Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board I am 12 and I need help!

I'm twelve(12) years old, this is the third year i am trying to get to the peak. the last two years, I only made it to Trail Camp(12,000ft.). I'm leaving May 28th and would like to know what the trail conditions will be.
~the first year(2006), there was too much snow, and my dad and his friend chickened out, because they didn't want to do the snow hike up the 99 switchbacks that were COMPLETELY covered in snow.
~the next year('07), we got to Trail Camp, camped there, and then an Alaskian rain storm came in on us.
So, can you guys tell me if there's water at the peak, adn can you guys tell me the weather conditions. Well, the important stuff for the hke, like: Ice conditions
Snow cond.
Weather radar (doppler)
Where I can get water
and the usual info you need before you go on a hike
!~!~!~ WE ARE LEAVING ON MAY 28th
-- thank you
Alex F.

First off good luck.

Wait until the a week before your trip before inquiring about conditions. A lot of melt can occur between now and then.

If you been on this mountain before, you should know where all the prime place are to get water. This does not change.

I've found the NWS is the best place for weather information.

Hi Alex,

Good luck on your trip! There is no water at the summit. The last water comes from springs on the trail just a few switchbacks above Trail Camp. You need to carry a couple of liters of water from there, and drink one by the time you get to the top of the switchbacks.

For the best weather web sites, click the Weather Links line in the Feature Topics box above on the left.

And please don't re-post your message. You got an answer to your post yesterday, so the normal procedure is to thank the guy who responded, and maybe ask more questions as a reply to that message. I have moved his reply so it appears below, and I have deleted your "Main Trail conditions" post from yesterday.
Thanks.

Hi Alex: My partner and I did the Main Whitney Trail last weekend. We made it to Trail Camp. The weather was perfect. Ice ax and crampons are a must. Snow was soft in spots and we had to be careful because we were Post Holing (falling thorugh the snow to our hips in spots where the snow is soft). Snow shoes would have helped but, but it is something else to carry. Last sure water is Mirror lake, although there are small trikling streams above the lake and there are some small ponds up on Trail Camp. You'll need a stove to melt snow for water if you do not find a stream. The trail is hard to follow since it gets lost under the snow. You will need a topo map and compass. Route finding is necessary. Above Trail Camp the switchbacks are not visisble. The cable sections is covered with snow and it is a dangerous cross. The ground is clear of snow above Trail Crest. Good luck on your trip, enjoy the trip, do not underestimate the dangers. Learn to see where the danger is so you can avoid it. Remember what Ed Viesturs, The famous mountaneer says; "going up is optional, coming down is mandatory". Without the switchbacks the b-line to Trail crest is steep, and when it gets cold it turns to ice.

Rtestdoc

Hi Alex good luck on the hike since you have made it to trail camp before , with fair weather and the trail clearing more you should reach the summit this year , look at Bob R photos from a week ago, and look at the cable section , this section and just at the upper end of the cables will be the major area of concern. Your group has several weeks and many trip reports will start to be posted, so you should have a clear ideal of conditions,
Please keep posting if you have any questions, The summit is along the path of many hikes ahead. Thanks Doug

hey guys, thanks to all of you, I also showed my dad, and he just nodded... anyways, thanks for all the comments and if I need help, I'll just post another thread or I'll just re-comment here.
~Alex F.