Hi all,
I won't bore you with too many details, as you can study them until you're blue in the face
here.
Before I start, I'd like to acknowledge the particularly substantive information I received (indirectly) form several members of this forum:
wbtravis- Very helpful web site devoted to hiking Mt. Whitney, and his chronic refrain of "don't climb higher than
you can safely descend".
Bob R-much wisdom, and location of water sources.
Ken-AMS information and resources.
Versatile Fred-terrific distillation of information from this board.
Richard P-his unflagging energy for mountaineering in the Sierra is an inspiration.
Wayne Pyle-cool map of the 97 switchbacks.
DMatt-Pertinent weather reports.
Doug Sr.-his book was very helpful, and his rule-of-thumb to avoid sweating and breathing hard while hiking at altitude gave me a foundation for pacing myself.
Thank you all for selflessly sharing your collective experiences.
I arrived at the Portal on Sat 9/12, got the lay of the land, ate a burger, and set off on the MMWT to overnight at Lone Pine Lake for acclimatization (and fun!). Having come from sea level the day before, I hiked slowly and deliberately, very focussed on breathing deeply and my body's responses to my new surroundings. It was a lovely hike, taking 3 hours, and I picked a nice camp site on the far (east) side of the lake. Awoke in the night to a spectacular celestial display--the Sierra at last!
Next day I descended to the Portal and checked-in to my reserved campsite at the Whitney Portal Family Campground. Site no. 41 was a great choice for its relative solitude, and was very convenient for bear locker, water, and bathroom. That evening I took a drive up to Horseshoe Meadows and enjoyed the views out across Owen's Valley from the awesome Horseshoe Meadows Road.
Mon, 9/14, I picked up my Whitney Zone permit at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center in Lone Pine, and headed back up to Horseshoe Meadows to hike Trail Peak from the Cottonwood Pass trailhead. Trail Peak is the first hike I've ever had to "scramble", since there is no trail to the top (at least not from the eastern approach). It was a beautiful and rewarding hike. Physically I felt quite good, feeling no adverse affect from altitude.
Tues 9/15 I embarked on the MMWT for my summit approach. I hit the trail at 07:00, reached Lone Pine Lake in 2 hours, lunched at beautiful Outpost Camp, and reached Trail Camp in exactly 7 hours. I picked a site about "two tiers" up and south of the trail, nestled in with good protection should the wind kick up. If I felt any impact from altitude, it was in my night of restless sleep at Trail Camp, but I woke up feeling rested and ready to go. I hydrated heavily, and hit the trail. I opted to carry 4 liters of water/electrolyte (3 in my Platypus bladder and 1 with Accelerade in a Nalgene); I would return to Trail Camp with 1.5 liters.
Wed 9/16 I hit the first switchback at 0700 and made Trail Crest in 2 hours. I approached the infamous switchbacks in a "Zen-like" manner, and it was an enjoyable walk. The weather was superb--cloudless and 50s all the way to the summit and back.
Ticking off the various landmarks, the JMT, the Windows, Guitar Lake, the first summit view, I plodded along feeling great. I summited just after 11:00--under 4 hours from Trail Camp. Still feeling incredible, I drank in the views, chatted with kindred spirits, snacked/hydrated (no problem with appetite), snapped the requisite summit shots, and headed back down at 12:30.
I returned to Trail Camp at 15:25, packed up camp, and headed down to Outpost Camp to spend the night. The hardest part of the entire hike for me was probably the granite steps from Trailside Meadow to Mirror Lake, but after a brief rest, I continued to Outpost and walked into camp 90 minutes from Trail Camp.
I was directed by a camper to a lovely spot back towards the waterfall, made camp, cooked some dinner, and called it a night. Outpost camp is wonderful, and I spent a lovely morning there just putzing around, journaling, and relaxing.
Thu 9/17 I left Outpost at about 10:00 and walked into Whitney Portal about 3 hours later, where I chatted with Doug Sr. for a while, indulged in another burger, and purchased the requisite memorabilia.
The adventure was amazing. It simply could not have been better. This message board was probably the biggest factor for improving my chance at success. Thanks everyone.
Jim
