I have been on the lower trail (below the WZ) several times have used both the old trailhead and the new trailhead. My first time on the trail was when I did a dry-run day hike up to Lone Pine Lake two days before my first summit. That was where I started counting the 24 switchbacks between the John Muir sign and the log crossing, and I counted those switchbacks two days later on the way down in the dark.
Here are my times in the Whitney Zone:
July 1994 (Age 40) - Summitted in a group of 14 day hikers. My car pool passenger had leg trouble below Trail Crest and the two of us went down separately into the night.
July 1999 (Age 45) - Summitted with one other person. Several people did not reach the summit when one member of the group developed heart problems just before the final needles. That person was airlifted out of Trail Camp the next morning.
July 2000 (Age 46) - Summitted with 5 other people (including one of the people who did not summit in 1999). One person had problems coming down but was escorted by a Whitney veteran. (This was the first time I had a post-hike meal at the store).
July 2004 (Age 50) - Summitted with three other people. Three additional people in the group decided to turn back at Trail Crest.
In July 2005 there was still a lot of snow still on the trail, so the group decided to turn around before the cables. Several first timers did not feel comfortable hiking in the snow.
In October 2007, I intentionally did a day hike up to Trail Camp to view the fall colors.
