Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Thoughts on Whitney if you're out of state

I'm curious to hear what non-Californians think of Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine, and the portal area when you first arrive. I know most people who climb Whitney will have seen many photos of the mountain, but seeing it, experiencing it and hiking it are all different things.

What do all you people from other states think when you drive into Lone Pine, then up to the portal, then the hike itself? Are you surprised at how things look, or does it look pretty much as you thought it would? Do you think the area is pretty, stunning, average, lousy or terrible? I personally don't think the Whitney hike is terribly scenic, especially above the tree line, and the view from the summit is one of the worst summit views in the Sierra's. I love it though and am addicted to doing it every year.

Thoughts or comments from the non-Californians out there?

Being from Utah I first saw Lone Pine in the Winter. The mountains were all White and beautiful. Lone Pine was like a cool old west town. When I came back to hike the first time I was so excited I thought the mountain was great..even rugged up high. Now I think the beauty is better below the the tree line, especially around Outpost came. Above that is kind of rocky and baren and looks nicer with patches of snow. (Earlier in the season)

We (spouse and I ) hail from Connecticut, where nothing gets higher than 2380 feet. We have to travel fairly far to hike above tree line, and we love being on summit peaks and ridges because of the views. For us, the White Mountains of New Hampshire provide the closest opportunity for a high-mountain-ridge experience. The views are spectacular for us, but the rounded shapes of the mountains in New England and the heavy tree cover on most of the lower peaks makes the scenery quite different from the truly high peaks and ridges of the Sierra.
We did do quite a bit of research before we hiked Mount Whitney, and we had been in the west before so we knew what to expect. Still, for us flatlanders, the whole experience of the Mount Whitney trail - especially reaching Trail Crest - was "knock your socks off" spectacular. I'm sure it's harder to appreciate the things in your own back yard, but we thought Mount Whitney was out-of-this-world beautiful.

Having spent a fair amount of time out in the Sierra (I hail from St. Louis, so nothing above 1772.68' in the whole state.), Whitney from Trail Camp up is an austere and bare landscape, but spectacular in its own right, especially the east face of Whitney.

For sheer beauty, though, I'll take the area around Mt. Ritter (see my <a href="http://www.mtritter.org">WWW site</a> for lots of trip reports and photos), just west of Mammoth Lakes. Peaks are a much darker rock, retain much more snow through the summer, and the lakes nearby (Shadow, Ediza, Garnet, Thousand Island and Catherine) are drop-dead gorgeous. But then, I may be a little prejudiced, Mt. Ritter being "my" mountain...

Depends on what you want to see...big walls and falls, Yosemite. Austere rocks, Whitney. Lakes, peaks and glaciers, Mt. Ritter. Each is beautiful in its own way...

I'm originally from California though now living in Washington. I've been to Whitney (failed in my only attempt, though I was 12). As a kid I was impressed and awed by the Sierras, including Yosemite. It wasn't until I moved to Washington 1 1/2 years ago and started hiking in the Cascades and Olympics that I found them more impressive. For me, I'll take a hike in any mountains over a good day of work any day and though I may prefer the Cascades or Olympics over the Sierras, I still have to go back and take on Whitney again.

like flatlander we,re from the east....massachusetts....and yes the white mountains are our play ground here.mt washington 6280 ft......back here we travel from hut to hut along the presidential range....in a wonderful land. we were out to lone pine last feb. fell in love with it...we walked up the portal road and checked out whitney.... we both looked at each other and said yes. we have our permit for the 30th of sept. and we,re doing this puppy.

i wish they all could be california girls (opps i mean mountains)

Interesting. I've lived in Washington and hiked in the Cascades for about 25 years but still find the Sierra my first love as mountains go. Maybe I am into the open rocky basins. Also the expansive views and large open basins and meadows are rarely found up here in the Cascades. I recall surmounting Piute Pass and going WOW. And actually saying that I have never had such a sweeping open vantage point up here. While we have our granite basins, they are fewer and far between.

Not that I don't appreciate having these mountains an hour or two from Seattle.

And unlike some and this may explain things, I really do love the rocky "desolation" of the areas above treeline such as Trail Camp (with fewer people (g))

I was pretty impressed. I dedicated several pages on my <a href="http://www.garyscottthompson.com/furniture14000.htm">website</a>. Being from Georgia it was pretty amazing. Everything was different and it made for an excellent adventure. All of y'all out in California have so many great options for doing things outdoors. What is a one a year trip for me is a weekend trip for you.

I'm live in Southern Maryland, elevation 5' or so, and the first time I saw the area, back in 1999, I was stunned, both at the height of the mountains (remember, MD highpoint, Backbone Mt, is 3360' - about the same elevation as the town of Lone Pine) and the sheer beauty of the area. As I approached Lone Pine, I was so transfixed on the mountains that I did not even realize that I was speeding. When the CHP pulled me over, I apologized and told the truth - I was so amazed by the mountains that I didn't even realize how fast I was going. The officer saw my MD license, laughed a little, and pointed out the way to the Portal. I vowed that day to come back and climb Whitney, which I have been fortunate enough to do twice. I plan on coming back at least once every year to visit what I believe is the most beautiful place in the country.

