Mt Whitney Zone Forums Reference Older Trail Conditions - Mt Whitney Trail, 2020

        Out-of-date Mt Whitney Trail Conditions -- 2020

The posts below have been moved from the main Current Conditions thread for trail reports during 2020.
(Posts are moved periodically after they no longer represent current conditions.)

Previous years:
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2019
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2018
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2017
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2016
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2014
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2013
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2012
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2011

Vitaly C climbed the the North Fork route (not the Main Trail), and then climbed the East Face, Hairline route.
Here are several pictures from his blog.

Their camp just south of Upper Boy Scout Lk.


They spent the night on a ledge half way up. Here's dawn:


Descending the Final 400 back to the notch.

Picture from Connie K on FB:
Looking up the route toward the Mountaineers Route from Lower Boyscout Lake. (This is not part of the summer Main Trail route.)

After a little fresh snow two days ago, pictures from Ayelet B on Facebook, of their climb of Thor Peak.


Top of the chute just below Lower Boy Scout Lake, Thor Peak.



Upper Boy Scout Lake in the lower right. Mt Whitney and Mt Russell


Looking at Consultation Lake and the Main Trail approach to Trail Camp, from the top of Thor.

Graham A and his wife climbed the Main Trail to Trail Crest and a little more before turning around due to dangerous steep snow conditions.

His report is here: Mount Whitney Trail, 2/25/2020, up to 13.6K

Here's his picture looking down from Trail Crest toward Trail Camp:

Magnificent photography!! You are a very fortunate person to be able to visit places like that and take such brilliant pictures.

Greetings, I have a main trail day permit for the back half of June and would appreciate any trail conditions readers here might have, particularly with regard to snow conditions on the switchbacks. Much obliged and GLTA.

The switchbacks will likely be open by mid-June. Currently, the snowcover is slightly less than on this same date in 2018, and most people were using the switchbacks by June 16 during that year:
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/53085/When_will_Mt_Whitney_switchbac
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action

There'll almost certainly be some lingering patches of snow that you'll have to cross in mid-late June, but you'll probably be able to safely get through them without needing crampons or microspikes. My main concern would be obtaining those permits, as they may be cancelled until June 30, and the gate on Whitney Portal Road is expected to stay closed until then:
https://www.facebook.com/inyonf/

"Inyo National Forest Provides Wilderness Permits Virtually, Effective June 1, except Mt. Whitney
...
The exception to this is Mt. Whitney day and overnight permits, which are being cancelled one week in advance of the hiking start day. Please see Inyo County guidance. Mt. Whitney is a high use trail and where rescues and recoveries are common. Whitney Portal Road remains closed at the lower gate.

People who have been awarded a permit reservation for Mt. Whitney on the Inyo National Forest will receive a notice from recreation.gov that notifies them that their reservation has been cancelled and a refund have been issued. There is no action required from you at this time. The credit card used to make the original reservation will be refunded."

I found this picture of the gate on Whitney Portal Road, taken May 16, 2020.

The gate is at the parking lot just past the Hogback Road junction, 3.5 miles from the Mt Whitney Trailhead. Elevation about 6600', so about 1700' vertical elevation below the trailhead. GPS coordinates: 36.5960,-118.2067

Here's a picture I took yesterday from Mt. Gould. You can see (all the way on the left) that the North side of Whitney still has a decent amount of snow, as expected.

The road to Whitney Portal is now open, and people are getting their reserved permits. You have to call the Wilderness Permit office, (keep trying repeatedly until you get through).

LostInMtn posted pictures of the trail here: Whitney Current Conditions/Reopening

Here's one at the worst of the Cables section:

Permit pickup instructions are different for summer 2020.
Look at this Inyo National Forest web page for information:   Permit Pick Up Instructions

Experiences reported in this thread: What on earth is going on with permit pickup?
Here are the main points:
1. Permits are only available through online reservations through Recreation.gov
2. Once you get a reservation, you need to visit the above Inyo N.F. web page, watch the "Leave No Trace" videos.
3. Call the Wilderness Permit Office or the Lone Pine Interagency Visitor Center and talk to a ranger, answer questions, and they will then mail you a permit to print and sign.

Read this post regarding calling in. 55inthefastlane posted that they called repeatedly (over 4 hours), and got through. Unfortunately, Inyo N.F. has limited phone facilities -- one line at each center, so you get a busy signal repeatedly. All you can do is hang up and redial.

