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

come by the hostel or drop me a line so we can make a plan.. looking forward to the visit..

Considering how cold it has been up high, I was surprised to see that the ice bulge at The Cables has disappeared!

Met a kid named Adam just below Trail Camp... saw him again at the WPS. He and his parents had made it up to The Cables... he really liked it up there.

As of Thursday Oct 2, 2014:

Some residual snow from the recent hefty snowfall is still covering much of the switchbacks. The backside is essentially clear of snow. No evidence of the spring at SB 23.

I went up and down the SBs carefully with trail runners and without hiking poles. In retrospect, it would have been nice to have had the hiking poles.

The weather was awesome and this will likely continue some. I hiked the snow while it was in direct sunlight. If in the shadows, during night, or if the temperature falls, I suspect the residual ice/snow will require attention.

Many hikers were out on the trail. The number of tents counted at Trail Camp and Outpost Camp were in the double digits each. Some Fall colors are beginning to show below Lone Pine Lake.

By the way, around 6:20 pm Wed Oct 1, loud rock fall was heard at the Portal. It could not been seen. Anyone know the location?

Jim

I am hiking to the summit next week and it is my first time. Would you recommend using crampons or simply poles and a good pair of hiking boots?

Thank you!

A little snow fell on the 97 Switchbacks last weekend but it's been slowly melting. Depending on what day you go and what time you're on the Switchbacks you may find some icy spots. The weather forecast is looking clear through at least the through Wednesday too. I don't think crampons would be necessary but depending on when you're there a pair of micro spikes may come in handy.

What day are you going? Are you planning a day hike or a multi day trip?

I went up yesterday. Very warm! There is some snow on some of the trail switchbacks starting at the cables. I found trekking poles useful for additional traction in a few spots, no spikes/crampons.

Hello Kurt,

I am planning a multi-day hike. Leaving on Thursday and camping at Outpost Camp. Friday I'm hiking up to Trail Camp. Friday I'm going to the summit and back down. So far the weather looks mild for these days so I am thinking a good pair of hiking boots and poles will be enough. Thoughts?

Report from Main Trail hike Sun Oct 12, 2014:

Run of excellent Fall weather continues, but wind picking up some.

No snow on the Trail, except for some lingering snow and ice at the Cables and some switchbacks above. This area is not seeing much direct sun now.

Spring at 23rd switchback done. Plenty of water in the steam at Trailside Meadow. Spring in Bighorn Park flowing strongly.

For those doing a MT/MR loop hike: Some hikers who ascended the Final Chute said the small amount of snow and ice observed in the Chute was not a problem.

Late Saturday afternoon I had no difficulty getting a good unreserved campsite at the Whitney Portal Family Campground.

Jim

PS: Thanks to Doug Sr, Earlene, and the Portal Crew for their warm hospitality at the Whitney Portal Store this season. We hope you have a great Winter and look forward to seeing you next Spring on the Mountain.

Hey everyone, I am planning to summit this Saturday the 18th. Anybody know what the conditions are like besides cold? I would appreciate it..

Breezy.

Breezy's ok, icy + gale force winds would probably deter me.

Beautiful trail conditions on Sat the 18th. A little ice and snow on the cables and above but nothing I would need spikes for. On the summit there must have been 300 mile visibility because I could see Mt Baldy, Gorgonio and Jacinto in the distance. Couldn't ask for better! How long will this last?

Update from a day hike yesterday Wed Nov 26, 2014:

Spectacular late fall day. 40 deg F at TH at 3 AM. Portal Road open and in good condition. Water faucets off, but toilets open at Portal.

Six cars in lot Tues night. Only four other hikers encountered on trail Wed. No tents apparent at Outpost and Trail Camp.

Lone Pine Lake and Consultation Lake not frozen. Last running water at outlet to Mirror Lake. Spring in Bighorn Park in good form.

Patches of snow and ice frequently encountered, except the first mile of the trail and the summit plateau are dry. From Trail Camp to Trail Crest, the trail is mostly covered with snow and ice. The snow is firm and not deep.

In the current conditions, in my opinion the key is to take hiking poles and microspikes. I wore the microspikes from Trail Camp to Trail Crest.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Jim

Thanks, Jim.
I put off a climb on Thanksgiving to do some cooking...
Hope the wind forecast is wrong...
Photos to come..

Definitely didn't qualify as a nice Autumn day...
Winds topping 75mph across the crest... probably sustained in the 40's... got knocked down twice... it was SCARY crossing the Windows.

Conditions exactly as Jim described... I kept micros on all the way to the summit because it was too damn cold to stop and do anything. Took them off a bit above Trailside Meadow. Also didn't take many photos because of the cold...

Hung out with Pablo in the Hut for about half-an-hour... he had just finished free-soloing the East Buttress. (More than WOW, considering the conditions!!!!!) He didn't like the looks of the MR, so was going to run the trail down... I figured he'd get that done in about 2 hours!

How much snow fell?
Is my gate closed?

I haven't been on the Main Trail yet this year but I've been up the Mountaineer's Route four times. On my last trip I took a pic from the summit looking at the Main Trail side. You can see snow highlighting the trail on the back side of the Needles. You can also see snow on sections of the 97 Switchbacks. The entire photo gallery is here: Mt. Whitney Mountaineers Route March 26-29, 2015.

A spell of nice spring conditions permitted me to summit yesterday April 29. Here are some observations:

The trail to Trail Camp is essentially free of significant snow. Lone Pine Lake is no longer frozen. The spring in Bighorn Park is flowing. The last significant flowing water is the creek at Trailside Meadow. Consultation Lake remains completely frozen. The ice on the pond at Trail Camp is melting.

The few hikers who attempted the Switchbacks were not having much success. The consensus route was up the snow chute to Trail Crest.

There was a fair amount of snow on the trail on the backside from Trail Crest to the Summit, but no traction devices were needed.

For those wishing to scramble up Muir from the West, the conditions were
perfect.

Have a great season.

Jim F

Really appreciate the report, Jim. I'm heading up there next week and was about to ask about the conditions...

Quick question: Is it safe to assume that snowshoes are not needed at all on the main trail? Thanks!

SDS,

Certainly there were no need for snowshoes on April 29. The weather is now changing a bit, so I would carefully follow the Weather Link and Live Cam on the Whitney Portal Store web site as your upcoming hike approaches.

The Mt Whitney experience is somewhat different this time of year when there are less people on the Mountain. Enjoy!

Jim