Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Kids and Whitney?

Not quite true if you go past Trail Crest...

Hi Jeff (A.K.A. AxeMan), thanks for using your name – I couldn’t remember it.

I agree with what you are saying regarding hiking with children – I took my sons on plenty of backpacking trips, and by watching them and knowing their body language, signals, and simply talking with them, I knew where they stood and how they were doing on any particular trip.

As parents, we all understand the importance of spending as much time as possible with our kids….and talking. As our kids grow from childhood to adulthood, we hope we have impressed those important lessons of life on them, as well as having fun and really enjoying being with them, and even being a little silly at times…and we learn from them as well. We hope they will remember lessons, and maybe even learn from our mistakes, and that they will be brave, confident, and adventurous as they leave home for a new school… a new life.

But in this same time, they are also being increasingly exposed to other ideas and important people in their lives – friends...schoolmates/peers... teachers....and then (oh my!)…….the girlfriend or boyfriend. Next thing you know they’re leaving for college.

My issue with what you had said in your original post was the generalized comment: “If you're uncertain, then spend more time with them until you don't have to ask. This holds true for just about everything that they will do through life”.

My response to that is still - “if only it were that simple”.

You are right - The degree that we become a ”better, more patient and trustworthy parent” is in direct correlation with the degree of quality time and unconditional love we have given our children.

And we must become ”better, more patient and trustworthy parents”, because our children are going to make choices… and sometimes those choices will be mistakes, regardless. Didn’t we all? We can only hope the mistakes that they make will be small and easily corrected…. But sometimes they are not.

Honestly, Jeff, I think we are basically saying the same thing.

Rosie

For what its worth. My kids have grown up in east TN and except for ski trips have never spent time above 6k. I took my 10 and 12 year old boys from Onion Valley over Kearsage Pass the last 2 years. The first time we flew from Knoxville to Vegas got in a rental car and stayed in Lone Pine that night. The next day we left out and started the hike. My 10 year old in excellent backpacking shape had altitude problems about halfway up so we stopped, hiked down 500' and camped for the night. The next day he had only minor problems going over Kearsage. The next year we returned but camped at Onion Valley cg the day prior to starting the hike. Neither son had any issues with altitude and by the time we got to trail crest they were literally jogging past hikers coming up from the portal. I am convinced the issue with altitude the first year was solely due to my ignorance preferring to get them "a good nights sleep in a bed" rather than camping at Onion Valley. The next years relative ease proved my theory correct. You have obviously considered many options and will not make the mistakes I made. By the way, both boys consistently talk about going out to Whitney again and how it was one of their most memorable trips. I'm planning on trying the Army Pass route this summer with them begging me to hurry up.

I agree on the sleeping at altitude Chemo. We'll spend a few nights at Mammoth Lakes (8000 feet) before moving on to either the Portal or Horseshoe Meadow (10,000 feet). I suspect my wife will need the acclimatization time more than my daughter. They've done fine in the past at 12-14K' in the Rockies after sleeping high during the first few days at elevation. I've become convinced over the past year that the elevation you sleep at is just as important (or more) than the elevation you hike at in acclimating.

I'm envisioning my daughter being somewhat like your son once she's acclimated. Two years ago, when she was 8, we were hiking at about 8000 feet in the Cascades. After the first few hours she was leading the hike and calling my wife and I "slowpokes".

We'll warm up the first few days with hikes around Mammoth and Yosemite, then maybe a day at White Mountain if all goes well with my girls up to that point (hopefully Laura will have cleared all the snow off the mountain by then ). Probably a day at Cottonwood Pass/Lakes once we've moved on down 395 for our finals days in the Whitney area.

we live in the east at 900 feet, but before we start our hikes, we usually get some time at elevation. Since we drive to CA from WI, we get past Denver, stop on Loveland Pass and do a quick no-pack hike up to 13,000 feet next to the highway, usually breathless, but meant to tell the bodies it's time to make those red cells. The next day we drive through the intermountain west at about 4-7000 feet to CA, then spend at least 2 days at either Reds Meadow or Tuolumne Meadows, doing day hikes around 8000-9000 feet, and perhaps a push up Mount Dana at 13k+.

Last year we hiked downhill from TM to Yos. Valley on our first two days, and only two days after that we went over Donohue Pass, never noticing the elevation. After that day, elevation really wasn't on our minds any longer. I recall how we had to wait behind a train of slow non-acclimated hikers in the snow below Forester - they clearly had just come from the lowlands while we were totally acclimated and pretty much could jump around them on boulders to pass them. Kids got a kick out of leaving all those big adults behind them :-)

Bulldog, if you're staying at Mammoth Lakes, there are lots of good dayhike opportunities. Two that come to mind are:

1. Drive up to Minaret Summit above the Mammoth Mountain ski area and hike north(-ish) up the ridge from there. That should take you around 10k' and gives you some interesting views of Mt. Ritter, Banner Peak and the Minarets.

