Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Main Trail conditions thread 5/13-11/13

Nice talk with Jim yesterday, we talked about runners and a new trend starting, Just this AM Two runners started for a record on the JMT, several more started early this season but weather/conditions turned them back or they DNF.

Ascending MT on Tuesday, hoping for NO SMOKE. The weather says mild to chilly up there Mon night/Tues morning, is it colder than expected?

Did the MT on Tuesday Aug 25th. Very little smoke at the beginning, none later, beautiful weather. Dry trail all the way. Very little water on switchbacks. No health issues or AMS. Drank 4 1/2 Liters of Water. 14hrs 40 min RT, 3 hrs better than last summit. My training for the previous month was one each weekend: Baldy Bear Canyon, Baldy Register Ridge - DBB, Baldy Bear Canyon and Baldy Ski Hut - DBB. (DBB=Devil's Back Bone) I'll be back on Oct 3rd Sat. for another Whitney drubbing.

Yesterday (Monday August 31) with the benefit of clear skies and a brilliant full moon, I enjoyed a moonlight hike of Mt Whitney by the Main Trail. There was seldom any need for a headlamp or flashlight. The summit was achieved at 5:45 AM. By the sunrise at 6:25 twenty one hikers had congregated at the summit.

It was a bit chilly and breezy, so some sought temporary shelter in the hut while awaiting the sunrise. Some faint distant haze did not diminish the magic moment.

The trail is in great shape. However, no water was to be found at the spring at the 23rd switchback when I passed by at 3:30 AM and 9:30 AM.

Some folks who were finishing the JMT noted that they had encountered posted notices at several locations along their journey suggesting that they consider not continuing due to possible smoke conditions. They were glad that they had continued and had great experiences.

Beautiful clear weather accompanied my descent of the Trail. At the Whitney Portal Store I enjoyed a double cheeseburger and coffee, as well as a nice chat with Doug and Doug and the rest of the Portal Crew.

Looking forward to the Fall Season in the Eastern Sierras.

Jim

Was on the main trail & summit yesterday. The weather right now is absolutely glorious. Little to no wind so it was quite toasty. No snow on the trail from last week but was still a little patchy on the upslopes of the last couple of switchbacks. No water at switchback 23 going up or down. The cables section is starting to ice up but right now it's confined to the inside track & easily avoided.
& all the smoke has cleared out so you can see like forever AND breathe.
Doesn't get any better.

Yesterday (Fri 9/18) I descended the Main Trail and completely concur with Cat B's observations. The visibility was extreme.

A friendly Ranger encountered on the switchbacks noted that a few days earlier the were three rescues for hypothermia (during the lower temps, high wind, snow).

Some Fall colors are starting to show below Mirror Lake.

When I picked up a walk in permit (free) on Thursday at 2 pm, there were 33 day hike permits available due to no shows.

Jim

JimF we probably spoke to the same ranger. I think you passed me as you were flying down the switchbacks. What were you wearing? ;-p Black pants black cap? Gray(?) shirt? I don't know it was a blur...

I didn't want to mention it but since you did.....I heard one of those was a fatality but I haven't been able to confirm that. Anyone?....

Yes one was a recovery.No details recovery was to the west side and the west side may issue a report in the future.Very sad we had thought this might be a season with no recoveries. It is always hard to understand how these events happen and the hardship for the family and friends that follow God Bless to all.

As I posted last week this is the period of the season we see events that lead to rescues Shorter day light, colder temperatures and people are leaving home where it is still summer and not bringing the needed layers if they are slow on the downhill or have problems and fail to turn around.

Thank You Doug....

3 of us did the day hike on 9/18. The weather was perfect, no wind, pretty warm, no smoke, excellent conditions.

We are from the Bay Area so came from sea level. Arrived at Lone Pine 9/16 around 10PM, checked into the Whitney Portal Hostel.

Picked up our permits 9/17 morning. Reached Whitney Portal at 11:30AM to do a very relaxed hike to lone line lake. Reached lone pine lake (3 miles from trail head) at 1PM. Lazed around for a couple of hours to get used to altitude (around 10K feet) and started back around 3PM. Carb loaded at Seasons (Lone Pine), they have excellent pasta, very delicious. Packed gear for the next day hike and went to sleep around 8PM (after watching Peyton and thursday night football).

Got up at 1:30AM 9/18, got ready and left for Whitney Portal at 2:45AM.

Reached the trail head at 3:10AM, found parking right next to the trail head and started our hike at 3:20AM.

