CincyHiker, hope you have a great experience. It's a shame you have such limited time, but going the Diamox route is probably the best idea. Coming from the eastern lowlands, I like to give myself 4-5 days above 10,000 feet before heading up Whitney. If I couldn't do that, I'd be taking Diamox too.
Trekking poles are designed to be used in tandem, and I would strongly suggest you get comfortable with two before you head out there. Using two distributes your climbing energy a little better, but for me the biggest benefit is the added balance and sure footing they provide - I've never taken a tumble since I've been using them. Trust me, you'll appreciate that on many sections of the Whitney Trail. That, and the stress-reduction on your kness during that 11-mile down-hike. They really help with some of the tougher water crossings as well.
If you haven't used trekking poles much, be sure your grip is correct through the wriststraps (up and through, palm dropped on the strap joint, with a very light finger-grip on the handle; let the wriststrap do most of the work - that's what it's there for), otherwise they can be an energy drainer, and even a danger. I see people all the time who are gripping trekkng poles incorrectly and not getting the full benefit from them. Once you're used to the mechanics of properly using them, without a death-grip on the handle, you'll feel absolutely naked without them.
I would also suggest you read the "Orientation Notes for First-Timers" here (under "Feature Topics" on the main message board page, link on the left). These were extremely helpful to me my first time. Also, wbtravis has a great page for Whitney hiking that I found very beneficial (
here ). If I recall correctly, he's a huge proponent of trekking poles as well.
And post your questions. Plenty of helpful folks on this board with a ton of Whitney and Sierra experience.
