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My boyfriend and I are planning to hike Whitney (in one day) this summer (already submitted application for permits). We are both in good shape and work out a lot. We have hiked up to 14K before in CO, up to 10K in the Alps, Half Dome, etc. Also, he hiked 1,200 miles of the AT last year - not me though, I'm not a fan of camping but I better get over it considering we want to do some climbs/treks that will require that. We've been in SF the last 3 yrs - pretty much at sea level and there is not much here in terms of elevation. Anyway, we realize Whitney will be a challenging hike and we want to be prepared as possible. We walk the hills with backpacks, do lots of stairs, 17/18 mile walks around the city so we know how to train. Obviously we can't run up to Tahoe every wknd to hike up to 10/11K but are planning to the week before Whitney. My question is - aside from Mt. Tam and Mt. Diablo here in the bay - can anyone from the area recommend other hikes here? I believe we know all the right things to do but just wanted to see if anyone from the bay had any other ideas? Thanks
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When I've trained for Whitney day hikes in two previous years, my buddies and I usually only took on Mt. Diablo (plus maybe Half Dome and/or Yosemite Falls in the spring and routine running and stair-stepping). We do four peaks on Mt. Diablo which turns it into a 6 hour, 12-mile trek. It is steep enough (3500 ft gain in 4 miles straight up) that our legs get the training they need. We have had no problems doing the Whitney day hikes. Sounds like you are probably already there. Don't forget the acclimatization hikes the two days prior!
Best of luck to you and have fun!
Rob
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Thanks Rob- I figured it would involved Diablo. I havent hiked over there since like last March -too damn hot in the summer. Due to work schedules - we will probably only have a day and a half before the whitney hike to do acclimatization hikes but we will do what we can.
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Get ahold of Ted (First14 here on the board). He lives in Tracy. I took him and one of his buddies, Rod, up to Alta Peak, and they proceeded to kick my young, skinny butt all over the mountain (literally, all over the mountain. 13 mi. hike turned into 20+, so much for my routefinding skills). They are strong, fast hikers, and are both outstanding individuals who I'd hit the trail with any day of the week. Regards, Daniel
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Check out some of the fire roads in the southern Bay Area into the Santa Cruz Mountains. While not topping out in high elevation, some of the roads are steep and will climb a few thousand feet and are great for conditioning. Nice excuse to head south into the Big Basin area, maybe even going as far as Big Sur if you have the time. Plus, I do miss strolling in the redwoods from time to time... Enjoy! -L 
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A group of friends and I did Whitney in a day two years back. All training was done on Mission peak in Fremont. We used to hike up 2 - 3 times a week. On weekends we sometimes did it twice. Up from stanford avenue to the peak and then down to ohlone college and back again. This did seem to help us a great deal and all of us managed Whitney quite easily. We only did one high altitude hike - which was Mt.Dana in yosemite ~13,000 ft.
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Thanks for all responses. I do have some good choices and time before July(when I hope to hike Whitney). I'll just be training between now and then as I'm not one for waiting till the last 2 months to train for something. Plus its gets hot everywhere in the bay area outside of SF once May comes so between now and then its great weather!
Thanks again, Leigh-Ann
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Plus its gets hot everywhere in the bay area outside of SF once May comes so between now and then its great weather! Quite right, LeighAnn! We would start hiking Mt. Diablo long before dawn to be down before it got too hot. I'd have to carry tons of water (good training) because there was none to be found on the trail, I drink like a fish and the water at the summit drinking fountain is terrible!!!  Whitney is a lot easier! Oh, and Laura, if you do happen to grace we NorCal folks with a visit, let us know! I hiked Mt. Tam 10 days ago and the redwoods were awesome!  Rob
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Rob: You're on! I smell a group hike in the future! And I know Mt. Tam has some wonderful trails that won't kill the 'average joe', plus there's The Buckeye restaurant with the BEST martinis in the world for a post-hike party... Dang, now I have to start thinking about when I can drive home again... 
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If you are willing to go south, there are a lot of hikes that would give you the distance, but not the altitude. For example, you can go from the parking lot at Rancho San Antonio to Black Mountain and beyond. You can also go up P. G. & E. trail to an unmarked trail to Black Mountain. It is steeper. There are countless variations of this. I have done this in preparation for my two Whitney climbs, though they are pleasant thing do by themselves.