Regarding permits: I just called in (760 873 2483) and walked through the process to get my permit issued and emailed, and completed qualification. Very pleasant staff, took about 10 minutes. They did not have an update on trail conditions/accessibility yet in light of earthquake for my date (July 1) but I am prepared at least.

I just called and spoke to somebody at the wilderness office (760) 873-2483 who said she could issue my 7/5 permit right now, but when I pressed her about whether that means the trail will be opened by then, she said she wasn't sure. As of right now, the trail is closed until further notice. I've seen several posts from people excited that their permits are being issued for the Whitney Trail in the upcoming week, but it seems to me that it's premature to celebrate having your permit issued if the trail is closed indefinitely. I'm hoping I'm missing something? Any insightful info? Thank you!

The press release just issued by Forest Service/Sheriff says permits cancelled through July 2; so I won't be going on July 1. I hope it does open up soon! Here is the release: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD757444

The trail is closed until at least July 2nd per Inyo national Forest due to the rockslide.

I just got through to the Interagency Visitors Center & my permit has been emailed to me. Here's what worked... I called 760-876-6200 during regular business hours on a weekday. The employee who answered the phone was very polite and helpful & physically works at the Interagency Visitor Center. He asked me about my hike plans, bear vault, wag bags and reminded me not to try sliding down the mountain as a shortcut (apparently they've had some recent fatalities from people doing this).

He said that if you are trying to get a Whitney Permit, please call the Interagency Visitor Center at 760-876-6222. Note that this is NOT the number I called, so I recommend trying this x6222 number first.

As of 7/2, I was told that microspikes and waterproof boots are a good idea given the current trail conditions. He also mentioned that it has been warm and the snow is melting pretty fast. I asked about ice axes & was told that those are probably not necessary for a typical summit hike up the main trail from Whitney Portal. I was also told that they are not issuing tags for each party member, so the leader is responsible for printing out the emailed permit, signing it and keeping in on them at all times. So there is no need to give copies to other members of the party. Wag bags are reportedly available at the trailhead and also at the Interagency Visitors Center.

Please note... this is from a guy who works at the Interagency Visitor Center, not first hand experience... but I'm using his advice to plan my round trip summit hike via Whitney Portal on 7/11 - 7/13.

Be safe & happy trails!

Jason

Well, what if the party splits up? Leaders should make copies of their signed permit, and give each person in the group a copy!

By the way, it is NOT a good idea for groups to split up, especially if that means leaving a slower member behind. Many emergencies and rescues start out that way.

I received my permit for my July 7th hike yesterday via email. I didn’t have to do anything to receive it, in fact the day prior I almost canceled since everything was telling me the trail was closed, and was presumed damaged from the avalanche. Glad I didn’t cancel.

They just emailed it to you without you having to call in? Also, any word on bear can rentals?

Yeah, I hadn’t contacted anyone at all and received an email from Bishop FS with my permit attached as a pdf and all info needed for the hike. I already have a bear canister so haven’t looked into rentals for those, sorry

We summitted yesterday (6 July 2020) coming up from Guitar Lake and then hiking down the switchbacks to the Portal Store (amazing cheeseburgers and fries again!). On the western side (coming up from Guitar Lake), there is no snow at all on the switchbacks to Trail Crest. On the ridge crest trail to the summit, there were three very short patches of 10-20 feet. One was somewhere in the first mile from Trail Crest to the summit--the snow comes over the path but still leaves more than enough space for you to walk on the trail without touching the snow. It is melting rapidly and likely won't be there long if the weather holds. The other two patches are found as you begin to loop around the summit base, around 1.5 mi from Trail Crest--one is only a few feet, the other is about 20 ft. or so. It was easily passable simply by walking in the footsteps from previous hikers, no microspikes required.

On the switchbacks, it was very similar. Around the 55th switchback (same location as shown in the picture above) coming down from Trail Crest there is a wall of snow, but there is now enough snow-free path to easily hike up/down without any issues.

The entire trail, west up to Trail Crest, to the summit, and back down the switchbacks all the way to the Portal Store is also free of any kind of damage that would obstruct your progress for anybody wondering about any issues relating to earthquake.

Found this picture (from July 7) posted on FB in the High Sierra Trail group, posted by Nate W. It shows a snow patch just before the Whitney summit.

