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10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
#19098 10/10/11 07:26 PM
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My brother, two cousins, and I attempted to bike from Badwater to Whitney Portal and then climb Whitney on the 8th - all in under 24 hours.

We left Badwater at 7pm on Friday, and arrived at Whitney portal at 8 am on Saturday, after biking 135 miles and gaining a total of about 15,000 feet. The ride went relatively well, except that I threw up four times going up Towne's Pass and got very cold descending Panamint pass.

At the portal, we were joined by 6 more friends. Unfortunately, we didn't get on the trail till 10 am because we took way to long to eat, sort out gear, etc. We decided that we should take four winter sleeping bags, two tents, pads, etc. in case of emergency.

By 2 pm, we realized that our goal of reaching the summit was unrealistic considering the trail conditions. We were loaded down too much with our gear (some of us had 40-50 lb packs), and the progress of our group slowed to a crawl by Trail Camp. All the reports of hikers coming down the trail were very pessimistic about the conditions from the switch backs up. Several hikers claimed that there were "waist deep" snow drifts from trail crest to the summit. We didn't have snowshoes, so this didn't sound too fun. We were prepared to hike down the entire mountain in the dark, but considering the conditions on the upper mountain, we decided that the summit will just have to wait till next year.

Here are a couple of photos of the trip:

















Please don't use these pictures / post them elsewhere with out permission. Thanks.

Last edited by stephen_h; 10/10/11 07:27 PM.
Re: 10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
stephen_h #19100 10/10/11 09:08 PM
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Real men do it in July! smile

Just kidding. Great trip, I'd like to do that too some day.

Re: 10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
stephen_h #19103 10/10/11 09:25 PM
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Awesome! You guys are ANIMALS!

Next time you try it, get all that hiking gear ready several days beforehand, and have the sag wagon driver to take care of the gear. And maybe try a month earlier. smile

...Say, you weren't carrying 40-50 pound packs for a DAY hike were you?

Re: 10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
Steve C #19121 10/11/11 12:14 PM
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Strong effort! I love these screw ball ideas, (as long as they are well thought out with reasonable planning and attention to safety so the SAR guys don't get the 3:00AM wake up call). We just have to teach you how to pack lighter and maybe pick a better weather window.

Good job.

Kent

Re: 10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
Steve C #19122 10/11/11 01:00 PM
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None of the cyclists in our group had heavy packs. We wrongly assumed that the fresh hikers that met us at Whitney Portal would have no problem carrying all of the equipment for the group. We took enough sleeping bags, and food for the entire group, so if something went wrong we could enjoy a comfortable night on the mountain.

Also, some of us were carrying 4 Liters of water because we didn't want to waste time refilling bottles. In retrospect, water was readily available along the entire route, so carry extra water was a waste of energy.

Next year, we want to get camping permits so we can have a base camp / supply cache somewhere along the trail. We're hoping that will help balance the need for safety and light weight. With the sustained level of exertion involved in the trip, making sure that everyone can stay warm in any conditions is a priority.

We still need to think about what time of year is best. September might be better since the days are longer, as long as its not too hot in Death Valley.

Hopefully all the factors will come together for us next year

Good Weather + Full Moon + Permits + No Snow + Available Schedule

Re: 10/8 – Badwater to Whitney Attempt
stephen_h #19128 10/11/11 04:58 PM
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No, no, no, no, no..... I gotta tell you.....you guys aren't just cool, you're FRICKIN BITCHEN!!!!!
I actually brought that back from the 70's to tell you that. It just reminds me of the stupid....(oooops's, I mean really crazy) stuff my buddy and I like to do. BUT, we haven't done that. Don't think we haven't thought about it. When we were 14, we talked our parents into letting us ride our bicycles to a place called Lake Elizabeth, 65 miles from our house. We did it and spent 5 days fending for ourselves. It was the adventure of a lifetime!
I cannot tell you how much I not only respect what you did, but am jealous you did it and actually understand why.
I've been at the portal when the runners come in from the Badwater run...... and I am in total awe of them.
Tell us more...... I can't wait for your next adventure..... and yes, I know you already have some ideas.


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