2. Drive across 395 east past Crowley Lake and around to Glass Mountain. It's a scree-and-obsidian slog but will get you up to 11k' or so.

Enjoy the trip and let us know how it goes!

Fishmonger, CMC told me about your adventures in the Sierra backcountry with your young kids a while back. That is just wonderful, and especially interests me since you're a fellow lowlander with no real opportunity to acclimate your kids before you head out on a trip west.

That concept of driving, then making the most of your time in Colorado, is a great idea. Unfortunately we're flying so that's out. Plus the fact that my wife needs to acclimate slowly based on our previous experiences. I made the egregious mistake once of flying from Atlanta (elev 1050 ft) to Denver and before the day was out having my family standing on the summit of Pikes Peak (14,120 ft). My wife paid dearly with the worst case of AMS I've ever seen in only 30 minutes on top. In retrospect, a 13,000-foot elevation gain in 10 hour's time wasn't particularly bright on my part. After a rest day she took elevation gains more slowly - with lots of H2O and Tylenol - and did just fine at 13K' to 14K' within 3-4 days. Hence, our plans to sleep in Mammoth and hike at 11K' or less the first few days.

Thanks for the suggestions Alan, I've been looking at those hikes to the west of Mammoth Mountain on the map, and like some of the options with the PCT and JMT. I think they're very do-able for my daughter, especially if she can check Devil's Postpile off of her National Park & Monument Been-There-Done-That list. There also seem to be a lot of trails in and around Lake Mary - these look to be lower elevation (9000-plus feet), so maybe the first couple of days hiking in this area?

I'm in full agreement with the idea of starting off with a few days' lodging in Mammoth.

Just sleeping at altitude doesn't trigger the body to acclimate nearly as well as a combination of sleeping moderately high and climbing higher each day. Of course moderation is the key- both in altitude and in how much exercise you get each day.

Here is my suggestion for acclimation AND great sight-seeing for out-of-state residents like yourselves. To some extent the airport you fly into has an effect on the plan. I'll presume that you fly into Vegas or LA. Reno will work even better- I would suggest a different itenerary for the first day (Bodie and Mono Lake instead of Whitney Portal).

Presuming 3-4 nights in Mammoth.
Day 1: Hopefully you have a morning flight- Probably to LA area or Vegas. (Reno would be even better but probably not non-stop) Drive to Whitney Portal (Elevation 8600'). Check out the trailhead and give your wife and daughter a peek at the start point. Do a little walking to limber up the travel-weary body. Then head up to Mammoth (Town elevation about 8000'). Avoid heavy meals with lots of protein (like steak or too much cheese).

Day 2: Sleep in, don't rush anything- remember you're on vacation! Drive to Minaret Summit (Elevation 9200') and walk up to the view point. Then go back to the ski area parking lot and buy tickets for the bus ride to Devil's Postpile. Ride the bus to Devil's Postpile (7600') and hike to the Postpile, continuing on to Rainbow Falls. Then take the trail back to either your starting point (5 mi. total) or to the closer Rainbow Falls trailhead (4 mi. total) to pick up the bus.

Day 3: Take a hike up the Duck Pass Trail. The trailhead is 9,000' and climbs past three pretty little lakes and some mining relics to Duck Pass at 4.7 miles and 10,800'. There are plenty of other Trails around Mammoth Lakes but I think Duck Pass would be ideal for the scenery and elevation.

Day 4: If you only had time for three nights in Mammoth then get up early and head down to Whitney Portal. If you have another night:
Day hike near Tioga Pass (Trailhead elevations 9000'- 10,000'), or Rock Creek (Trailhead elevation 10,000'). Personally I wouldn't risk wearing your girls out on White Mountain as that might discourage them for Whitney.

I suggest lodging at Mammoth right up to your Whitney start. That will allow a much more relaxed last day as you won't be moving lodging, and you'll be sleeping fairly high. An alternative is Rock Creek Lodge which is a few miles closer to Lone Pine and is at 9300' elevation. (Of course it isn't close to shopping and restaurants like you get staying in Mammoth) If you're camping instead of staying indoors, there are many more options.

Nothing an extra two days of hanging out at medium elevation like at Tuolumne Meadows campground can't fix. People of all ages and in all kinds of physical shape drive up there every year and hang out, and most of them probably live at low elevation year round. It's about 8600 feet up there and for most people that seems to be a reasonable altitude to handle without any real risk. Lembert Dome is a great little peak to get the heart rate up, without really going much higher and being far from the camp and road that can take you lower in a hurry.

If things go well, you can drive up to Tioga Pass for a short hike to get beyond 10k and even push to 13k on Mount Dana, then return to camp. 2-3 days up there should be sufficient to be "ok" at even higher elevations. The more time you can take there, the better. For some people our "acclimation phase" in Yosemite National Park would be a full vacation, but for us it is just the warmup stage. Fishing at the river, good food, bears in camp every night - what's there not to like?