Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mount Whitney Trail Conditions

Is there anyone who can give me an update on Whitney Trail conditions? We have a group of three heading up on April 26/27/28. From watching the weather, we are planning on bringing crampons. Has anyone heard or seen how thick the snow is? Will we need snowshoes? Will we be able to park at the portal?

Thanks for any insight!
Chad

All the recent action has been on the Mountaineers' Route, so you may not get much current information on the main trail. Check out the threads entitled "PORTAL ROAD", "MC has spoken - MR - April 16-18, 2010", and "WPSMB Group Camp Out 4/16-4/18".

I made the trail last weekend and you can find pictures at Mt Whitney trail
You will need snowshoes until Trail Crest and then I highly recommend crampons from Trail Crest to the top because the snow was icy.
There were several feet of snow and after the recent storm you will likely have no tracks anymore. The switchbacks are impassable, so you need to go straight up. Be careful for avalanches after the recent storm, it may take a few days for the snow to settle.

Thank you! The pictures and advice were very helpful!

Nice Job Freddy. That's pretty impressive for a 2 day climb on the main trail this time of year.