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I actually hiked Tam at the end of January as well - I think the total was 14 miles starting in that really small parking lot - I forget the name. This was after walking a loop around the city for 17 miles the day before. Good news is- nothing hurt at the end of the wknd but only had a pack of about 8/9 pounds. If the weather was warm - it would have been harder for me as I HATE the heat. Grew up and spent most of my life in NJ with all that humidity one would think I could handle heat but I can't. SF weather is absolutely perfect for me!! One thing - I definitely need to be better about drinking more water.
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It sounds like you are very fit, and will have no difficulty climbing Whitney from a cardio and strength perspective. However, acclimation is another issue. I live in central North Carolina, and had a similar issue about not having tall mountains near my home base. When I climbed some 14ers in Colorado, I had a terrible time with the altitude. So this time I got to the Whitney area a few days before my hike and did some day hikes over 10,000 feet around Horseshoe Meadows and Lone Pine Lake. I also slept at the Portal a couple of nights before climbing Whitney. I had absolutely no problem with the altitude. So, think about going early and doing some day hikes. Besides, its a lot of fun.
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As long as I keep working out, I feel pretty confident with the cardio etc and I know the altitude is the thorn in my side. When we hiked Mt. Princeton (14,197)in CO in 2005, we had 3 days there before going up - 2 days in Denver and about a day and a half at my boyfriend's moms house who lives at 9,000ft. I got a very slight headache about an hour from the summit but nothing too concerning- the thin air was tough for me the last 15 min but I still made it. Problem is we won't have a lot of time to acclimatize before doing Whitney. Planning on getting there on early Thurs afternoon and hiking around, then hiking something on Friday, Whitney on Sat then home Sun. No camping for me - yet.
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Some folks swear by Diamonx or high doses of aspirin for a few days before hitting the trail. I took a few aspirin twice a day for a few days before hiking Whitney, and all I can say is it didn't hurt. Hopefully some of the REAL experts will chime in and give you some advice.
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I'll consider all advice/opinions as I am far from an expert. I'm on the fence about the Diamox thing. I'd rather not take prescription medication if I don't have to on this hike. In CO when my head hurt, I popped a couple advil and drank more water and I was good to go.
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I live in the flatlands (sea level), and while I prefer to do Mt Whitney as an overnight hike, the aclimitization is the main training issue for me. If you start pushing fluids the week before your trip so your body gets used to it, you'll be in good shape. I'm not a big person, but will typically drink 3-4 liters on a hot day and easily 3 on a regular day. I set out the bottles on my desk to remind myself to drink. The side benefit is it's great for your body too--just don't get to far from the potty. Aspirin (rather than advil, aleve or tylenol) is said to work by many because it thins the blood--also starting a few days before the trip.
Have fun, it's an experience you'll never forget.
Karen
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Fred, Thanks so much for directing me to more information to read which I'm sure will be very helpful over the coming months. I wish we had the time to take 4 or 5 days before the hike in a place like Yosemite. I was there once for Half Dome and would love to go again. I know hiking up in Tahoe the wknd before will be helpful but won't be enough. Unfortunately, due to other travel plans this year and work schedules, we can only take off Thurs/Fri which leaves limited time to hike before Whiteney on Sat. As long as we get our permits for a Saturday - those 4 days are set in stone. Not ideal but it is what it is.
Leigh
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LeighAnn: For your last-chance acclimation, how about driving out to Mammoth Lakes and doing some hiking up to altitude there the day before you do Whitney? You're about 2 hours from Lone Pine, so fairly easy striking distance when you want to start your hike at oh-dark-thirty. When we did Whitney in 2001, we spent two nights in a motel in Mammoth and hiked up Glass Mountain the day we were there. We did Whitney as an overnight, not a day hike, since Nathan was only 12 at the time and 21 miles would have been a bit much for him, but you can check out my trip report for more details.
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Rob: You're on! I smell a group hike in the future! And I know Mt. Tam has some wonderful trails that won't kill the 'average joe', plus there's The Buckeye restaurant with the BEST martinis in the world for a post-hike party... Hmmm... I also smell a group hike in the making... The combination of Laura, redwoods (Muir Woods!) and martinis should create quite a draw as well as a great time for all! Just needs someone to organize it... Uh oh...I may have just volunteered myself... 
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