Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Why do people leave so early for their Whitney hikes?

I keep reading about people leaving at 2 or 3 am for their hikes, but then they say that they arrived back at Whitney Portal at 1 or 2 pm, and it never makes sense to me. Why wouldn't you want to hike in the daylight hours for the entire hike if you had enough time?

Does it have something to do with the air in the morning being less hazy so the scenic views are better? Or is the early morning sunlight just at a better angle that improves the views?

It seems like you would want to hike during the daylight the entire time if you wanted to enjoy the view though. I know I'm missing something (probably obvious) here, so someone please let me know... Thanks...

Afternoon thunderstorms can be very nasty.

If something unexpected happens you have more wiggle room before it gets dark to get back down/get help.

You can carry a lot less water by leaving early, thus less weight. It's cool early on, fewer people on the trail, and absolutely beautiful. It is also interesting watching the headlamps of those below you. Looks like a bunch of fireflies. Also, I enjoy getting to the top around 10:00am so as not to worry so much about the storms dumping on you. And their is a bit of enjoyment coming down early as all those others are still headed up!! Safe climbing what ever time you leave.

I haven't seen anything better than watching a sunrise from up above lake at outpost camp. Seeing Whitney in that early morning orange even pink hue.

Whatever time you leave, just make sure you down in time to get some food at the Portal Store.

I never leave earlier than a half hour before sunrise. That means I am hiking after a good night's sleep, I'm down before dark, and I get to enjoy all the beautiful sights the whole day long.

The afternoon thunderstorm season is now mostly past, but check dmatt's forecast just to be sure. (John might impact us the next few days.)

Get everyone's opinions and why, ask yourself what kind of an experience you are looking for, and make your choice.

I agree with Bob R. There are a variety of reasons to leave early or later. It depends on many factors and the type of hike you are wanting or expecting.

Assuming one is doing a day hike, reasons for leaving early may include,

Time: You can start your hike after midnight and get to Trail Crest in the dark. Why wait in line or be second to the top of trial crest?? See the sunrise at 14k. Going early allows for a leisurely hike for some. If you stop everywhere, take pictures, talk to people, picnic, explore, refresh your feet in cool lake waters, go early. If you are slower, want lots of time as a buffer and want to end the day in the light, earlier is better.

Cooler: It is cooler in the morning. Last weekend at the Portal the temps were in the 80's. The sun shines brightly and is warm along the canyons and exposed trail up to Big Horn Sheep Canyon. Even with the scattered tree cover through and above outpost, it can be very warm in the afternoon for going up or down.

Sunrise: At 13- 14,000 feet the sunrise can be spectacular. The face of Whitney and its sister peaks is usually a picture to take home, with the memorable pink, blue and gold contrasts.

Thunderstorms: If they come, they are usually in the afternoons. One can't/shouldn’t finish the ascent in rain sleet or snow with the usual daypack supplies. Nor should one be trying to be a lightning rod standing at above 14,000 feet.

Hamburger: Can't be asking for a hamburger when Doug is already heading for Lone Pine. That is a return trip goal of many.

Light: Some people find it easier to hike up in the dark with use of a head lamp, rather than walking back, tired, in the dark with a failed battery. Safety.

Driving home: An earlier start allows us visitors time to get an earlier start home, maybe even get home in daylight, maybe take a nap before we drive off the edge of the road somewhere.

Camping: I have yet to be able to sleep well the night before this hike in a campground. I have often read the same from others, especially if they camp at the Portal for acclimation reasons. People stir and rise pretty early for various start times. Even on the JMT side this past weekend there were people walking past our camp at 1 am, some hiking out, some getting to the top for sunrise.

Experience: The newer hiker or first timer may have goals based on taking several days off work in preparation, having great anticipation ever since they obtained their permit reservations in March/April, and spent hundreds of dollars traveling, lodging, food, equipment costs.

Some reasons I can think of not getting an early start.

Comfort and rest: Sleeping in a bed the night before well rested adds to the next day's energy and enjoyment.

Goals: If the hiker is goal oriented to be fast and light one can be up the mountain and back in the daylight, or even across several peaks only starting in the twilight of sunrise. For example, Rick Kent’s hike this past weekend.

Experience: Many of the people I have talked to who have been there done that, know their pace on the mountain, know how long it takes, know their favorite shortcuts and stops. They also easily give up the ascent for another day's try if anything delays them. Their goals are different and more easily changed. Getting back at a certain time is not the big sacrifice or let down, not a big deal comparatively speaking.

For people highly experienced, such as Bob R, they can predict exactly what will happen, time-wise. They know where to rest, where to find pure water, how their body responds to altitude, how much and when to eat, how to properly hydrate, how to deal with footwear that is giving problems.

Doing any of that in a sub-optimal way eats up time. Sometimes a LOT of time.

Even an experienced person may be on the mountain with a much less experienced hiker, who may not do the above things well.

For people with less experience, one needs a significant margin of safety. The only way to do that is to leave earlier. For those who are coming from far away, who have spent a lot of time and money, they may not have the option to try again the next day. They need to give themselves a little "insurance".

So, since most people fall into this less experienced category, most will want to start a lot earlier, and give themselves a big margin.

