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Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
#18291 09/12/11 02:24 PM
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Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster. I made my first summit last May in the snow.

This year we hit the lottery for this coming weekend....

How long should I plan for in hiking time between Trail Camp and the Summit???

I'd like to see the sun rise on the summit, and want to make sure I plan enough time to get up to the top.

Thanks in advance!!!

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
blakeparrish #18293 09/12/11 02:27 PM
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Figure sunrise then subtract 5 hours...that should be your start time from TC given that you will be camping overnight there.

Maybe subtract 6 due to "conditions."

Be careful up there during those hours.


Journey well...
Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
+ @ti2d #18295 09/12/11 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: + @ti2d

Be careful up there during those hours.


There will be sections with ice on the trail.

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
+ @ti2d #18299 09/12/11 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted By: + @ti2d
Figure sunrise then subtract 5 hours...that should be your start time from TC given that you will be camping overnight there.

Maybe subtract 6 due to "conditions."


Wow, is it taking people that long from the high camp?

I feel pretty good about my time in 2004 then, under 7 hours round trip from the Portal and back.

My wife has never done it, we are getting on the road right now......Mt. Whitney was my first 14er, I can't wait to share it with her...:-)

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
VO2Max #18300 09/12/11 05:20 PM
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I've been on the summit at dawn 2 to 3 times starting from just above Guitar Lake. The distance is and gain is similar. We usually get up about about 12:30 AM and are on the trail around 1:30 hauling 30 pounds up to Lower Trail Crest...damn, I love those switchbacks compared to the ones you will be taking.

Figure on about 1 to 1.25 an hour and you be there in plenty of time. You really don't want to go too fast and get all sweaty, especially if it very cold and windy. Dry=warm. I usually will take an extra pair of gloves this time of year.

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
VO2Max #18303 09/12/11 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: VO2Max
Originally Posted By: + @ti2d
Figure sunrise then subtract 5 hours...that should be your start time from TC given that you will be camping overnight there.

Maybe subtract 6 due to "conditions."


Wow, is it taking people that long from the high camp?

I feel pretty good about my time in 2004 then, under 7 hours round trip from the Portal and back.

My wife has never done it, we are getting on the road right now......Mt. Whitney was my first 14er, I can't wait to share it with her...:-)

VO2: Most people don't live at 8000', and most people aren't trail runners. I do hope you will slow down this time, unless your wife runs like you do. smile

Have a great trip! And watch the weather -- it is starting to be an issue.

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
Steve C #18329 09/13/11 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: Steve C
[quote=VO2Max]
VO2: Most people don't live at 8000', and most people aren't trail runners. I do hope you will slow down this time, unless your wife runs like you do. smile

I bet he doesn't run at his VO2MAx. Could not do that very long. More like a sustained run at his AT (anaerobic threshold)

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
blakeparrish #18339 09/13/11 06:30 PM
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Got into Lone Pine about two hours ago, crazy big fire near Big Pine, think the smoke will stay clear though. Just heard they closed 395...

We are looking at Thursday for a summit day, get day passes tomorrow.
I have done Whitney three times. The first time was when I was 16, took a Grey Hound bus to Lone Pine to hike it over two days, sucked wind hard at 11,000 feet.

Second time I foolishly did it a year later in early April. Had terrible gear, spent my 18th birthday by my self in a snowstorm. Met two guys from Colorado the next day and teamed up with them. We about 1/3rd the way up from Trail Crest and a white out blew in, we went down due to rapidly increasing avi danger. We were camped below the normal Summer high camp. The guys from Colorado had never done the peak, thought our camp was elsewhere as darkness fell. I insisted I knew where it was, spotted a tiny part of my lame orange backpack and pretty much saved our lives...

I have since done some 60 unique 14ers in the U.S. I moved away from California so that I could do them as often as I want and now do.....

When I went back and did Mt. Whitney in 2004, it was 20 years after the mountain kicked my rear as a kid, it felt incredible to actually be gaining speed and energy the higher I went, being much older but far more fit and darn near permanently acclimated.

My wife and I will hike it to get a work out, but have fun like we always do, this will be her 7th 14er this year...:-)

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
VO2Max #18341 09/13/11 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted By: VO2Max
Got into Lone Pine about two hours ago, crazy big fire near Big Pine, think the smoke will stay clear though. Just heard they closed 395...


That would explain all the CalFire trucks driving north on 395 at high speed a couple of hours ago as we were driving south from Lone Pine.

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
KevinR #18361 09/14/11 09:35 AM
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Thanks everyone for the responses. I am surprised to hear 5 or 6 hours. Honestly I was planning on about ~3 hours.

With the recent weather I am worried about the ice on the cables and at the steep hill just past trail crest.

Any other advice is welcomed. Thank you!

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
blakeparrish #18364 09/14/11 12:00 PM
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You may want to consider Kahtoola Microspikes for those "wait-a-minute" sections.

Don't become over-confident with them on your feet.


Journey well...
Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
+ @ti2d #18381 09/15/11 06:39 AM
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I carry Microspikes in the winter for "trailwalking". This is where they shine. If you get the least bit of angle, its like having nothing on your feet.

As for time, I've make it from Lower Trail Crest to the summit once in an hour. I was 5 days and in super aerobic shape. Generally, from this point its about a hour and half. You have to error on the side of showing up early because you do not want miss the sunrise. Be sure to look west to see Mt. Whitney's shadow on the horizon...it is really awesome.

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
wbtravis #18405 09/15/11 02:43 PM
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Great tip about the shadow, wbtravis.

Heading out in the morning. Wish me luck!

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
blakeparrish #18419 09/15/11 06:08 PM
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Have fun up there!

The wife and I did it today, 8.5 total hours hiking time, but two hours on the summit shooting, I hauled up a large panoramic film camera....:-).

It had snowed a few inches the night before, it stuck till about noon above 13K, looked sooooo gorgeous up there!

I tried to talk my wife into a quick scramble up Muir but her knees were killing her on the way up today, pretty stiff down too.

And man, what is with all the power bar / granola bar wrappers? Are people too stoned on lack of air to make it into their pockets? I picked up a ton of trash on the way down today...

Re: Trail Time - Trail Camp to Summit
VO2Max #18423 09/15/11 08:21 PM
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Great RT time VO2! Contratulations. Did you take any digital pictures you might share with us?


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