Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board First timers TR... Avoid my mistakes

Hey everyone,

First off, let me say thank you for all the help. I have been stuck to this board for the last two months preparing for my trip.

I attempted Whitney over the weekend. Unfortunately I did not make it. I think there were several factors that led to this and could have easily been avoided. There were no physical reasons why I did not get to the top, they were more situational. I will try to focus on the mistakes and hopefully it will help others.

First off is gear selection. Make sure your pack fits right. I spent a good deal of money on getting the winter gear and I neglected to really weigh the importance of the pack. I had a 50 liter pack that was too small for me. I carried all the weight on my shoulders. To make matters worse I packed it stupendously wrong. Since it was smaller I had to lash a lot on the outside. The balance was off and this hindered me more. About a mile in I had to stop and unpack the whole thing and rearrange.

This brings me to packing. I took to much clothing and food. I probably carried 75% of my food back down with me, because I brought to much. Had I exerted myself more I probably would have ate more, but still not that much. For clothes I started wearing shorts and a shirt. In the pack I had thermals, pants, a mid fleece, a heavy fleece, another shirt, wind/water proof jacket/pants, couple pairs of boxers and an extra pair of socks. If I did it again I would have left the pants and heavy fleece. I never took them out. It was a couple extra pounds and with my pack weighing 55 lbs, a couple pounds is a lot.

Next is an itinerary. Look at your group’s capabilities and set obtainable goals as far as distance and time. I did not do this. We decided to play it by ear and I that killed us. I started hiking about two months ago. My hiking partner has been doing it for over 15 years. His idea was to hike to Outpost Camp, set up camp, then hike the next morning with less weight and making up more ground at a faster pace. We were at Outpost Camp by 1:00 pm and could easily have made it to Trail Camp before dark. Instead we stayed at Outpost. Big mistake!!

This brings up the next issue. All the reports prior to this weekend were that the chute was great to climb up. However with the heat it became very slushy earlier in the day. As hikers were coming down we were asking for reports. Everyone said that the trail became hard to find after Mirror Lake and the Chute became very slushy early. They said people were attempting it as early as 2 am to avoid the slushiness. Reports change by the minute…

As I said before my hiking partner had way more experience than I did. Before we had dinner that night he decided it wasn’t going to be safe for us to attempt a summit the following day. I disagreed. This is where I think I learned another lesson. Don’t listen to everything you hear. Well listen, but don’t take it as direct truth. I’ll get to this a little later. So back to the discussion with my partner. I wanted to leave at 3 or 4 am to try and reach the chute while it was still frozen. He felt for one, it was not getting cold enough for refreeze at night. Two, it was unsafe to navigate at night (because of the reports that the trail was hard to find). Three, without refreeze it would be to slushy to make it up. Overall he felt the conditions weren’t right and if we aren’t going to make it up then we might as well sleep in.

I came to climb a mountain. I was very disappointed and felt that he was being to careful. I admit he has more experience, but my thought process is this. You start out at night with headlamps and go as far as you can. If you can’t find the trail, wait it out. The sun will come. If you do navigate the trail and make it to the chute and it’s not slushy you go up…If it is, then you at least gave it your best shot.

I got up the next morning about an 1-1 ½ hours before my hiking partner. When he did get up I went ahead and started hiking up while he got ready. We agreed to meet ahead where it was still safe to be hiking alone. We met up a while later. I had no problem navigating the , None! I have a great sense of direction. Some others don’t. Maybe the hikers coming down giving the reports did not, I don’t know. But for the many people that said the trail was hard to follow, that convinced my partner it was not worth going, I had not one time that I did not know where to go. The boot tracks were great, the trail easy to follow. Once again this goes to each person’s strength. As I said I just started hiking two months ago, but I have been fishing, hunting, camping, outdoors my whole life. I love it. So you should know your strengths and your weaknesses.

We made it to Trail Camp, then the bottom of the chute. It was to late in the day to go up at that time. There were people just reaching the top, but no more attempting to go up. You would have to posthole the whole way up the slope. We rested a while then headed back down to our camp.

