Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion First Time Hiker - Current Weather Conditions & More

Hey gang,

3 friends and I are leaving early Monday morning to head to Lone Pine area and begin acclimating for our day hike of Whitney on Wednesday. We will take any suggestions you might have here. I have questions about the weather - I saw that high on Wednesday at the Whitney summit is 49, Whitney Portal 69 and Lone Pine area is 95. So we believe we need to start light and pack layers to cover up with as we make the climb. I read somewhere not to wear cotton but I have some pants that are 35% cotton & 65% polyester - the warmest pants I own! Think they will be ok to wear up toward the top? We also read not to eat any protein the day of the hike to avoid hastening the onset of altitude sickness. Thoughts?

And how about snow and stream crossings? Are there any of these there still in mid-July?

Thanks for your help!
Elizabeth

While you might be able to get away with those pants in a normal year, this year I would not wear a cotton mix. The trail reports reflect that you will be crossing snow fields, meaning that your pants will get snowy and ultimately, a little wet. Cotton will not dry, and so you may get cold and uncomfortable. If you are really at a loss, you are better off wearing long underwear under a light pair of poly pants with zip off legs, and then zipping off the legs if you get hot.

I am going up next week. At this time, I am thinking of using a softshell pant (REI mistral) with no long underwear. Given that the summit will be in the 40s/50s, and the exertion required to get up there, I am not too concerned about being cold (as long as I properly layer to avoid sweating). But that is me. Different people are different of course.

Myself, I eat a fair amount of protein on a hike like this, but than again, I do it as multiple night hike with lots of acclimatization. A lot of folks say you should go with easy-to-digest carbs if you are going to be fighting altitude.

Good luck, be safe, and have fun.

P.S. I am planning to wear softshell pants because (1) if the chute is still glissadeable, I might go for it, and (2) I am camping at trail camp, which gets cold at night. But if I was doing a dayhike, I'd probably just wear my regular zip-off hiking pants (lightweight poly), and carry water/windproof shell pants to put over them if needed. Again, that's me.

Though it may be cooler as you go up, I find that I don't have to add clothes at all as you warm up from the hiking. Also, 49 degrees on the summit of Mt Whitney feels warmer than 49 degrees in most area because the humidity is low compared to places like San Diego, L.A., San Francisco or the Central Valley. I'm going up on Wednesday also and I'll wear my usual, shorts and a short sleeve, possibly long sleeve to keep the Sun exposure to a minimum. Bring a hat that covers your neck.

The only thing about the Sierra weather that is predictable is it unpredictability. We have been on trips where the where there was a 30% chance of rain the first day and it rained all four days.

Check the NWS forecast before you head to Lone Pine to give an idea of what to expect. Then wander over to the http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?CWD hit the earlier link then manipulate URL to get historical data.

Food and elevation are an individual thing. Wifey can go to 14,000' without thinking about any of the symptoms of AMS. Me, on the other, has to think about this 3 days prior to my arrival at Whitney Portal.

I have stood on Mt. Whitney at dawn when the temperature was below 10* F and ate a burger at Portal later that day when the temperature was a balmy 85* F. So, the clothing choices are important. Cotton clothing is just fine, if you can guarantee you won't get wet, sweat or get stuck out overnight. My clothing plan is simple...have enough clothing to make it through the night at the highest point of the trip.