the right permits come February. Will I be able to handle it safely in May or should I really wait til August? Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can give with my decision.

The past two years, I have done day hikes in early September (the week after Labor Day). Great weather, fewer thunderstorms (possibly) and might give you more training time after you return in early August...

I say go with a late August or September and October trip! Stay away from weekend/holiday dates.

Read Doug Sr.'s book, Whitney Lore from the Portal Store.

I used to live in Missouri and Illinois ain't that flat. I think a good exercise for you is to run in snowshoes up the hills to get that good cardio in.

When that is done find a "steep" hill and practice self-arrest without snowshoes/crampons. Just watch out for hidden dangers like logs, turkeys, and deer! I am sure some of the kids can tell you where good tobaggan and sledding areas are!

Not to take any wind out of Kurt Wedberg's sails, but you can enroll in his Snow Travel Class with Sierra Mountaineering International. I did May 2006 and I had a blast near Convict Lake (thank you, Ann!). Kurt and his staff are the best.

And if you are going to Africa, why not Kili?

Hope this helps. Anyone else please help Andrew out!

From the movie Dirty Harry, "...you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky?" If the answer is no, go in August. Take extra days, depending on what shape you're in. Have fun!

Although I love the area in late May, it is considerably harder in May then in August. That is true of a day hike or an overnighter. You have to take more gear in May and the going is much slower.

Definitely August is the better choice. If you get yourself to a reasonable level of fitness, particularly wearing a pack, and you do only a moderate level of interum exercise, your fitness will be fine for an overnite trip. Going in May introduces a whole lot of other variables, and there is no minimizing that it is a TRUE mountaineering experience.

Based on your experience, I say August. If your plan is to day hike you will get the date you request August, only a few day hike days are filled during the February Lottery.

If you are backpacking you roll the dice and take your chance on the MMWT in August.

Hmmmm...are you going to buy ice axe and crampon skills, too?

I would try for early or even late September. When I did Whitney
for the first time I hiked it Sept. 24 and had great weather.
August usually has more thunderstorm activity from what I've
read.

Thank you for the replies so far. They have been very helpful. I am really thinking August is the time for us to do it. It will probably have to be mid-August because I'll be back to school in late August. Although I am tempted to take some sick days in September now... cough cough I plan to take a few days for the hike so that we have time to get acclimated and depending on route. I was looking into other approach trails and then going out through trail crest. First, is this worth it and an enjoyable way to do it? Second, would this make getting permits on dates I want any easier? Also any recommendations for the other trails?

"Hmmmm...are you going to buy ice axe and crampon skills, too?"
I'm not sure if you are patronizing me, trying to give me a taste of reality, or trying to make a joke with that, but the answer is no. (and I know it was rhetorical) I am a college student with only a little cash and spending that much on flights, boots, africa, and then borrowing what he can. If May was chosen I would basically have to work hard and practice a lot with knowledgeable people to gain my own experience as I'm sure many of you did.

Thank you though for your reply it is much needed. Everyone it was good to have you all help me in weighing out these choices. You have been most helpful.

To see what the Mt. Whitney trail is like in May, check out these pictures: <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/1407150>2002-05-23</a>, <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/1310304>2003-05-10</a>, <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/2353168>2004-05-31</a>. June can still get your attention: <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/1370939>2003-06-06</a>, <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/3376540>2005-06-19</a>, <a href=http://members12.clubphoto.com/robert634908/4434571>2006-06-09</a>.

The main concern from mid-July to the end of August is the possibility of a thunderstorm, usually in the afternoon. Thunderstorms get a lot of attention on this board; do a search on the word "thunderstorm" and you'll see what I mean.

They are to be respected, but it is more likely that a given July/August day will be nice rather than stormy. I have climbed Whitney a lot in August—21 times in fact (it is my third most populous month)—and have yet to be turned back by a thunderstorm. Still, pay attention to the forecasts, take appropriate precautions, and turn around if it seems prudent.

Andrew, if you indeed have the time, I personally think that the route over Cottonwood Pass to climb the mountain from the west, is a vastly preferrable trip to the one from the east.
Altitude tends to be much less of a problem, as you have a couple more days to acclimate. You will see many fewer people, until just below the mountain, so it has a much more "wilderness" feel to it. The permits are MUCH easier to obtain in advance. There are other backcountry routes, but that is the easiest, I think. It is about 45 miles, as I recall. Most people take 5 days, but it is often done in less.

Andrew, the crack about the axe probably relates to the frustration that many frequent posters experience with folks that think that they can just grab an axe and crampons, and run up the hill. We seem to witness such thinking turn into epics each year, and I think that we all hope the folks appreciate that lack of knowledge with these tools can (and does) turn into life-threatening fables. The most recent epic from a few weeks ago generated the discussion thread about who pays for Search and Rescue operations (as it often does).

Andrew,

My question was not to be patronizing, it was to make you realize this mountain is not fun and games when there is snow on it.

