Hey,
I'm in the area this entire weekend so I want to explore as much as I can. On Saturday I'm going to an ice axe/crampon seminar to get the basics of snow travel down. I'm staying in Mammoth for the time being, but then heading to Bishop on Sunday to attempt Mt. Tom with a friend whose experienced. I have an inexperienced friend coming too, and I want to do White Mountain Peak and Dana with him. After Mt. Tom, I expect to finish at around 3 pm. Then I would wait for my friend to go up white mountain.
Thing is that the unpaved road seems a little sketchy. I have a spare tire, but it's my parents car and I don't want to mess it up. But at the same time, I want to set up camp not more than 11 or so miles from the summit because anything over a 22 mi round trip seems too excessive. We would leave Monday morning and hopefully be done by noon. Depending on how good we feel, we might stay there for Tuesday and head home or drive all the way up to Lee Vining on Monday evening and to try to do Dana via the trail on Tuesday. We need to be back ideally by Tuesday.
Do you think this is feasible?
- - - - - - - -
So I've been doing some thinking and this is my plan:
Sunday: Leave Bishop for White Mountain Peak at 5 pm *latest*. Drive up to White Mountain and drive as far as I feasibly can until sunset. I'm assuming I'll be around 15 mi from the summit conditions permitting. By that time it should be around sunset so 7 - 8pm ish. Then rest for a few hours and maybe sleep in the car.
Monday 12am: Start the hike and the 20-30 mi round trip from the car to the summit. I have no Earthly idea how long that would take us. But I just want to be back before summit conditions get iffy.
Monday (hopefully before 7pm): Set up camp since we'll be way too tired to drive. Enjoy the night sky.
Tuesday 6am: Drive back down well rested and hit up Dana on the way.
