Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Fall Conditions on the Main Whitney Trail

It looks like the backcountry conditions are forecasted to change very soon. Given that many people are still planning climbs up Mt. Whitney for the upcoming weeks I thought now is a good time for some reminders on what to expect assuming the upcoming storm dumps as much snow as is forecasted. Watch the board for people offering updates on what they encounter. Feel free to post them to this thread if you like. Our friend Dennis Mattison posts an excellent Eastern Sierra Forecast here. NOAA's current forecast as of Friday night October 9 includes a special advisory that calls for several inches of rain in the mountains which can translate to several feet of new snow. This storm is forecasted to arrive as early as Monday night October 12. Although the center of this storm is forecasted to hit north of Mt. Whitney it is difficult to believe the Whitney area won't be affected. Given this potential change in our conditions here are a few reminders for those of you planning a climb sometime this fall...



For those of you interested in trying to climb Mt. Whitney this fall you should be aware of current conditions, and more importantly how to interpret those conditions to help you decide how to make decisions with safety in mind.

Fall temperatures are now here. Any storm will produce snow. If snow is present on Mt. Whitney it may not melt away until late spring or early summer. You can count on negotiating a snow covered trail from, at minimum, somewhere above Trail Camp until Trail Crest. From the cables until Trail Crest there are hazardous areas where a slip can turn into a fall that can lead to an injury or fatality. This section is part of what most of us refer to as the “97 Switchbacks”. When the area receives more storms, you can count on snow lower and higher on the route.

Given these conditions there are certain things to keep in mind if you decide to attempt climbing Mt. Whitney via the Main Trail. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start:

(1) Recognize that your ascent will take longer than it would if the trail was dry. Plan extra time into your itinerary to account for this.

(2a) Realize that current conditions require climbers to have learned and practiced several mountaineering skills which include self arrest with an ice axe (this is how you would attempt to stop yourself in the event of a slip on the hard snow and ice), how to walk with crampons on, and how to efficiently climb up and down snow covered slopes.

(2b) This means that ski poles are no substitute for an ice axe. Ski poles are great aids in walking. Ascending a route they are like a portable hand rail. On a descent they help reduce some of the jarring to hiker’s knees. They will do nothing to help stop a person in case of a fall. Yes, some ski poles are made with self arrest grips. This is no substitute for an ice axe.

(3a) The slope between Trail Camp and Trail Crest is north facing. This means it loses sun exposure early in the day. You can be on this slope during a warm sunny day and find the snow comfortable to walk on, but once the sun leaves this slope the snow will become firm, hard, and slick. It will stay that way until the sun hits it again, which might be the next day, or it might take several days if clouds obscure direct rays from the sun. Even with direct sun exposure the conditions could still be firm, hard, and slick.

(3b) Be prepared to climb on firm, hard, and slick snow. If you find yourself on this slope after 2:30 PM (when the sun begins leaving this area) you need to be prepared to negotiate increasingly firm, hard, and slick snow conditions.

(4a) Sliding down the snow on your butt (commonly called “glissading” among the mountaineering community) from Trail Crest is not a safe option. It doesn’t matter if you see tracks from people who have previously done it. Among those who contributed to glissade tracks in previous seasons include several people who lost their lives from the decision to glissade there.

(4b) People have tried glissading here for years. Understand that this slope is subtly angled in such a way that it can pull an unsuspecting mountaineer slowly to the left, which can make you slam into the rocks at a high rate of speed. There have been many injuries and fatalities due to people glissading here.

(4c) If you decide to glissade anywhere on any mountain remove your crampons. Glissading with crampons is never an option. You run a high chance of injuring an ankle, a leg, or worse. It is poor mountaineering technique to glissade while wearing crampons anywhere at any time.

(5a) Remember that the summit should not be your primary goal. Your first goal is to get back to the parking lot safely. If you can stay within a good margin of safety then the summit should be your second goal. This means that just because somebody else decided to ascend in questionable conditions it should not determine what you decide to do. You need to make your decisions based on your known skills and the ability of your group.

Climbing up a mountain is optional, descending is mandatory.

Thank you for taking the time to post this v. useful information. For myself, I appreciate it v. much.

Tracie

Thanks Kurt,

Great post, to the point and very useful for many heading up this beautiful Mountain.

Regards, Bernhard Mettenleiter " aka "The Mountaingoat"

i was on the MWMT today and did a quick hike to Lone Pine Lake. i chatted with most of the hikers coming down and it seems about 60% said they summited. of those that didn't, they said it was too cold and windy after Trail Crest. it was certainly brisk coming back down that 2.8 miles. weather is a comin'.

Thank you for taking the time to post this Kurt. I hope people heed your warnings and follow your advise this fall/winter season.
Hike safe and stay alive to hike again!

