Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney - 2023

Some photos and videos from June 6-7:

Whitney 2023 - June 6-7 - Google Drive

Just summited Whitney on June 9th. Checkout my video to see hiking conditions. Best of luck for those about to summit! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC1a7uews-g

Matt and Jenny,

Congratulations on a fine outing and thanks so much for sharing this excellent video. This is very helpful to those of us heading up soon.

Jim

Snow,rain. wind,thunder the last few days fresh snow covering tracks cold in the Portal early mornings 35 yesterday at 7 AM.

Watch the YouTube posted for conditions and Comradebear for the mountaineering route both excellent efforts covering the current conditions.

Portal Road closed today just outside of town,water damage and risk of rd collapse
.Several option to get to the Portal Tuttle Creek to Sunset then Horseshoe Meadow Road

Detour signs not out yet so cars,RV ,trailers driving in circles.
Second option is Lubkin 5 miles s/o Lone Pine Pine but narrow one lane road. Will join Horseshoe Rd about 5 miles up from 395
Last option is dirt and may washout is Hogback rd. These road all are narrow and w many blind corners so drive slow.

As well as highway 136. This is the highway that the Vistor's Center is located on. The road is closed after the Visitor's Center.

From Caltrans:

SR 136

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA]

Is closed from the Jct of US 395 to 13.5 mi east of the Jct of US 395 /at Dolomite Loop Rd/ (Inyo Co) - Due to flooding - Motorists are advised to use an alternate route

How will I get to my gig at the Darwin Dance Hall tonight?

Hey guys, I have a permit for July 17 but that is starting to look more and more like it will not be free of snow. Any suggestions on how or if I can get a permit for later in the summer/ fall? Thanks

Randy,

Many hikers with permit reservations understandably can't go for various reasons. If they actively cancel their reservations, new reservation availability will repopulate on the Recreation.gov website for Mt Whitney. For example, check now the website for June and you will see that much reservation availability has resurfaced.

As for July, August, ... there is no availability yet, as many folks are waiting to see what happens with conditions (or their schedules).

We are all in this together, so if you eventually decide not to go on July 17, cancel your reservation. Hopefully, you can snag a reservation that another party has cancelled.

Jim

Portal Road opened this afternoon,several people summited today conditions still snow cover, many false tracks and a drop of rain lightning show tonight to the east with 7 drops of drizzle.

This year rounds out our list of normal for the Portal,Fires ,floods shutdowns for various reasons earthquake and now avalanches!

Thanks so much Jim!! Will do.

Video taken of the Notch & the final chute to summit; Taken June 9th, 2023

On YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yod9p6cmdrE

Seby, my pass is for July 17. IF the trail has not opened up is it possible to the mountaineers route without an ice ax?

Since 1989 I've tried to do Cottonwood Pass or Trail Pass on a Memorial Day weekend to get an idea of snow conditions/water availability for a later summer 2+ week loop across the Kern and back. For the past three years there has been no snow at Horseshoe Meadow. While not Horseshoe, check out this previously posted video of recent snow conditions further north.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfC4hjB2Uc

And there is still over four feet of snow at Crabtree Meadow.

I'm guessing (really worth what you're paying for this - nothing) that it will be late July for backcountry snow to fully melt - and even later for the stream crossings to become less deadly.

I have a Shepherd Pass permit for 18 July but am now hoping to go over Cottonwood Pass and slowly make my way north through Miter Basin - or since I'll be on a no agenda, no clue trek, just wander around the Eastern Sierra backcountry for two weeks.

I have never hiked Mt. Whitney and have a pass for June 28th. Planning on leaving from the Portal and hiking up to the Outpost Camp and then hopefully to the summit the next day. From what I see there has been pretty warm temperatures from around 12,000 and below. Trying to get an understanding of conditions and what to expect up to the Outpost Camp and then past there. Thanks

If the main trail hasn't melted out, then the Mountaineer's Route will definitely still have the snow chute. You will still need an ice axe.

Check out mattmac's video above. It was over a week ago, but the most recent post that shows conditions on the main trail.

We have a overnight permit for 8/1. Planning to camp at Consultation Lake, take a day to acclimate, and hopefully summit the next day if conditions warrant. We will look for purple and gold.

Randy, Yes, you'd still need an ice axe. I can't imagine going without one. Good luck! : )

While everyone is talking about July expectations.

My permit is for July 19th. Plan on taking two days to work up to Outpost Camp, staying at Trail Camp night 1. From what I understand, it is likely that the snow chute to the right (North) of the switch backs is probably going to be the route. Fingers crossed that the switch backs open up by then though. But I'm getting ready in case...

Thoughts? Things to keep my expectations in check? I've been trying my best to look into into online, but this seems to be the place for advice from the experts.