Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Snow-covered Main Trail all 12 months??

Has there ever been a year where all 12 months in the calendar year the Mount Whitney Main Trail has been covered in snow, enough to warrant ice axe and crampons? It seems in a given year the trail is snow-free (for even the casual class 1 hiker) 3 months of the year or so? Just wondering if there's been a really bad snow year where all 12 months have been a total shutout for a non-snow hiker.

Is such a situation even possible?

Thanks,

Amin

Others can answer your question better than I regarding the Whitney trail, but late season storms can drop snow on that trail and others.

Late one August, it snowed for 4 - 5 days in the Sierras, and two hikers froze to death on the summit of Whitney and two others died at Lamarck Col. Snow depth above 11,000 feet exceeded four feet at the end of Labor Day weekend. The Sierra's are not always a "gentle wilderness."

Some of the high passes (Forrester, Muir, etc.) can be snow covered for the entire Summer, but don't require ice-axe and/or crampons.

You are talking extremes. I highly doubt that trail has been covered with impassible snow throughout the summer months in my lifetime.

The other extreme, we were planning to backpack the MMWT in February a few winters ago until it snowed for the first time in late January. This set up one of my all-time favorite trips to the Mt. Whitney area.

The two years that stand out snow-wise in the last dozen are 1998 and 2005. The trail cleared eventually. This year is not in the class of those two.

Interesting question, I'm sure it was completely covered during the last Ice Age and Little Ice Age, then again I don't think the trail was around that long ago.


hiiker

I'm talking about in our lifetime.

Do conditions exist in this part of the Sierras to hypothetically allow for a snow-covered Main Trail all year around?

I think it would take a major event for the Sierras to retain a snowcap all year given their latitude. Something on the order of a major volcanic eruption. The entire northern hemisphere climate would have to be majorly disturbed.

Not really sure what you're asking. I can recall years when the trail was never completely "snow free". For example there might be some snow late in the season on the little traverse right before the summit. But you wouldn't use axe or crampons--in fact you could walk around it if for some reason you didn't want to step on snow.
If your question is, has there ever been a time since the trail was built when axe and crampons were "mandatory" for 365 days straight, I kinda doubt it. Bob R could have something to add on the subject.

No. Temperature and elevation are some of the reasons.

If conditions existed for snow all year round, then we won't be having a burger, fries, and beer at the Portal Store between May and October of each year.

We would be parking at Lone Pine Campground and hike the "main trail" with LPC's Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail as the TH. Just like in the old days.

Now, unless Hell or Lone Pine freezes over (whichever comes first), it ain't gonna happen.

Have fun.

Hi I go down to the beach in the winter will I always see water?Thanks Doug

Not if you go to a Gulf beach this winter...