Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Do people understand what they are undertaking??

OK,
I know this is probably a waste of writing as those that read this site almost certainly know what they are doing and what it takes to get atop Whitney and back safely.

I summited Tuesday for the 3rd time and once again was amazed at how ill prepared some people are for what is one of the toughest day hikes that can be undertaken by the public in the world.

Do these people realise that they will be hiking 22 miles with an altitude change of some 13,000 ft with a temperature range of around 50 degrees??

On our way down we met a lot of people on the switchbacks who told us they trying to summit, some were obviously carrying way too few clothes, others were going so slowly they had no hope of getting back in daylight. Others had some water but enough for the descent??

Thanks heavens there are not more medical issues on the mountain.

Short answer, amazingly, no.

I didn't really understand it at my first attempt. But I definitely overcompensated with supplies. I was probably carrying 10 lbs more than I needed to for a day hike (way too much water and definitely too much clothing). The thing that I really underestimated was the altitude sickness. I took diamox the day before the hike, but didn't really do anything special to get acclimated. I got violently sick near the top of the switchbacks. I had to drop elevation quickly to get normalized. After about 30min we started back up. We got to trail crest around 1pm and made the decision to turn back since we would get to the summit way too late.

This year I am spending at least two nights at HM and I am giving myself two days to summit (one night at consultation lake). And though I am carrying more since I will have overnight supplies (tent, sleeping bag, pads etc...), for the summit i will be packing much lighter. Just water, lunch and an extra warm layer of cloths....just in case.

Last year I brought my (then 10 year old) son. I didn't have any real expectation of reaching the summit, but we had a great night at Lone Pine Lake. I had to pack extra light since I knew I would be carrying all of the food and would eventually be carrying most of my son's pack.

I think that anybody who attempts Whitney as a day hike as their first attempt has no real idea of what they are getting themselves into. I certainly found out the hard way.

We see people all the time and everywhere that have absolutely no concept of what they are attempting or the possible harm that may occur.

Example: When we climbed Mt. Rainier one of the people in our group said he lived in Seattle and could see the mountain so he just drove there, rented the gear, and ended up on my rope team! It was between storms and dangerous. I thought "oh my gosh: This guy is going to kill me" From that experience I learned a lot. It is ok the climb with people you do not know but only after having a descussion. And I will not rope-up with someone I have not climbed with.

What is the answer? I do not know. We just returned from hiking the Grand Canyon. The park has warnings everywhere about which trails not to use unless you are a very experienced hiker. We research the trail we used and had no problem. We, however, passed many people who should not have been on that trail and came in very late in 105 degree heat. I was very worried about several people. And then they had to hike out the next day. We could not believe they were doing it and worried about them the whole time.

Cindy I don't think the problem is so much being ill prepared is it is "summit Fever". My first 2X on San Gorgonio when I was in College were "successfully unsucessful". I wasn't prepared but I turned around when it dawned on me the first time I didn't have the right clothes, 2nd time I wasn't in good shape. You are right people show up either not in shape or with too little or too much gear. On Shasta with Shin I was not in good shape so I turned around at the Ridge! That was my summit...But you are right on Baldy we see it all the time "it's only Baldy"! Next thing you know SAR is out rescuing these people...

I've done Baldy three times in the last year and am going again in a couple of weeks. The last two times, there was a helicopter flying near the Devil's Backbone area. Are those practice runs for emergencies as I can't imagine SARS being up there both times I was there? (and no, it wasn't for me! :-)

"Good judgment comes from experience,
and experience, of course, comes from poor judgment."

Without struggle, there's no progress.

The Whitney Main Trail is probably one of the best places for a new person to get experience at altitude. It has good access and the trails are extremely well maintained. People need to get over the fact that the summit is not the end all goal and that turning around at any point on the trail is perfectly fine. "Failure" is an option.

Don't order steak from Norms and expect Ruth Chris quality.

Well Said Kevin....

I am willing to wager that there is not a single day that goes by during the hiking season on the MWT that at least ONE person shouldn't be on the trail.

I'm generally not a gamblin' man, but I'd be willing to bet at least a nickel that many of the people we're talking about here also populate a respectable percentage of the groups that:

(1) Stash their wag bags on the mountain.

(2) Leave food in their car at the Portal (or the bear lockers open).

