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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42880 06/03/15 10:19 AM
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mgl's post above says switch backs are passable (though they themselves took chute). The ranger's office this morning said people are returning back from cables. Do you know of any first hand accounts or photos of taking switchbacks?We have a day permit for Monday.. and are trying to make a decision.

great thread, btw.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Raghu #42881 06/03/15 10:56 AM
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"Come and Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain!" -Isaiah 2:5
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42882 06/03/15 12:12 PM
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Are these folks wearing "wind pants"?
Originally Posted By: Steve C
Here's a picture from a group at the summit, May 30.

They reported using ice axe and microspikes. Many were using crampons.


Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Raghu #42883 06/03/15 12:45 PM
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Raghu,
From the previous posts, it looks like the hike up to Trail Camp is pretty much clear of snow. Even if the switchbacks were impassable, I would make the hike just to enjoy the trip up to trail camp (which is very good hike in itself). Just my opinion though.
I have day permit for next weekend and will probably still make the trip just to get to trail camp and enjoy the hike.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Ernest #42888 06/03/15 03:55 PM
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Ernest, I agree with the sentiment smile

The concern is that second attempt is going to take quite a bit of time. So if we go now and not be able to make it to the summit, it might be a few years before next attempt. Alternately if we postpone our visit, we might come back much earlier (or attempt Shasta this year itself)

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Raghu #42889 06/03/15 05:03 PM
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Hi,
Few of my friends have permits for 13th June Saturday. We are two permits shy of the entire group. Is there any forum where I can request people if they have additional permits to help?

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42890 06/03/15 05:13 PM
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I talked to those folks Saturday @ noon. They had come up the chute from the MMWT. After they left, it was just our group (which had come up the MR).

Then, as we were getting ready to leave, some PCTers showed up. As you can see in the photo above, the MMWT group had snow pants, micro-spikes + poles, but the PCTers just had their mini-shorts, trail runners & poles.

I didn't take any photos of the switchbacks, but they looked like they still had snow (ie distinct white lines). I also didn't see any figures coming up.

As for the MR, it was about as good as it gets for true alpine conditions:


Last edited by Hobbes; 06/03/15 05:20 PM.
Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
ajwani #42891 06/03/15 05:24 PM
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Originally Posted By: ajwani
Hi,
Few of my friends have permits for 13th June Saturday. We are two permits shy of the entire group. Is there any forum where I can request people if they have additional permits to help?

ajwani, there are always no-shows and unused permits available the day before the hike. Read up on the Wilderness Permit Options link (box 6 especially) (Link above on the left). When you check-in to pick up your existing permits, you can likely add more slots, and they are free! Also see the suggestions in the thread Are you camping at Trail Camp on July 7 and 8?

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
KentM #42892 06/03/15 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted By: KentM
Are these folks wearing "wind pants"?

One wrote: "My pants are REI water resistance"

Another: "my pants are just normal Kuhl Hiking Pants. Nothing special for the wind or cold. The weather was actually pretty warm for the summit."

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42893 06/03/15 08:46 PM
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I'm going to be up there in shorts and gaiters. Shouldn't be too bad...


@jjoshuagregory (Instagram) for mainly landscape and mountain pics
Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42905 06/04/15 11:21 AM
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given the NOAA weather warning, would a tuesday/weds or thurs summit be the most advisable for this upcoming week?

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42906 06/04/15 11:24 AM
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Hello all, I sumitted yesterday (6/2) as a day hike. I will give a quick update and then a down and dirty later.

Went up the switchbacks, yes they have snow on them, yes you need crampons to make life easy.

Came back down the chute, glissading. I do not recommend plunge stepping.

I did that because the people coming up the sb's said they were starting to melt and were sketchy.

PCT side, people were coming up with yaktrax and shorts/trail running shoes. I used crampon and ice axe on the sb's and then poles once I got to trail crest.

The snow really slows you down on the sb's and I had 2 in my party get AMS so they had to turn around.

I will post more later, this should give you a better idea of things.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Cronus4 #42907 06/04/15 11:31 AM
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Thanks for the update Cronus!
Would you advise on using Yaktrax or crampons for the sb's? Although in a week it might not even matter.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42908 06/04/15 11:33 AM
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Trying to get an estimate of how steep is chute. how does it compare to a solid black daimond slope? Even if switchbacks are (barely) passable, chute might be a better option.

Aslo wondering if ace axe and microspikes might be enough, or if crampons would certainly be recommended. We have day permit for Monday.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Cronus4 #42909 06/04/15 11:38 AM
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Thanks for the update Cronus4. If you were doing it again today, would you take chute or switch backs going up? looking forward to more updates.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Raghu #42910 06/04/15 11:50 AM
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So, micro's might work on sb's but it could get dicey, especially since it's supposed to dump snow this Friday, so depends on when you go.

Steepness of the chute...hmmm, definitely not a BD, but it's pretty steep, you pick up some good speed glissading, and I had to regularly brake and even self arrest a couple times.

As for chute vs switchbacks it depends on your fitness. The chute is really going to tax you, although if you hit it early in the am the snow should be pretty firm and you might not post-hole as much as you might later in the day.

I can't tell you if I would have taken the chute if I had to do it again, because honestly I didn't venture over there to look at the conditions, there were a bunch of people on the sb's making it up, and none on the chute, so I figured I'd go with the flow.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Cronus4 #42911 06/04/15 12:15 PM
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Thanks. It is interesting that most people headed up SBs. Our trip is on Monday.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Raghu #42912 06/04/15 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: Raghu
It is interesting that most people headed up SBs.


Perhaps. However, my take on it is that from Trail Camp you can tell if people are on the switchbacks, whereas the condition/grade/issues with the Chute require about 20 minutes of hiking uphill to make a call. So, opting for the SB's is the expedient thing to attempt initially.

Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
Steve C #42913 06/04/15 12:36 PM
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Cables on 6/2. at this point I didn't have on crampons, I put them on when I got to the guy you see at the far side of the pic.


Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
KevinR #42914 06/04/15 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: KevinR
Originally Posted By: Raghu
It is interesting that most people headed up SBs.


Perhaps. However, my take on it is that from Trail Camp you can tell if people are on the switchbacks, whereas the condition/grade/issues with the Chute require about 20 minutes of hiking uphill to make a call. So, opting for the SB's is the expedient thing to attempt initially.


Agreed.

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