There use to be a signs at various locations on the trail..."People Die Here" because they do. Usually because they do something that is beyond their skill level or the gear they are carrying.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...

Second that, Dr. Ken and wbtravis5152!

Yes, Cl-A, some of us learned our snow travel skills through formal instruction we "paid" for. Enrolling in a one-day class is just a small price to pay when it comes to the difference of living or dying on a mountain. There is more to it than wearing crampons or carrying an axe and strutting off to the summit of some mountaintop. If you don't know what you are doing, then you are an "epic" waiting to happen.

Sounds like you got the "textbook" version down. Good work on the "homework." Now applying that knowledge to practical purposes is the next step in learning.

Be careful who you practice with and learn from.

Hello there neighbor, (I was born in Park Ridge, lived my first few years in Palatine and Des Plaines and now go back to visit almost every year).

I would recommend you take some time off in September and go then. The weather is better, no snow to deal with, not so crowded, and just generally a really good time of year to go. Especially since this is your first trip out.

I was there this year end of September, and again at the end of October and can honestly tell you that would be a good choice.

I second the idea of taking the time, and coming in the back way from Horseshoe Meadows, a truly memorable backpacking trip, (especially if you take along a fishing pole...Goldens.) Permits for this adventure are relatively easy to secure.
Obtaining the permit for the main trail is the biggest issue, unless you are thinking of doing it all in one day...even then, it can still present problems.
Regarding deciding on when... setting a date, there is still that lottery thing, and the exact date, set by whoever actually figures it out... may just be out of your hands.

Definitely go from one of the other routes! From the north at Onion Valley, going over Kearsarge Pass etc., is a great trip. I was there the first few days of September, 2006. You'd run into a few people a day...not much chance for utter solitude, but WAY better than the few people a minute you'll run into going up the main trail. You can plan out your camp spots to gradually acclimate. (Night 1 Onion Valley, Night 2 Vidette Meadows, Night 3 Tyndall Creek, Night 4 Guitar Lake??? for instance) The trip is anything from 2-6 days. We were finishing the JMT, so we did it in 3, but probably starting from scratch i'd plan to do it in 5.

Then on the way down from summitting Whitney, you can look with pity upon the masses trudging up the endless dry, boring switchbacks of the main Whitney Trail.

Thank you all it has been hard to get a solid understanding of the other trails in and if they are actually worth it. I would really like to to do one though, and I have to look more into dates too I guess. Planning trips 7 months in advance is not common for me! All your input has been priceless.

Sorry to wbtravis. I should've just asked what you meant, and thank you all for your concern for all these people that come stomp around your backyards. Looking around the forum your heart for fellow hikers and backpackers really shows. Thanks for the pics Bob R. and Mark for the fishing idea. Would that require a permit or license? It's exciting to hear what you all have to say.

While I agree with the many posts advising you that the summer climb is better suited to someone inexperienced with snow/ice climbing techniques, here is another option for you to consider: go on a guided trip in May. Then you would have an experienced guide to teach you techniques that you can use for a lifetime and provide a safety net for you as well. Don't know if that fits your budget, but something to think about. One good guide company is for Whitney is SMI (www.sierramountaineering.com) and you can often find their chef de climbing, Kurt Wedberg, on this board.

Chicago,
Regarding fishing, yes a license is required...you can purchase (~$20) a week "out of state" license...required, but I seriously doubt that you would ever see any wardens up there...much less anybody at all, until Trail Crest, but I still believe in karma.
If starting from Horseshoe, you should stop at the 5 Cottonwoods...great fishing... (mostly CAR...here, barbless hooks only), but there is 1 Cottonwood Lake (check the current regs) where they let you keep 5. Might be worth an extra day there...10,000 feet elevation and dynamic country. Then, after either NAP or old Army Pass, (a night at Soldier, maybe Sky Blue if go through Miter Basin)...then also great fishing at both lower and upper Crabtree Lakes...also Goldens in Guitar...all told, a different lake every night. After the summit, instead of camping at Trail Camp... (a bit of a zoo), 1/4 mile farther is Consultation Lake...more great fishing, and you will have it almost all to yourself.

If a serious fishing trip floats your boat...make it a weeklong trip or longer and get in early each night to wet a line. I did this trip a few years back and took 8 days, figuring in a night at the Portal for acclimatization...a shuttle (~$60) up to Horseshoe and a hike in to South Fork Lake first night...easy 4 miles. You also go by Long Lake and High Lake too, along the way...all begging for you to stop. I did great on small Gold & Black Panther Martins and Z-Rays, and my buddy killed on a fly rod.
This was one of the best trips ever...~ 50 miles total...recommend highly.
Mark

To get a better grasp on the other approaches to Whitney, the National Geographic Trails Illustrated map of Kings Canyon / Sequoia is good. It might be a little bit general for ideal backpacking, but in that area it is probably good enough, and it's definitely good for an overview of all the trails people have mentioned.