(3) Give Doug solid material for his "Day in the Life of the Portal Cook" posts.

Just sayin' . . .

I took my first crack at Whitney earlier this year, and I bailed near trail crest. I don't think I was in good enough shape, I didn't have all the right gear, I certainly really know how to use it. But with all that said, I had a phenomenal experience. I was ready to get exactly as far as I did.

My guess is the folks that leave their wag bags on the trail and food in their cars are not necessarily the inexperienced. Some folks just don't feel the rules apply to them, or have not yet learned from their mistakes.

I did the Whitney main trail solo about this time last year, for the first time .This site was most helpful in getting prepared for those who are lucky enough to find it , I made a few mistakes but I made it . I agree it's not the Destination it's the Journey , however on the flip side quitting can be a habbit too. The top of Whitney is a fun Time ,we have a group of 14 coming this year Hiking The Main Trail on the 25 th of August .Can't wait !!!

I've seen some things, too, but hey, I'm not the trail police.

I give people credit for trying....I know a lot of couch potatos. Like Cindy, I wouldn't want to be roped up with some of these folks, or on any strenuous hike with some of them for that matter... But they're out there and you have to learn somehow/start somewhere. God bless 'em and hopefully they'll be looked after, or lucky.

Just to clarify, I didn't mean all people who under-prepare for their first Whitney attempt (God knows I was one). In comparing the wag-bag and bear locker slobs to some ill-prepared Whitney hikers, I'm generally thinking of the one-and-done crowd who have no real personal investiture in the wilderness or hiking. These are the folks I see as having a cavalier attitude about most things involved in the experience, from preparation to personal responsibility towards others once they're on the mountain. "I want it, therefore it should be."

It seems like there are more stories in the news about experienced hikers, climbers, mountaineers needing SAR than rookies.

If you don't have a people are clueless story, you haven't hiked the MMWT.

I was sitting at Lower Trail Crest put my pack together and two people about 5 minutes apart zipped down the JMT towards Guitar Lake in search of Mt. Whitney. Who needs to study no stinking map? Hmmm...what's a map? Then there was the guy in running shorts and long sleeve shirt zipping by in 30 MPH breeze, luckily the temperature had warmed to about 15 F from single digits this fine August morning.

Many people attempting Whitney, or other popular trails (Half Dome springs to mind), are ill prepared, and it can certainly be frustrating to see, but I try to spin it positively as an opportunity to prepare myself better. I try to have a little extra water, food, sunscreen, etc., in case I should ever run into that unprepared hiker who has gotten himself or herself in trouble. Thinking about that possibility while I plan, prepare and pack helps me to hike safer, and someday it may help someone else out of a tough spot. I've made plenty of mistakes on the trail (and I continue to make them), so I don't judge other hikers too harshly, even if they look like it's their first hike.

Nearly all the popular Eastern Sierra trails have hikers who are unprepared: Bishop pass, Big Pine Creek, Sabrina basin, etc. Even the relatively easy Little Lakes Valley trail is often crowded with people who, perhaps, should have stayed on their couches.

There is no easy answer to this aside from having rangers at each trailhead to ensure everyone going up the trail is prepared; for which I am totally opposed.

It would be nice if every novice hiker read the good advice given in this forum, but most of them at probably not aware of its existence. Perhaps those of us with experience are responsible for advising the novices as we meet them on the trail; it won't take much of our time to do so, and most people welcome friendly advice.

People want to experience the wilderness; God bless them for trying.

Like anything else in life, it's best to do your homework so you know what you're getting yourself into.

--Amin

Thanks for all the comments.
Having read that most of us have seen people on the mountain who are either ill prepared physically or ill prepared in respect of equipment, what can we do as a proactive group?

Could we???
1) Encourage the authorities to make it clearer on their documentation the dangers of a one day summit and what is required to be successful.

2) Have the authorititis include this website on their printed material to assist novices prior to an attempt.

3) Have the authorities make it clearer a recommended kit list for a one day summit.

Prior to my first summit I thought I was an ideal candidate for a pretty fast summit time. I had been a marathoner, an ultra trail runner, was still a track coach and worked our regularly. If I had not been directed to this site I am sure my first attempt would have been less than successful.

Thanks to all and safe travels.