Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board where's Whitney

I hiked Baldy this morning hit manker flats at 4:50 summited at 8:05am 31deg. on top...It was very clear on top looking out in the desert.

I saw a mountain out in the distance with snow on top, it didn't look like cloud cover as I was standing on top looking stright down at the baldy 10,000ft plack the mountain was at 10:00 could that be Whitney or can someone tell me the degree on the compass to look at next time I'm up there did not bring compass this time.

I picked a good day off to go I don't see it this clear very often....mark

336.5deg

Mark, we have had many discussions about this over the years--from Baldy to Whitney and from Whitney to Baldy. The discussions have also included some impressive photographs in both directions.

Using spherical trigonometry, Mt. Whitney is 162 miles from Baldy, and is 347 degrees True North, or 334 degrees Magnetic North.

If you would like, I can give you an Excel or Word listing of all the named peaks you can see from Mt. Baldy. All you need is the list and a compass. Just PM me and let me know.

Looking east it could have been San Gorgonio. Also called ol' Gray Back. It could have had a dusting from latest shower activity. But it has a light color to the face you were looking at anyway. Its 12K'

If you were facing down where you came from (toward Clairmont) it would have been off to your left somewhere - 10 oclockish. Looking at the ridge that the range you are on makes, it would point toward Redlands...and Gorgonio.

Very doubtful that you will see very far into the Sierra from Baldy. Maybe in Colorado or Canada up high, on a clear day you can see that far (150+ miles). Not around the desert here tho. Too much particulate matter blowing up usually.

You would have a better chance of seeing the Sierra and some higher points from San Gorgonio. But Whitney might not be a 'revealed' feature from the direct south. Lot of stuff to get in its way.

I have seen the southern sierras from blady on a few occasions. Its hard to say exactly what peaks are seen, but they can be seen. I am pretty sure I have seen San G from the summit of Mount Langley

Olancha Peak, Mt. Langley, and Mt. Whitney sort of all blend together from Baldy or Baden-Powell. Because they are all above tree line, it looks like a high ridge standing out from the surrounding area. If Olancha has snow on it, it's easier to see. Then Langley is just to the left and Whitney sort of seems to be on the same ridge line with Langley. Even from Olancha peak Langley and Whitney can sort of blend together. Neither one really standing out that much from each other.

I've got a couple of photos, but no place to host them. Olancha Peak looks more prominent because it's sort off by itself and being above tree line, stands out a bit more.

thanks guys for the info..

steve no this wasn't San Gorgonia I was looking WNW with a mountain with snow on it than going by skyline 3 to 4 inches north of that mountain the range was white...
I've seen Gorgonia from baldy, in winter it sticks out

bullet you may be right about Oolancha Peak and other mtns.

won't be forgetting compass anymore...

Dr. John Samson, a physics professor in Scotland, successfully photographed San Gorgonio, 190 miles from Mt. Whitney’s summit, on a perfectly clear day in the summer of 2003. Dr. Samson’s photograph currently holds the US line-of-sight record for the lower 48 states.



San Gorgonio can be seen in shadow in the far-right background over the eastern shoulder of Olancha Peak in the foreground on the right side.

Dr. Samson knew what he was doing. He had the right camera for the right seeing condition, and he knew where to point his camera. His is an amazing accomplishment.

For a number of years now I have been encouraging Mount Whitney photographers to point their cameras to Troy Peak in Nevada (51 degrees TN, or 37 degrees MN), which is just under 195 miles away from Whitney’s summit. But, alas, no one so far has been able to capture the peak, because of less than perfect seeing conditions.

I was up on Baden-Powell on Saturday 11-8-08 and this was the view north. Even on this somewhat cool, clear morning, there was still a lot of haze in the desert air.

Gary

Owens Peak would be the dark pyramid. Olancha Peak just left of that (that just rises above Tree line). The Langley Whitney group would be left of Olancha Peak in the above photo. The picture I have from Baden-Powell in winter is pretty close to same angle and location as yours.

Cool photos in this thread! Very interesting.

Here is one of many geodetic calculators you can find on the web. I like this one, because it gives you several different results.

Geodetic Inverse Calculator

Select the linear units before entering Heights.

How far away is Mt. Charleston from Mt. Whitney? In early August I climbed Mt. Langley with some Tomcat and a some other friends. I had never seen the sky so clear. We could easily see Mt. Charleston and what looked like one or two more ranges further east beyond it. It was an amazing site. I could also easily see the San Emigdio range in southern Kern county.

Rafael...

Almost 146 miles. See:

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/30226/page/0/fpart/1

Dale B. Dalrymple

Thanks Dale,



Rafael...