During the earlier summer months, "afternoon" thundershowers and lightning storms are the norm. And those storms can come up before noon, although usually after. If there is a storm at 1pm, it takes you 8 hours to do the climb up (which seems average), and you start at 8am, you have failed before you start (unless you are stupid enough to ascend the summit in a storm).

For someone who has trained for months, done a lot of travel, who has spent the day climbing to Trail Camp, and has to stop because they started too late to avoid the weather, it must be enough to make them cry.

I think that people are also impressed by how many people end up making unanticipated descents partially in the dark, because they got a later start, and didn't anticipate what might happen.

I think that people, correctly, make the decision that climbing in the dark by headlight is VASTLY safer than descending in the dark by headlight, totally exhausted after climbing the mountain.

So, all those things taken together seems to get people started very early, and probably appropriately so.

Some, like myself a few years ago, attempt the Moonlight Ascent. It's awesome as you start about 9PM and hike with the full moon and no lights to be on the summit for a sunrise.

Unfortunately, last time, I drove my group up to the portal and as the driver, got too little sleep. Thus like pulling an allnighter, I made it up to the Trail crest about 4:15 and fell asleep at the crest only to wake up to a beautful sunset and a major headache. My group made it up but I headed back down.

Next weekend I am heading up to Whitney again and plan to leave at 4am on Saturday for a hopeful 11am summit. Spend an hour or so on top and head down to avoid possible T-showers and get a treat at the Portal Store.

In addition to all of the posts made previously, I loved the experience of hiking under an almost full moon, encountering "eye shine" belonging to various critters including a huge buck, a deer, and a poor-will (first one I ever saw!), the comparative difficulty of crossing streams in the dark, and watching the headlights of other hikers up the switchbacks. On the way back it was interesting to see what the terrain actually looked like in the light. And let's not forget the experience of seeing alpenglow on Woton's Throne!

It's a real bummer thinking about a Doug-burger and a cold beer all the way down then getting back just after the store is closed!

I think it's partly due the day permit. When you get that day permit you want to make most of that day you get. I also like watching the line of fireflys (headlamps) heading up. It's also fun watching them coming down the 97 swichbacks at night if you ever get a chance to camp out at Outpost. I know I was one of them. On my last hike I was coming down around 2am and was going against the flow. Whatever time of day of night offers an unique experence...

experts have already replied, but here is one more classic response, from the premier English Himalayan explorer:

"for in the matter of early starts we found there was no other." Eric Shipton, Nanda Devi page 109

Harvey

Ok, thanks for all your thoughts and I understand a little better now. I think I would want to be out there in the light as much as possible just to enjoy the beautiful scenery to the max, but I can see why others might have other goals, especially if they've done the climb before.

And having a margin of error to get back in time is a good idea too, as well as the other possible factors listed. I guess I'm just not a morning person and can't imagine trying that hike with just a few hours sleep. Or missing lots of photo ops because it is dark. But your reasons do make sense.

Daylight hours...For many it is their first time and it is better front load some extra time. Also, during the monsoon season a storm at 10 or 11 AM will ruin a year's worth of planning and flush some jack down the drain.

Views...from strictly a photographers POV the best pictures are taken right around dawn. For that reason alone you want to be above Mirror Lake by sunrise....Better yet on the Sierra Crest, best of all the summit.

Early vs. Late...I find it better to deal with the dark when you haven't hiked 20 miles.

Here's another way of looking at it:
tomorrow sunrise 6:24 AM
sunset 7:19 PM
Thats about a 13 hour span. Add two hours of light. If the average person takes 8 hours to ascend, and 7 to descend, they will hit it exactly.

However, if they take any longer, it will require hiking in the dark, on the beginning, or at the end. And, OOPS!, people like to spend time ON the summit, taking pictures and hanging out!

Problem that people run into, is that the summit is only halfway. They end up not being on the summit by 8 hours, have "summit fever", and keep going.

As soon as they do, they are in dark hiking territory *without a choice", and the loss of critical thinking that people often seem to get at altitude stops them from thinking about the consequences of the decision.

And now they are *committed* to a dark, slower, and more dangerous descent.

I was forced to come down in the dark on my first two ascents thanks to other people in our group (see previous trips ). Not only did that make a long day longer, but it was tougher walking down in the dark so we could not go as fast as in daylight. Here is what I put in the orientation notes .

Last year I began my hike at 2:00 a.m. instead of 4 because of all the noise at the Portal. It was so noisy with people coming and going that I really didn't get any sleep after 10 p.m. There was a bear in the area around midnight and its presence caused a minor riot with shouting and the clanking of pots and pans, and after it fled people talked about it for the next half hour, loudly!

Next time I'm going to sleep at a motel in Lone Pine.

BTW several parties departed around midnight and they seem to be newbies. I passed them later and it was obvious they didn't have much experience.

We always start about 3-4 in the morning. It is cool and we have a sense we are a little ways in before it gets light.

I usually have trouble sleeping at the portal. So by about that time I am awake and ready to go.

If you leave a little earlier you also have more time in case you need it. Even thought some are much faster then others, a reasonable round trip time is up to 12- 15 hours. Some take longer.

As mentioned, in the summer it is wise to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms and lightning by summitting before noon.