Hi All-
I am planning a trip with 4 guys, in good shape, all experienced summertime backpackers with virtually no winter mountaineering experience. I myself spent a month in New Mexico with NOLS but only winter stuff is skiing/snowshoeing...I have never used crampons/ice axe.
Our permit dates are Jun 26 & 27. We are planning to bring crampons and ski poles. I am going to try to forego the ice axes due to weight, extra expense and the fact that we are going to avoid climbing ice chutes or glissading in general. I suspect that most of the terrain is mixed and we are not going to have to break any major slides down a snow covered mountain if we take it relatively safely and stick to the MMWT.
our itinerary with acclimatization is
6/24: drive from LA and camp at Whitney Portal or nearby
6/25: hike to lone pine lake and camp
6/26: hike to trail camp and camp there
6/27: summit (with day packs) in the AM and then hike back to Whitney Portal and drive back home
I would greatly appreciate any feedback you might have on the feasibility of doing this hike WITHOUT ICE AXES and WITHOUT specific winter mountaineering skills @ this time of year. What do you think about the quality of the itinerary?
Thanks so much for any help you can provide!
Best,
Jeremy