Thanks for the reminder of winter hazards on MW. Years past, we did a body recovery about 100 yards below Trail Crest of an experience climber, with ice axe, who might have attempted a glissade (or not). We found his body wrapped around a projecting rock in the snow... He had been missing for five days...

It is currently dumping heavy, wet snow above 10,000 feet in the Souther Sierra. Stay home folks, and plan the next trip.

Looks like Whitney got a lot of snow last night. We're scheduled to attempt an ascent this coming Monday. Weather looks like it will be nice. Some of us are concerned about conditions, equipment to use, etc. Any advice? Stay home? Go for it?

Yes.

Jeff G - unless you're a seasoned Winter hiker I would postpone your trip a week or two to let conditions stabilize.

There is a chance of snow again on Monday. Telescope Peak in Death Valley might be a better option.

A friend and I attempted to summit yesterday (10/16) with snow shoes, ice axes, and poles, but found it too difficult to get past the cables (~12,700 feet). Crampons are probably a necessity to get any farther because the trail is completely snowed over with 4-5 foot drifts making movement along the mountain very difficult. The trail is impossible to follow in some places, but do your best to take advantage of the switchbacks. The snow (ice) is pretty good until the sun hits it, then it turns to mush. Expect to posthole unless you bring snow shoes. The conditions were constantly changing so the trail may look completely different in a few days. Start early to take advantage of the colder snow because moving gets very difficult once the snow softens up.

Anybody been up the main trail in the last couple days? My buddy and I are heading up tomorrow to stay at WP...then on to trail camp Wednesday. Curious how much snow is still up there. Hoping for a successful summit on Thursday....wish us luck!

We arrived at Trail Crest from Guitar Lake on Saturday morning (Oct 17). It was a very scary and horrible day. (We had entered from Crescent Meadow on the east side of Sequoia National Park seven days earlier).

Long story short -- switchbacks up from Guitar Lake and 11,900 tarns were impassable so we crawled on out stomachs, hands and knees up 1600' of boulders, rocks and scree with packs on. We arrived at Trail Crest with full packs, no crampons and no ice ax and had to get down. The conditions were not safe. We slowly traversed the snow covered hillside (3-7' of snow in different places) in other hikers footprints and hoped we didn't slip and slide 1000' or more down the mountain. At least as of Saturday, do NOT go beyond Trail Camp without crampons, an ice ax, and the skills to use both. We are very lucky to be safe but it was, without a doubt, the worst day of our lives. Please be safe.

jennifer p,
it makes me cringe to hear the fear in your post. i am so grateful your group made it down safely.

i hiked to Outpost Camp on Friday 10/16 and met a number of backpackers who were hoping to summit the next day, all without campons or axe. my friend and i tried to warn them of the risk and reminded them to be careful. then i read your post and it brings up the anxiety i felt at that moment for them.

i wish more people who hiked had the opportunity to read this board and heed it's advice.

Hi Jennifer -

I enjoyed talking with you and your husband before the transport picked you up Sunday morning. Although it was probalby beautiful watching the storm from Kern Hot Springs, what an awesome advneture to have to navigate snow and ice to make it back over the eastern crest.

I hope you got a chance to say hi and enjoy some food at our party Saturday night - God knows there was plenty for all.

When you get settled down; it would be nice to see some of the pictures posted from your trip.

Thanks - Tom aka Tomcat_rc
Hope my coughing and snoring did not keep you two awake much.

Kurt, Nice write up. I live in the North East and I will be in the Mt. Whitney area on the weekend of Nov. 14/15. I was thinking of planning a hike and had a few questions. Clearly it appears that full winter gear is needed at least in several sections of the climb. My thought is to attempt the least technical route up as I will be traveling alone, I assume this is the Main Whitney Trail. How well is this trail marked? How challenging is the switchback area? Do you have any idea of slope degree? Any suggestions on times/ camping places overnight....ect. I am an experienced Backpacker and not willing to take unnecessary risks, especially while I am alone. Any thoughts you can provide would be appreciated. I will keep an eye on the weather forcast and updates on this site as well.
Thanks.....

It sounds like the East Buttress and the East Face are out of the question right now. Is that correct?

Your choices of camp sites are Outpost Camp and Trail Camp. The trail should be easy enough to find unless we get new snow between now and the start of your trip. The snow will get firm hence the recommendation for an ice axe and crampons. I wouldn't go up there without them although whether or not you actually use them is dependent on the conditions at the time. The slope will range between 30 - 45 degrees depending on where you are. There are spots where if you slipped off the trail it would be an ugly fall. Keep watching trip reports for updates on conditions. Some people will post them to this thread and others will post their own report.

That depends on the conditions you want. If you want a dry route with no snow and warm white granite you're a little late. If you want an alpine climb with snow in spots, cooler temperatures, and shorter daylight hours the routes are ready to go.