Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Questions About MWMT Water & Switchbacks vs Chute

I've been watching this board for the last month or two and trying to soak up as much information as possible, but thought I'd finally make my first new post. First off, let me say that I am EXTREMELY impressed with the amount and quality of information here. What a great resource!

Well my girlfriend and I are planning on doing our first dayhike up MWMT this Friday (June 6th) and I just have a couple of questions that remained in my mind after reading copious amounts of information here. So far I now know that an earlier start is better (i.e. 12:01 am), acclimatize as much as possible first (we're going to stay at Horseshoe Meadow one night, hike to Lone Pine Lake the second day and camp near the trailhead at the Portal the night before the hike), get plenty of sleep (earplugs help), snack and sip water often (especially before reaching 12,000 feet when appetite tends to disappear), and some other extremely useful advice.

My first question for anyone who's been up the trail recently is where the last water is given current conditions. I know the last water in summer is around switchback 25 above Trail Camp, but I know things are obviously quite different with plenty of snow on the ground... Ideally I'd like to be able to fill my 3L Camelbak at Trail Camp before heading up towards Trail Crest.

My next question is whether anyone who's seen recent conditions has a recommendation as far as whether to try and take the 97 switchbacks up to Trail Crest or to head up the chute instead. A recent (Memorial Day weekend) post I read claimed that a decent amount of snow was still on the switchbacks, but that the conditions may be slightly better soon. I got the impression that very recently people have been opting to go up the chute instead.

Both my girlfriend and I have been through both WTC (Wilderness Travel Course) in So Cal through the Sierra Club and SMI's Snow Travel course (which I HIGHLY recommend). We both have experience with self arrest and will be taking crampons/ice axe since we know how to use them. That being said, we will turn back if we aren't comfortable with the conditions. Oh, and we will NOT be attempting to glissade down from Trail Crest.

Just thought I'd get some sage advice on those two topics. Thanks!

I'm impressed, Sean! You've certainly done the homework.

I've not been up, but I'd be surprised if the spring were available, yet...perhaps in the afternoon. You probably are dealing with Trail Camp Pond...the inlet is better. Also, you have the tremendous advantage of being able to harvest snow as you go along....not so convenient with a camelback system, but doable. So you should be able to supply your needs above TC, and perhaps carry less.

good luck!

I was just up there this week-end. Water is every where. I took extra fuel for boling snow and didn't use it although I will now need a new filter since I pumped over 70 liters of water! I am sure that I pumped unnessesarily but I wanted to be safe.

As far as the chute or switchbacks....

The switchbacks were still buried on Monday (2nd) and the chute was the only option. Perhaps by the time you go the switchbacks will be cleared. The snow is melting very fast.

Thanks for the responses! It sounds like the Trail Camp pond inlet may be a good place to refill our Camelbaks before heading up to Trail Crest then. As far as the switchbacks go, I suppose I will just assess them when I arrive and head up the chute if there's still too much snow cover.

So when heading down from Trail Crest, I'm guessing the afternoon sun (i.e. around noon) will have softened the snow enough that we should be able to plunge-step pretty easily back down the path we took up (assuming we ascend the chute). That's probably the best option for descending, right?

I am also impressed with the amount of great info you have assimilated from reading this board Sean. Information is power and you have gathered tremendous info. You should do well. Have a great trip and hope you summit, but as many have pointed out that you can have a very successfull trip whether or not you summit. The mountain will always be there.

I would say yes, and I think that you understand the problem with the slope starting to freeze after about 2pm, when the slope goes back into shadow, making the slope in spots, rock-hard.

Have a great trip, and please post a Trip Report!

Thanks again for the words of encouragement and advice! We will try and make it back down the chute before 2pm rolls around and will certainly turn back at any point the conditions seem to be too much for either one of us. Better to not summit and enjoy all we can of the trip than to put either one of us in danger. Summit or not, I will post a trip report early next week after we return.

i was up there this past weekend. the sun is high this time of year, so as long as skies are clear, you can probably count on soft snow in the chute until shadows arrive at 6pm or so. we descended at 8 or 8:30pm and it was icy but still very doable if within your comfort level. otherwise, bring ice axe and crampons and maybe a helmet, and know how to use them.

What you might want to think about is filling you water between Trailside Meadow the Consultation Lake, if there is any kind of flow off the walls from melt. This will save you time of filtering.