NVG sent me a PM and has posted some questions. I'm replying here, rather than privately, so others might benefit.
Conditions can change drastically. The snow conditions on the mountain make a huge difference. I've dayhiked Whitney in every month of the year, but I waited for near-perfect conditions in the colder months. If there is fresh snow, I stay home until it consolidates. We haven't had any meaningful snow in a month, so conditions on the mountain are probably as good as they ever get in the winter. The next storms, whenever they arrive, will make it much tougher, if not impossible, for a few days if not weeks.
There are three gates that can be locked, keeping all cars out. They always lock the lowest gate in the spring while they are clearing rocks off the road and getting ready for tourist season. In my experience, that gate has often been open during the winter. They post a "ROAD CLOSED" sign by the gate. Sometimes, they ticket vehicles that drive around, and sometimes they don't. If you drive around and get stuck, or a storm buries your vehicle, you are basically screwed. Depending on conditions, I have had to park below that sign, I have driven partway up, and I have parked near the campground. Read the posts online or post a question about the road just before you go. There is no way to know the status of the road and gates weeks in advance.
Whitney is a non-trivial undertaking under ideal conditions. Many people train and plan for months, take two or three days, and still don't make it, even in the summer when the road is open, there is no snow, and the weather is perfect. On the other hand, RichardP, who posts on WPSMB, dayhiked Whitney every week for 52 weeks. It can be done. Just be aware that cold weather, short days, snow hiding the trail, and a long hike to the trailhead all make it much harder.
My advice is that you need plenty of winter experience, you need to know the route, and you need to be comfortable with thin air to attempt a winter backpacking trip. To dayhike it, you have to think about what you would do if things didn't go perfectly. A minor injury or a frozen water bottle could spoil your whole day. You don't want to be cold, exhausted, and out of food as you stagger through Trail Camp in the dark on the way down.
Good luck. Be safe. Have fun.
Edit: The Mountaineers’ Route requires some technical skills (and maybe a rope) in the winter, but it’s much shorter and quicker than the main trail. Maybe it’s for you, and maybe it isn’t. Choose wisely.
Last edited by bobpickering; 02/03/22 11:08 AM.