In all I had a hard time accepting not making it because I didn’t feel I got a fair shot at it. Had there been a case of altitude sickness or exhaustion, something physical I could have walked away with a better feeling. Instead I kind of felt cheated. As a group you should know your hiking partners weaknesses and strengths. You definitely want to exercise caution, but not to much. If you are going to Whitney in winter conditions it will be hard, expect that. You will have to push it. This has been a dream of mine for years, many years. To be that close and not really get to try was heart crushing. I think you need to have the same amount of enthusiasm and yearning as the partner you select to go with. My partner had done it before and maybe that took away from his desire to make it to the top. Maybe it was my lack of experience. I would just really suggest making a good plan and communicating with your hiking partner(s) to ensure they know what you are expecting. If the conditions aren’t right then they aren’t, but make sure that you at least feel like you gave it your all.

Hope this helps other first timers.

Good luck to all. I’ll be back…

Well, John, it sounds like you had an adventure, hopefully had some fun doing it… and “the mountain will always be there”.

Some of your comments are a little confusing, though. You mentioned the need to set an itinerary with everyone’s capabilities… but if you only started hiking two months ago, how can your partner really know your capabilities, especially in conditions that you admitted were changing quickly.

You didn’t mention what time of year your partner climbed Whitney before, but if it was later in the year when snow was not an issue, it’s possible he may have been uncomfortable with the conditions himself. I’m sure he would be concerned about taking a hiker with only two months hiking experience up an area that he was unsure of.

The “gear and pack” problems should have been dealt with on one of your practice hikes where you carry all your gear and work out the kinks before hand, but I think you know that now.

Your comment “You definitely want to exercise caution, but not to much.” is a little concerning - that’s how people get in trouble… a lot. It may be that your partner was concerned about your (seemingly) lack of concern… who knows.

You’re from Southern California - you’re close… and the Mountain will always be there. Don’t feel cheated, John, a lot of people don’t make it to the summit on their first attempt, or any subsequent attempt…for any number of reasons. You said “it’s been a dream of mine for years, many years”, so keep working at it and it will happen.

Thanks for this very instructional TR.

I can sense a lot of, if not too much, frustration... much more than I had on my first and "unsuccessful" Whitney and attempt when I could have kept going. It was only unsuccessful in that we did not reach the top that time. The knowledge gained led to even bigger and better events in the years following.

I like to learn from the mountaineering literature, so I think these lines might be helpful here. Harvey


Mountaineering is not a competitive sport in which men compete against one another. It is a pursuit which should involve nothing more competitive than a happy relationship between man and mountain.
Frank Smythe, The Spirit of the Hills page 280

There are as many expeditions as there are members of that expedition.
Andrew Greig, Summit Fever page 183

I gotta agree with both Rosabella and H_

I've followed you a bit on both sites and you are a strong gung ho person who I know will summit - this year. I've never gone with snow, ice, etc and was lucky enough for perfect conditions. You couldn't help the conditions as those were the dates you were presented. You will have plenty more chances this year. An important part of going with another person is knowing what they are comfortable with and having communication. Communication can consist of one person being comfortable with continueing and the other person wanting to sleep.......He communicated, you communicated, you disagreed and were disappointed. I have a feeling he wasn't disappointed. Those are things that need to be brought up before hand. I know you have read it on this site, in Doug's book and other places. You need to know what you can do, what your partner can do and what you can do to encourage the other person or discourage if it comes to safety. While on the switchbacks last year, I told my hiking partner (who was much stronger than me), to stop f&^%*$ing trying to encourage me.....no frickin rah, rah. He knew I meant it and I did make the summit. I've already told my partner this year before I go.....he will make the decision if he's going to the summit, not me. I will be there, walk with him, etc.....but he knows what he can do....I DON'T. So, I respect his decisions and he respects mine.
Give your buddy a break and know that you won.....not the hike, but you made it back healthy, in one piece so you can try it again in another couple of months. You won because you learned something about yourself. You won because you saw the mountain, you hiked it and you have knowledge you didn't have a couple of weeks ago.
I learned something from your TR. Thanks for that. I appreciate you putting it up.

