The temperatures have been extremely warm for the last couple of days of June. In Lone Pine it was around 95 degrees on Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27. Forecasters are expecting similar temperatures for today and over the 4th of July weekend. Please adjust your expectations of conditions accordingly.
On Friday, June 25th, a friend, Dave, and I camped at Whitney Portal. The weather was warm and I slept on top of my 20 degree bag without a fly on. On Saturday, June 26, we left Whitney Portal around 7:00 a.m. and began the trek up the main trail. The weather was extremely warm as we worked our way up the first 2 miles to the Lone Pine Lake turn off. I would recommend leaving before daybreak to avoid the early morning sun coming from the east that has a tendency to "bake" those leaving as late or later than us. There were a few mosquitos. They were not bad and most of them hung around from Whitney Portal to Mirror Lake. There were reports of more near Outpost camp around dawn/dusk. It should be getting worse in the next couple of weeks. All the streams and waterfalls were in full force as we are getting summertime type temperatures with plenty of snow still on the mountain. Shortly after Mirror Lake we were forced to occasionally cross a few small snow drifts on the way to Trail Camp. While they did not cause major problems, they were slick/slushy with minor post holing.
Upon arriving at Trail Camp around noon, I set up camp and enjoyed a quick lunch. It was extremely warm and around 1:30 p.m. there was a temperature reading (unofficial) of 72 degrees. With the expectation of a full moon, lunar eclipse and ideal conditions, I headed to bed early to get a jump at the switchbacks. Once again I set up my tent without the fly. At 3 a.m., I awoke to a 44 degree temperature and a slight breeze. Shortly thereafter, I headed up to tackle the switchbacks. There was plenty of runoff and a few of the switchbacks were covered in snow. I was able to easily navigate my way around them as many had done the day before. I made good time and worked my way up to the cables.
With a little caution, I was able to follow the trail through the cables without the use of crampons. It weaves on both sides of the poles and can be a little tricky. From most of the people I talked to, 90% were passing without the use of crampons. Please be warned: YOUR ability should dictate whether or not to proceed and whether or not crampons are necessary, not the ability of someone else. While passable, this section will need caution for the next couple of weeks. In several places along this section, the snow is still above the poles and will remain that way for a while.
As I followed the trail up, I did not encounter freezing until about the 13,200 ft. level. There were several small snow fields that needed to be crossed on the way to Trail Crest. While they didn't present any problems that early in the morning, I heard that they were extremely slick and slushy later in the day, especially near Trail Crest. They also presented post holing issues. As I reached 13,777 ft. (Trail Crest) about 40 minutes before dawn, I was rewarded with an unbelievable prize. I was not only able to see the sunrise in the east, but also, the full moon waning in the west, all under a cloudless sky. I sat in awe enjoying the experience until well after the sun had cleared the horizon. My gaze was undeterred except for when I only stopped long enough to fill my camera's memory card with many incredible shots. It is a memory that I shall not soon forget.
I pried myself away from my vantage point and headed to the summit. There were several small snow fields along the way, but, none created any problems. As I was reaching the summit, several others from the Mountaineer's Route joined me. They reported that while axe and crampons were still suggested, the snow and ice on the Mountaineer's route was "very soft". They were glad to have climbed early in the morning. When asked about the conditions along the Mountaineer's Route, they said, " there were some cases of severe post holing along some of the snow fields". Including a guy that sank up to his chest and had to "swim" out. While I cannot confirm nor deny the report, I thought I would pass the information along.
After staying on the summit way too long, I made my way back to Trail Crest. I was greeted with a couple of guys that had just topped off "the Chute". They couldn't believe that they had a 2 hour head start on their friends (who took the switchbacks) and both parties reached Trail Crest at about the same time. They said that the snow was softening up even though it was only 10 a.m. and recommended descending the Chute with crampons. It looked like ideal conditions for the venture. After thanking them for the advice and wishing them well on their way to the summit, I put on crampons and decided to see the mountain from a different vantage point. Instead of using an axe, I shortened my trekking poles and proceeded to "walk" down the Chute by digging my heals into the soft snow. It was a quick and easy way down to Trail Camp. Even though I descended this way, I wouldn't recommend this later in the day. With the warmer temperatures, the snow has become extremely soft and unstable in the afternoon. Please use the judgement of your abilities and the conditions that present themselves as your guide, not my experience.
Back at Trail Camp, I enjoyed a leisure lunch and soaked in the atmosphere one last time before heading down the hill. After lunch I broke camp and packed everything up. As I began my march back to Whitney Portal, the only thing that filled my head was the thought of my next trip back to Mt. Whitney. I got down uneventfully and arrived home shortly before midnight.
I would like to thank all of those people that have left trip reports and advice in advance of my adventure. May this account leave all, that read it, more enlightened.
