I (female, age 34, three kids aged four and under) just day-hiked Whitney alone on 7/13, starting at 11:30PM on 7/12 (my second summit in two weeks). My points:

  • Bears - I also have an irrational fear of bears and I hadn't even thought about mountain lions until you pointed it out (out of mind, out of sight...or something like that). I carry bear bells but I actually found myself silencing them so that I could listen to any movement around me. As for bear spray, I had planned to carry it but realized that there was very little chance that I would use it. At that altitude, carrying food in my hands to eat is a pain so I knew I would never have the spray in my hands. Instead, my plan was to attack using my day pack or rocks, if necessary (this was the advice of the ranger). As a side note, this was hike 30-something for me and the only time I have ever come close to a bear was two years ago when I came out of the outhouse at the portal and he was standing right next to me. Actually, I never even saw him; instead, someone driving by slowed down and after a moment said, "Hey, did you see that huge bear standing next to you as you came out of the outhouse?" Um, no. Of course, that was no way to start my hike because as I got on the trail, I noticed a ton of fresh bear droppings. I figured he was going to follow me or that his friends were nearby. It was an awful hike up to Mirror Lake (where I have convinced myself that they will no longer be an issue--if you know otherwise, please don't tell me; just let me think this). smile
  • Moonlight - The evening I hiked was the evening after the supermoon so the moon was still very bright; other posters have said that hiking by moonlight is sufficient and I respectfully disagree. Not only are there parts of the mountain that are dark as a result of the shadow cast by the mountain itself but this does nothing to allay your fears of wildlife. I actually tried hiking in the dark when my headlamp went out but quickly pulled out my backup. No way was I going to risk tripping at that hour particularly since I was alone. In addition, the moon lit up my surroundings but not enough so that everything was clearly visible. For example, if I saw light granite all around me but a dark round object up against it, I instantly thought it was a bear! Turns out it was just a bush. I actually would have preferred the darkness at this point (again out of mind, out of sight--yes, I realize it's the other way around but you get my defense mechanism by now).
  • Cold - Starting at 11:30PM got me to the summit by 5AM, in time for the sunrise at 5:36am sunrise. It was incredible. My first sunrise in all of my years hiking Whitney. I would note that the summit was extremely cold. I normally wear Lulu pants, a tank top, and a thin Lulu jacket and that is sufficient for hikes that I would do beginning at 2AM; however, being at the summit with no sun at all is very cold so plan accordingly. I became hypothermic and were it not for a kind gentleman at the top who offered his down jacket, I don't want to think of what could have happened.
  • Water - As for water, I don't drink a lot myself but I have heard that there are plenty of places to refill. I used to rely on the mountain until I got a nasty case of giardia a few years ago (yes, I used a filter). It was a great way to lose ten pounds but I'm already underweight and almost died so that wasn't as fun.
  • Getting lost - As for getting lost in the dark, I have to admit that there were a few more places this time where I had to step back and take a look at where I was relative to where I wanted to be. There are a few places where it does get tricky but you might try taking a few paces, look at the floor to see if there are shoe/pole impressions and if not, then go back to where you were. Fortunately, you're going slow enough to evaluate and re-evaluate your steps on the ascent (I think night-ascending is much safer than night-descending)
  • People - Even starting at 11:30AM, I ran into quite a few people on the trail and I'm always relieved to see headlights ahead of or behind me. On my way up to the summit, I probably ran into 15 people. I ran into only one person from the switchbacks to the summit and he scared the S-H-I-T out of me because he DIDN'T have a headlamp and I thought he was a bear...or a murderer. So, please, people...if you don't want to wear a headlamp, that's fine but please make some other noise so that I don't soil myself. Thanks in advance.
  • Safety on the Switchbacks - For me, it was very lonely at parts on the trail (one of the reasons I do it--three kids, remember?) but being in the dark, on the switchbacks with nobody else around was particularly lonesome. You'll have your friend with you, which is great but otherwise, it is safe to tackle in the dark (watch for ice around some of the natural springs on the switchbacks that could cause you to slip and fall). The only time it is unsafe is if one of you gets symptoms of AMS or if there are clouds/lighting/thunderstorms (been in both of those situations too).


Anyway, hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me.

Last edited by jaxgev; 07/14/14 09:27 PM.