Remember, summiting is the goal, but it's not THE GOAL. Work with it and I know you'll be having a Portal burger very, very soon.

Turning around at the right time for you is the hardest part of the game to learn. You have to get full marks for doing making that decision.

Clothing and food are the hardest decisions to make. I hauled a lot of extra crap up to Meysan Lakes 10 days ago, which didn't needed to hauled because of a forecast that inaccurate in the extreme. You should not to hard on yourself on that one.

Experience in general helps, experience here really helps.

My first Whitney trip my partner/daughter and I made it to Trail Camp. She hit the wall and I knew we were at our personal summit... disappointed? Yep! We spent the night and had portal burgers for supper the next day.

We went back the next month (lucky enough to pick up a couple of overnight permits). We did a better job making Trail Camp that time. After a great night watching stars we attempted the summit the next day. I hit the emotional wall at the cables... disappointed? Yep! We headed back down for portal burgers. I damaged my knee on the way down and have spent months healing.

I hope to give Whitney another try soon. I hope that I'll make the summit, if not.... It will always be there. I've learned so much in our two "failed" attempts to summit, and I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything (nope, not even a summit).

Hang in there, you'll be on the summit one of these days!! Maybe I'll see you there!

It was the extra boxers that did you in ;-) After getting back into backpacking 7 years ago, it's the clothes and food I'm still figuring out. I think this year is the year I finally have it down. Yeah it took this long, although I only hike summer/fall which is why. I sympathize with that frustration but to continue to wear out the cliche, learn from this and go back. That's part of the "fun" although it doesn't seem like it at first after you get that far and it doesn't work out. Oh , and back to the boxers, it's the wilderness, one pair will do, the ones you have on, they stay on until you get back to the car.

John, thanks for the time spent sharing your TR. There are a lot of learnings that first time up Whitney, and I can empathize with your feeling of planning for so long, then feeling cheated when you don't make the summit. I entered the lottery for 4 straight years before I finally got my ticket punched last year. Tons of training time put in for months prior, a week and a half of vacation for the trip, the expense of air, lodging, meals, rental car, etc., then no summit. It sucks.

My failure was unexpected as well. Conditions were great (it was a dayhike), but just past Trail Camp I found out what AMS really means. Made it to about 13,200 - just short of Trail Crest, dammit - then turned around because every AMS symptom I had ever read about or witnessed was making its presence felt, in spades. I was by myself and real

Now there's the lesson......well done!

So Cal John,

All I can say is that when you choose to hike with a partner, each of you are entrusted to the other. It is something that should be communicated before the event, for if you are with a partner, you each are responsible for the other. You choose to go with them, each of you potentially holds the other's life in the balance. Maybe that is why I so often hike alone. Honesty and communication is essential.

Just my .02

Tracie

First off, a successful trip is one where you make it back to the trailhead in the same number of pieces as you started, and under your own power. Remember the First Rule of Mountaineering:

1. The summit is optional. Returning in one piece is mandatory.

...and the first corollary thereto:

1.a) The mountain will still be there next year.

The mountain was kind to my son and me back in 2001 when we backpacked Mt. Whitney. However, I've had my share of repeat efforts: It took seven tries to summit my eponymous peak, Mt. Ritter. Sometimes weather, sometimes less-than-optimal route-finding, sometimes just being cliffed out by rock we were uneasy climbing.

Ditto Kings Peak out in Utah. First time, we were stormed off both Kings and Borah (Idaho). Second time, I ran into altitude sickness on Kings and got off-route on Borah on a day when I was trying to summit and still drive back to Salt Lake to fly home.

Nonetheless, I'll be back to both of those plus Boundary Peak (Nevada), where a busted car kept us from the trailhead.

