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June 15/16
#37561 06/17/14 05:55 PM
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Quick report of the trail conditions I encountered on Mt Whitney.

First patch of snow encountered on the switchbacks to bighorn park, past the Whitney zone sign.

Ice on some seeps from outpost camp to trail camp. The trail camp draw had WAG bags in the water so we went to the flowing water on the west side to get our water, that was iced over also. The spring on the switchbacks also ices over a night still. All this melts later in the day.

Cables are clear. One switchback we used microspikes, but they really were not needed, we were just being overly cautious. A few patches on the west side of Whitney but again, nothing needed. Wind was crazy at the summit, I would have to guess gusts being around 40-50mph, I hope I'm not exaggerating, that's just my guess.

Couldn't find a nice spot at Trail Camp to protect us from the wind. Found one nice spot, but it smelled of human excrement. Got worried about hypothermia. After 2 hours of trying, we made the choice to just hike down. Found a nice flat spot a little ways from the trail, between Trailside Meadows and Mirror Lake.

The fish at the portal pond were pretty lethargic but we still got a few. The fishing at Mirror Lake was great though..

I would like to thank everyone on the forums that helped make a trip a success. I would like to thank all the friendly folks at the portal, both the people at the store (great pancakes!) and those I met hanging around the portal! My prayers go out for the lost hiker.

A little confused about uploading pictures, something about file size so once I fix that I'll upload them here or give a link to them.

Re: June 15/16
Joe the Hiker #37567 06/17/14 08:57 PM
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Congrats on the summit! I hope to be as successful as you guys when I go next week.


"Come and Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain!" -Isaiah 2:5
Instagram: @jeesparza33

Re: June 15/16
Joe the Hiker #37568 06/17/14 09:18 PM
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The trail camp draw had WAG bags in the water
[/quote]

Did you move the WAG bags out of the water?

Re: June 15/16
Hangin Tough #37583 06/18/14 07:11 AM
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I was on trail Sunday night and all day Monday. While the switchbacks are open and passable the last two poles in the cables experiences a 20 foot long patch of black ice at night making this part of the climb pretty dangerous. Lots of wag bags just dumped on trail from just before Trail Camp all the way up to a mile short of the summit. We spotted over 50 between me and my partner. Winds at the summit were in low 30's gusting to 40 mph. I think it's time that the bag include the permit number of the user and that an RFID chip be manufactured into the bag. The permit holder should be fined a $1000.00 for each bag found on trail.

Re: June 15/16
Daves Not Here #37596 06/18/14 11:44 AM
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While not as disgusting, I found the plastic bottles and wrappers I saw while hiking up Mount Whitney even more disturbing in some respects. How hard is it to pack out a few grams of garbage? I can at least understand why you wouldn't want a bag of sh-- in your pack, but why would you just throw a water bottle on the ground after using it?

Re: June 15/16
Hangin Tough #37604 06/18/14 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: Hangin Tough
The trail camp draw had WAG bags in the water


Did you move the WAG bags out of the water? [/quote]

Water was just above freezing with some ice over it closer to the streams that feed it.. I saw them way in there, not just an arm reach's in... if it was close I would defiantly move them.

Originally Posted By: Daves Not Here
Winds at the summit were in low 30's gusting to 40 mph.


I've been telling friends, family, other hikers, and geocache logs that the wind gusts were in the 40mph range. Glad I'm not the only one who thought that because I could always be wrong and over estimating grin


Alright got the images to work!

Ice on the trail in the morning from the spring on the switchback.


The Cables


A minor stop to climb over


View of Snow Patches below (note the frozen lake)


Last switchback before the crest. Not that bad except for that one step where the trail has kinda eroded.


Another picture of snow


Snow patch near the summit


A wild rainbow I caught on an elk hair in the portal pond. Let him back because I wanted to only take the stocked ones from the pond. The stocked rainbows in the pond sure are picky... Got some brookies also in Mirror Lake.

Last edited by Joe the Hiker; 06/18/14 10:45 PM.
Re: June 15/16
Joe the Hiker #37615 06/18/14 07:22 PM
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My most recent fishing has been on the Great Barrier Reef. If that fish was a bit bigger we could use it for bait!


Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
Re: June 15/16
Joe the Hiker #37622 06/18/14 10:11 PM
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Understandable. Safety on the mountain is always paramount.

Re: June 15/16
2Old4This #37788 06/22/14 04:36 PM
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For all the people who complain about having to shit in a bag and having to carry that bag down the mountain I remind you that someone else will be carrying your bag of shit down the mountain if you do not do it.

The most likely person who will carry down your bag of shit is a underpaid park ranger. The second most likely person who may carry down YOUR shit bag is a considerate hiker like myself who finds it appalling that a fellow member of the hiking community could be so inconsiderate and selfish to their fellow hikers.

I removed around ten bags of other peoples shit the last time I was up there, along with tons of trash that was just blowing around the mountain. It sounds like I will have my hands full when I go up there in a couple weeks.

Do not be an asshole. If you see someone else leave there bags behind you should say something. This is unnacceptable.

Re: June 15/16
ben g #38014 06/26/14 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted By: ben g
I removed around ten bags of other peoples shit the last time I was up there, along with tons of trash that was just blowing around the mountain.


Thank you for doing this. I wish it weren't necessary, but thank you.

Re: June 15/16
ben g #38033 06/26/14 11:22 PM
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Ben g:

Thanks for packing out someone else's shit and garbage, but no thanks for assuming any of it was mine. I guarantee you it wasn't. Just because I can understand why someone wouldn't want to carry shit in their pack doesn't mean I left anything on that mountain besides sweat and boot prints. I don't even know what in my post would make you think that.


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