Fri 3:20 AM: Start hike
Fri 5:30 AM: Arrive at Outpost Camp (Mile 3.8)
Fri 7:45 AM: Arrive Trail Camp (Mile 6.0)
Fri 8:00 AM: Depart Trail Camp
Fri 10:15 AM: Arrive at Trail Crest (Mile 8.7)
Fri 12:15 PM: Arrive At Summit (Mile 10.7)

(Took close to 9 hours to summit, the last couple of miles was the toughest, our hearts were really pounding for even small distances so we had to take frequent breaks in the final section. Everything else was a breeze)

Fri 12:30 PM: Depart from Summit
Fri 2:15 PM: Arrive at Trail Crest
Fri 3:15 PM: Arrive at Trail Camp (Lunch)
Fri 3:40 PM: Depart Trail Camp
Fri 6:00 PM: Arrive at Whitney Portal

(Downhill was 5 1/2 hours and had no issues, quite boring actually)

Water:
Camelbak: 2.5 litres
750ML water bottle: Coconut Water
750ML water bottle: Water

Gus: 3 sachets
Energy Bars: 2
Subway Sandwich 6 inch: one (didn't eat)

Ran out of water with 3 miles to go on descent (somewhere near lone pine lake) but made it as it was all downhill. (Used filter at trail camp on the way back but didn't drink the water as it had some black spots)


Two of us took Decaderon for AMS and one took Diamox. None of us had any side effects and we believe this helped us not have any symptoms for AMS.

Thank you for the info. I'm leaving Monday (9/28) on a 5 day trip, summiting Whitney on day 4. I'm grateful for any real time info I can get on water and weather.
How was the weather at the summit?
Thanks again!

Was wanting to post this since about two weeks ago, but internet happens..
I got up to the Portal about 7:00PM Friday Oct 2nd and settled into my car for a nap after talking to a couple who had just come down in the dark. They said it was snowing that day while they were up there so I brought my microspikes. Woke up and hit the trail by 3:00AM Sat Oct 3rd with a 26 lb pack ready for the below freezing cold in the forecast. The forecast also called for snow Sat night so I knew I could make it before that hit. The temp never got too bad and I never had to use the spikes, but the wind on the back 1.9 was getting stronger and colder as I hiked to the summit. I was on my way back to Trail Crest after summiting and the wind was prob getting close to freezing with the chill. I started meeting hikers heading towards the summit looking unprepared for the wind and snow with less than two hrs daylight left. I warned as many people as I could about the snow, wind and freezing temps coming after dark and some turned back but most went on. At Trail Camp there was a woman unconscious on the trail with people trying to revive her, me and a couple of hikers tried to get phone service but no way. We hurried down the trail to Outpost Camp (not a good idea to hurry between Trail Camp and Mirror Lake as I fell once and twisted both ankles twice) trying to get service the whole time and telling every hiker we saw to try to call. At Outpost Camp around 7:15PM the word came down that the female hiker was conscious and slowly trying to walk down. My phone died after that but word got to Inyo SAR soon after and up the trail they came with wheeled litter. The hikers turned out to be OK from what I read later. Just a few hrs after I got down it started snowing up there and Trail Camp got a few feet and freezing temps from what I read. I made it with a narrow window of good weather, but I was prepared and ready to deal with it. It hasn't stopped snowing since. On Inyo SAR's page they said there were 10 rescues in that one week Oct 3 - Oct 10. Yikes!

Going up this weekend camping at trail camp on Sunday and ascending on Monday. Can someone tell me what the trail conditions are, I will be taking micro spikes,

Thanks

Hi I would stay lower say outpost and talk with everyone coming down. Ask turn around point and why this will give you a good idea for Monday. Time to leave camp and the conditions.
Bring layers and at least a 0 degree bag and good ground pad I like a insulated cover first on km the ground then a pad. Good luck

I'm thinking about hiking up Sat. night/Sun. day (10/31-11/1) to summit on day pass ... based on recent hikers' experience, would I need ice axe and crampons for the zig zags or other parts? if so, could I use Kahtoola microspikes instead of crampons?

Our group was there this past weekend we summit on Monday the 26th Micros spikes definitely needed, the switchbacks where sketchy in some areas, I saw a one person with crampons. As for the ice ax I guess every bit of extra safety measure would be beneficial.

Best of Luck!

Thanks Doug your advise helped, and the gators did come in handy some areas on the switchbacks snow was maybe 3" inches deep. We were lucky and summit on Monday it was beautiful at the summit not windy at all. We did stay at Outpost on Saturday and then hiked to Trail Camp and stayed there on Sunday. It was cold and at times windy not to bad. Thanks Again.