Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Will I need down jacket for High Sierra

Packing before heading to the Sierras. Never hiked there before and I am a little in doubt about what to expect for night time temps, and therefore if I should bring a down jacket or if the fleece will be enough. we'll be hiking from Onion Valley to Whitney in about 2 weeks.

Any thoughts on nighttime temps?

Camilla
Copenhagen, Denmark

I just got back from a JMT trip. Never used a tent, only a 2 Lb GoLite 15 degree (F) bag and a silk liner. Slept as high as 11,000 ft. elevation, and only once got frost on the bag. So the temps got down to about freezing, but only one night. However, it can get a little below that, depending on the weather conditions.

I took a fleece jacket and light to moderate weight thermal underwear. Never had to put on the parka I took along in case of rain or extra-cold temps.

From this woman's perspective... i would bring my down parka on that trip. Chances are you won't be wearing it while hiking, but before you go to sleep in the evening and first thing in the morning while making breakfast. Check the weather link to the left to get an idea on night time temps.

Steve,

How were the snow conditions on the passes? From recent photos posted by PCT hikers and the NPS website, it seems like there's enough to be a big nuisance.

Thanks - I'll pack it. It looked as so much we were going to bring, but we've finished packing and we had more than enough space in the bags. I'll at least enjoy the down jacket as a pillow!

Unless it's lightweight down jacket/sweater, leave it home - you should be fine with fleece. I sometimes carry a really light down jacket when backpacking in the sierra in July/August, but it's only 7 ounces and weighs less than my fleece jackets.

Yup, I like me tha down, especially since it usually packs quite a bit smaller than my fleece tops. I agree with the pillow aspect, too. I actually have a 'summer weight' down which is just perfect to ward off the chill first thing in the morning: makes getting out of the bag a bit less painful!

Have a great trip!

-L

Muir Pass: north side: two miles of snow, gentle slope. South side: one mile, steep, but not treacherous.

Mather Pass: ~200 Yds of snow on north side. Part on steep slope.
South side: switchbacks covered by treacherous steep snow. We shortcut the switchbacks, easily descending dirt and rocks. Tough going up (northbound), but everyone was making it.

Pinchot Pass: north side easy patches. None on south side until you get lower, then a few hundred yards of easy side-slope on nearly level trail.

Glenn Pass: ~100 Yds of snow on the north side. Steep, not treacherous.

I forgot to bring the snow cups for my hiking poles, so they plunged down through the snow in places.

Yeehaw!!

Just called the permit office and snagged a cancellation for the Whitney Exit permit. So now we for sure now that we can go :-) We'll enter from Onion Valley on Thursday 10 of July and exit on the Main Whitney trail on Monday 14th. The night before and after the trip we are staying at Dow Villa. Bob's shuttle service will be taking us from Whitney to Onion!

Say hi if you see us!

It will make a nice pillow. If you hang around late in the evening it might be nice to wear. Personally I'm in bed before it gets that cold. In all my time in the Sierra I have never worn a down jacket when actively hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing. In camp you can always crawl into your bag if it gets cold.

For summer use I find a short sleeve T-shirt (merino or synthetic), long sleeve very light fleece, and a windproof (wind shirt or/and breathable rain jacket) are all I need for upper body warmth. This is enough even hiking in a snowstorm.

Hate to say it, but "that depends..."

If you're like my wife, aka the Geico gecko, you might well need it. If you're like my son and myself, it would be overkill and has the major disadvantage of being totally worthless if it gets wet.

The most I've ever layered in summer conditions was long johns, a long-sleeved (nylon) shirt, a 200-weight fleece and my wind/rain shell. That included a miserable snowy day around Thousand Island Lake when trying to climb "my" mountain back in 1996.

Personally, I'd rather pack another "core" layer like my fleece vest rather than something that is better suited for dry winter weather than possibly rainy and therefore humid summer conditions.

...but, as noted in my first sentence, "that depends..."

One more vote for "it depends".

One week ago I camped for two nights at 12000'. It snowed a little the second night.

Most of the time I wore a T-short and shorts. I had two polypro shirts and a down vest with me. The vest I uesd as a pillow, or put (stretched out) over my bod in my sleeping bag at night. I wore one polypro one night. I also have a very light windbreaker that I wore for a while one evening, and in the morning before sunrise.

Will you need it? Very unlikely.

Will you want it? It depends. If it's a one pound or under jacket, take it. At the very least you may enjoy it in the evening or early morning, and it will make for a great pillow. I took one a week ago as a luxury. It rained and my friend got cold and was very, very happy to put on my down sweater.

But if you have a 2 or 3 lb. down parka with a hood, leave it at home.

Very good answer - not all down jackets/parkas are the same.

An educated guess is between 55* F and 10* F, it depends on elevation and weather systems.

One of the coldest nights I've spend in the Sierra was in August at 9,500'; the warmest in August at 11,700'.

Use the real-time sensors and at one of the California Water Resources Board for historical temperatures, like Cottonwood Lakes. Link: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?CWD

I use an 11 oz. 800 fill power down jacket during the 3 seasons in the Sierra. It gives me the warmth of 300 weight Polartec Jacket with less than half the weight.