The first time I saw Mt. Whitney I knew I had to climb it. Being originally from MO (was transfered to CA in 1996) I feel pretty lucky to live so close to such a wonderful place. The first time I climbed Whitney was an overwelming experience. I've been to other mountainous states and have to vote the Sierras as the best.

Having climbed many places from Alaska to Oklahoma, I would have to place the Sierra rather low on my list, although slightly ahead of Oklahoma. It definitely comes in behind the Alaska Range, the Chugach range, the Olympics, Yosemite, the Wasatch range, the Tetons, the Wind Rivers, and the area around Idyllwild. Of course, when we get around to discussing rock quality and weather, the list is much different. The whitney area has some sweet rock and great weather for such a large mountain range.

I live in coal mining country of PA. Also lived in Columbus, OH for nine years. I climed Whitney last month, first time. Camped two nights at Whitney Portal to acclimatize. Summited via Mountaineer's Route, went down the main trail. I was blown away by the experience. The weather was perfect -- not a cloud in the sky, low 90's at Lone Pine. Quite a contrast to the very wet summer here (now dealing with the remnants of Isabel). I took over 100 pictures, but the pix don't do the mountain justice. I'm already planning a return trip next year. I think I'll take a camcorder next time.
I guess I agree with Alan though. It depends what you want to see or do. I've travelled all over North America, from Key West to Denali, from Hudson Bay to the Grand Canyon. We live in an amazing country -- so many amazing sites, each beautiful in their own right. As for Whitney -- Whitney is a treasure, if for no other reason than it's the highest peak in the lower 48. Anyone with any sense can see that.

Uhhh Desperado - check a map and you'll discover Yosemite is smack dab in the middle of the Sierra. It's a pretty big range and is very diverse. Being in my backyard I am biased. I love exposed granite and there is a lot of that in the Sierra and the vistas are great. I'm sure there are prettier ranges somewhere in the world but my secret spots in my home range are the most beautiful to me.

By the way for some reason that I haven't figured out you leave the s off the end of the Sierra when referring to them. It's the Sierra, not the Sierras. Just something a local yokel thought you might want to know.

If desperado wants to diss the Sierra, fine by me. That's at least one LESS person to crowd up my favorite mountain range.

petersstarship

While I agree that climbing in the Sierra's is great, one of the most fun climbing trips I've ever had was ice climbing up your way on a multi-pitch frozen waterfall (Pinnacle Gully) on Mt. Washington with skiis, then skiing back down a wicked steep bowl.

Those East coast girls are really hip, I dig those styles they wear ...

Whoa....getting heavy here. As I recall, opinions were solicited from "less-biased" out-of-staters for a reason. I didn't say I wouldn't take the Sierra Nevada over many, many places on Earth, just that I would put it behind some other notable mountain ranges I have been to.

For apeman: Mia Culpa. True, Yosemite does belong to the Sierra Nevada, but I felt I was answering the spirit of the question "How does the area around Mt. Whitney compare to...." If I get to throw Yosemite in with the "Whitney Area," it would move the Sierra Nevada up the list quite a ways.

Para DHMeieio: Se' la definicion de Sierra Nevada. De donde vengo yo, a nadie le importa lo que llamamos las montanas, mientras las disfrutamos.

For everyone else: Get out of California and visit some other mountain ranges before you open your traps. The Sierra (see I'm learning) are great, but they ain't all that and a bag of Trix.

Hey Desperado, What is it about the Wasatch that puts it on your priority list ahead of the Sierra? Just curious...

My first visit to Mount Whitney,some thirty years ago, left such an impression on me that I had vivid Whitney dreams for years. In most of these dreams I would be driving on some familiar Connecticut road and then upon turning a corner I would suddenly be approaching Mount Whitney via Whitney Portal Road. I've since hiked up Mount Whitney many times and now enjoy vivid daydreams of the Mount Whitney and Lone Pine area.

It isn't now that we're tossing Yosemite into the mix. The Wasatch is great for skiing and rock climbing. Plus, its a lot more accessible to a major city than the Sierras. How many of us drive 15 minutes to the Sierras?

I didn't think we were comparing ranges. I grew up in Maine and before I saw Whitney, I now live in SoCal, Mt Katahdin in the winter remained my favorite spot even though I had experienced Assiniboine, Robson, and the Grand.

One of my overall favorite places in the world is the eastern Sierra. As I pass Little Lake, I am in another zone and any problems from the work a day world and my ex-wife disappear.

395 is one of the great road trips anywhere, day or night. I've driven back from Mammoth at night mid-week on a full moon and you didn't need headlights. I've also done it with no moon and the stars...blew my mind. If not in the backcountry, sitting in the hot springs east of Mammoth at night gazing into the heavens. In the immortal words of that former beer commercial. "It don't git no bettet than this"