Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Main Trail TR 07-26-08

We did a day hike to the summit. Thought I would post in case our observations would benefit anyone hiting the trail in the next few days.

First, it was relatively warm when we hit the trail at 3:45am. I think about 65 degrees. You always need to prepared for anything though. When I did this hike 4 years ago (in July), it was in the low 50's and windy.

The people on the trail this day were great. I found nearly everyone following great trail etiquette. This was refreshing.

On our way back, we encountered a father with a 10 year old (approx) son who was experiencing altitude sickness and dehydration. It was awesome to see so many people offering them aid, food and hydration. The father and son had camped at Trail Camp (TC) the night before, but did not bring enough water for their hike from TC to the summit. Our group gave them water, electrolytes, and food. We all wondered what would happen to them after we left. We figured they would camp at TC camp that night and come down the next day. Miraculously, they both made it down that night as we saw them at our hotel in Lone Pine. The father said his son made a complete 180 on his condition in about a half an hour after we left them.

On our way back down the switchbacks, we saw a family of about 5 to 6 hiking up. They looked like they had just piled out of a van after a trip to the beach. Shirts off and tucked into their shorts. Very little water or food with them and no layers to speak of. I have to believe they were camping somewhere between the portal and TC (or at TC). The were so completely unprepared, I couldn't believe my eyes. I don't know how someone could take being out in an area like this so lightly.

I had read some posts earlier this week about the amount of trash along the trail and especially in the Trail Camp area. I saw very, very minuscule amounts of trash along the trail. Perhaps this was due to the situation being brought to light recently and the efforts of some to pack trash (not their own) out. It could also be that the posts I read were about trash being found a little bit off of the trail (i.e. where people camp or stop to rest).

Our group of 10 was split into two pace groups of sorts. Fast and slow. One person in our slow group struggled mightly with the altitude and did not make it off the trail until after 8pm. (Our fast group finished at 3:45pm.) She really should have turned back earlier in the hike and not summitted. She did summit, but required a lot of assistance to make it all the way back to the portal trailhead. It took her 2.5 hours alone to make it down from the summit to Trail Crest.

I had hiked with this person before and she was quite competent. (She recently ran a marathon.) However, I now realize that this hike can really get to just about anyone. She also made a huge mistake by not taking in enough fluids and food as she hiked. She said she felt nauseous early on in the hike and "could not keep anything down", not even water. So, she was drinking and eating next to nothing during the entire hike. She also made poor choices on the food she brought in her pack.

I wish somebody in our group would have discussed with her the night before what she was bringing, etc. I certainly could have, but didn't think to and may not have felt I knew her well enough to ask her about this. However, I now know that this is something that should be checked out with everyone in your group prior to the hike. If you don't, problems can occur and other people's experiences are compromised. The two others in the slow group had to shepherd her through nearly the entire hike. (In another example of the spirit of the people on the trail, a stranger took our stuggler's day pack down for her.)

The only other observation I have is to keep in mind that when you hit Lone Pine Lake on the way back, you really still have a ways to go. This segment played tricks on my mind on the way back. When I hit LP Lake, I thought I would be done in no time. I didn't realize how far this segment really is. In the morning, it seems like you hit LP Lake really quickly. Probably the adrenaline of the hike at the beginning.

This message board is a wealth of information. I just became aware of it as I prepared for this trip. If you're just finding the site now, mine it for great info as you prepare to go up to the Whitney area. Thanks to those that contribute and maintain it. Take care.

You mentioned:

"I wish somebody in our group would have discussed with her the night before what she was bringing, etc. I certainly could have, but didn't think to and may not have felt I knew her well enough to ask her about this."

I'm not sure whether you were the nominal group leader, or not, but I make a point of providing too much information, rather than too little, to folks I'm hiking with, even if we're not the closest of friends (yet). That may be some of my Scout leadership training bleeding through into non-BSA activities, but I tend to feel responsible for my "crew" in any event.

In my "other" life around the Highpointers Club, we have an acronym, KSE, for knowledge, skills and experience. Your friend may have been an accomplished marathoner and low-altitude hiker but have lacked experience with how her body reacted to significant altitude changes. Reminding everyone in the group to keep hydrated and checking with them beforehand to see what sorts of food they were bringing would not classify as being "nosy" in my book. Also, knowing if someone has had previous difficulty with altitude is part of being able to "watch their back."

T'other thing is that even hikers/climbers with altitude experience can have a bad day and react a lot more than they are used to. That's when having a support group to say, "time to turn around...the mountain will still be there next year," is important to all of us, not just the rookies.

Glad you provided support and got her back to the Portal in one piece...kudos for that. Better luck to her next time (and suggest that she read the regular threads on acclimation, food and hydration before trying any other 14ers).

Alan...you're right. This is something I now know...to do some sort of group "check-in" before the hike.

This person was new to our group. An add on from one of our main members. We have all done Whitney before with each other as well as doing the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim in 48 hours. I guess I assumed that anyone brought into our group would know better about what to have, what to expect, etc. Now I know not to assume anything about anybody.

What did she bring with her that you thought was incorrect?

I have the same question. It will be helpful information for those of us still in the planning stage.

I've done the day hike routine twice and relied on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but they get difficult to choke down approaching the summit. Next trip will be an overnighter; I want to enjoy the scenery more, but will need to pack more food.

I'm glad to hear people are helping each other and the trash is not terribly unsightly. My last lengthy hike, I followed a trail of little foil candy wrappers, it was really annoying. Our guide insisted we not pick up any trash for fear of contracting sickness, a constant concern where we were, but that was tough to just walk past it.

Good grief! Where was that? How can you contract a disease from a candy wrapper?

Africa. Can you get disease from a candy wrapper? I don't know but I wasn't eager to find out.

She brought a lot of fresh fruit and candy believe it or not. It's OK to have some fresh fruit. However, you need to be consuming things with a lot of calories and carbs. Things like energy bars, Gu, etc. Brands like PowerBar, Cliff, etc. If you're camping a night or longer, I don't do that too often. So, you're better of getting tips for food for that scenario elsewhere.

A couple of other things that might be helpful. Be sure to be hydrating a lot the day before you hike. I find this to be help a lot and I'm pretty sure that our struggler did not hydrate a lot the day before.

Lastly, a member in our group always spends 1 to 2 days at altitude (i.e. 10,000+ ft) before the actual Whitney hike. I'm not completely sold that this makes a difference, but it just might. A great place to do this prior to doing Whitney is at Horseshoe Meadow campground (http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficsw/inyoinfo.htm). You can just relax at altitude. You don't necessarily need to hike or anything. You could do a short 30 to 45 minute hike if you feel like it.