If you take the lessons you learned from this trip and use them, you'll improve your chances each time. Leave the stuff you know you didn't need at home and lighten your pack. Perhaps, try to pick a date later in the summer when trail conditions are easier. You may still run into weather issues but that's not controllable. Treat a non-summit but successful trip as training for the next time...and keep trying!

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for all the advise and words of encouragement!!

I am bummed...but it is what it is. I'll be back up in the area on the 4th for camping and fishing. I may even take the kids up to Lone Pine lake for the day.

I did learn a lot, no doubt. I think my cousin is going up and over this summer and I may join him and his wife.

What I didn't mention in my TR was how beautiful Mirror Lake was. Although there was to much water flowing in it to actually allow the mirror affect, there were so many golden trout. I may actually make another trip up there just to fish. I haven't read anything saying you are or aren't allowed to?? I would think you just have to follow the barbless hook policy and you would be fine. I spent hours next to the lake watching the fish jump and eat insects off the top. That was my favorite part of the trip.

Thanks again,
John

Mirror Lake has brooks and rainbows. They are subject to the normal Sierra district rules: 5 per day plus an additional 10 brookies under 10" (as almost all will be).

There are goldens in the Cottonwood Creek drainage with special regulations.

See
for brooks and rainbows in the Lone Pine Creek drainage:
Sections (b)(3) and (b)(8)(B) of:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish/ccr-t14-ch3-art2.html

for goldens in the Inyo Cottonwood Creek drainage:
Sections 48,49 of:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish/ccr-t14-ch3-art3.html

Dale B. Dalrymple

Dale,

Those weren't goldens in there I was seeing? With the red bellies, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins I thought for sure they were goldies. They were all small as you would expect in this area. Somewhere between 8-10 inches on average from what I saw.

Either way, I was kicking myself in the butt for not having a pole on me. At least some string, a fly, and a bobber...

Next time!!

John

Here's my 2 cents. Can you really hike Whitney and fail? My first try, I got a few hundred yards from Trail Crest and felt crummy as did my hiking partner. We turned around partly because we felt poorly, but mostly because we were worried about getting to the top too late (we turned around before noon). Basically, we were hiking too fast for our skill level (poor pace) and we didn't rest and enjoy enough. We hiked down thinking we failed. We had enjoyed the hike down and had a great dinner. We were a little sore, but it was really our egos that were sore. After being home for about a week and was thinking back on the trip, I realized that the hike wasn't a failure at all. I had had loads of fun, enjoyed a beautiful place and still had the fever. I'm headed back in August and am going to take my time and have fun regardless of how far I get.

[quote=SoCal John
Dale,

Those weren't goldens in there I was seeing? With the red bellies, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins I thought for sure they were goldies. ...

John
[/quote]

Those are brook trout. Golden trout are more a bright yellow where the brookies are red. Scroll down to the golden here:
http://www.caltrout.org/pages/conservation/Trout_Conservation_101.asp

The rainbows are there too. Before the current permit system I used to acclimate the day before a Whitney hike by fishing Mirror Lake.

A good reference on these fish and their distributions in Sierra lakes and streams is Ralph Cutter's "Sierra Trout Guide".

Dale B. Dalrymple

John, climbing Whitney in this season goes beyond simple backpacking, as as you say, you got your eyes opened to a number of things.

One of the things that really jumped out at me in your TR was your pack weight. While there are those who like to carry such weights for training/challenge, the saner among us would carry less than 25# for such a trip (some a LOT less). Imagine what carrying 30 less lbs would mean for your enjoyment.

One of the things that can turn your experience into something more positive, is to start to figure out how to pack more lightly. There are many resources for this on the internet.

Best of luck!

[quote= Had there been a case of altitude sickness or exhaustion, something physical I could have walked away with a better feeling. Instead I kind of felt cheated. [/quote]


You should never ever feel cheated if you made it back home. If it was easy, everyone would make it on thier first try. Personally, i'm 3-5.