Regarding descending the switchbacks, he reported "The trail here is very icy in many, many places so be extremely careful if you’re in this section while it's still early in the day."

BP posted the following in another thread:

Pictures from Chetan B, July 11, 2020.

The cables



The only snow left, near the summit



Near the summit, looking back at the Needles.



The NEOWISE comment from Trail Camp

Just checking to see if anyone knows if there is still much or any snow on the trail. Many thanks!

The pictures you can see above are the total snow you will find on the trail.

Does the patchy snow photos mean that there's any water streaming/pooling available above Trail Crest?
thanks!

No. Last water is at switchback 25 above Trail Camp, where a tiny stream trickles across the trail. Best to take 3 liters from the inlet to the Trail Camp pond.

I made it up to the top on July 20. Some highlights:

- No snow or ice on the trail (this applies to the Main Trail; there may or may not be some snow and/or ice on the Mountaineer's Route)
- No issues with getting your feet wet at any of the stream crossings despite some recent afternoon rain showers
- There's plenty of water flowing on the lower switchbacks. Last water source is about halfway between Trail Camp and the cables.
- There were a ton of WAG bags on the trail this time. Ugh!
- I saw a ranger at Trail Camp at around 1 PM who picked up the trash and the WAG bags I saw earlier that morning. He didn't ask for my permit but may have checked others.
- Traffic (number of hikers on the trail, number of tents at Outpost and Trail Camps, and number of cars in the parking lot) seems to have returned to normal.
- There are 3-4 boulders on the trail, probably from the earthquake, but they're all very easy to go around. There were no rockslides that day.
- There are plenty of WAG bags available at the trailhead.
- Bugs are present but are barely noticeable. No need for headnets or insect repellent.
- The sky pilots in the higher elevations (over 13,200' ish) are blooming, but those in the lower elevations (~12.5K - 13.2K feet?) seem to have wilted. There are still some nice purple flowers in Trailside Meadow.
- I didn't take Diamox and didn't have any problems with the altitude. For acclimatization, I drove from sea level to Mammoth Lakes (8000') on Friday afternoon (7/17), did a short one-mile hike from 9000' - 9300' on Saturday afternoon (7/18), drove from Mammoth to Whitney Portal Sunday afternoon/evening (7/19), and started hiking the Whitney Trail early Monday morning (7/20) just after midnight. I found that a similar acclimatization schedule has worked for me in the past, but I do get AMS symptoms if I go from sea level to 11000' without spending at least one night at 7000' or higher.
- The summit register is back in its original location. Based on the number of entries in the register and the number of people I saw on the upper portion of the trail, I'd estimate that 30-40 people made it to the top that day.

Approximate weather & sunrise timeline:
4:30 AM: Skies are no longer pitch-black. You can tell that it's slightly brighter in the east than it is in the west.
5:25 AM: No need for headlamps
5:44 AM: Sun appears above the horizon
6 AM - 9 AM: Almost completely clear skies
8:55 AM: First small cloud appears in the west
11:30 AM: Skies in the west are almost completely overcast, can't believe that some people are still heading up even though they're 2 miles from the summit
12:30 - 1 PM: Got rained on at the lower switchbacks. It's more like a drizzle than a downpour.
3 PM: Got rained on again between Mirror Lake and Trailside Meadow, but the rain isn't heavy or long. Heard some thunder in the distance.
4 PM - 5 PM: No rain, but cloudy and breezy
6 PM: Mostly clear skies and calm winds again

I was hiking on that same day. I made it to the summit at 11:30 ish. I didn’t spend much time up there other than pictures and signing the book. On the way back down it started to snow. By the time I hit the switchbacks it was just a light sprinkle. I couldn’t believe how many people were still ascending the switchbacks in attempt to summit with the weather being like it was. When I got back to Trail camp some campers told me the we’re hearing thunder but while hiking I never heard anything. Also we had a bear steal some food from my group while getting ready at the portal @1:30am.

Jim Porter climbed the main trail Sat, Nov 21, 2020. The trail is really dry for this time of year. It will change drastically when the next storm comes.
Microspikes is the most anyone needs just now.

Above Lone Pine Lake


Waterfall at Outpost amp


Trail Camp Pond


At the cables


Near Trail Crest


Near the JMT junction


Hitchcock Lakes


Whitney Crest


Whitney Summit

Here are Anton's pictures from his hike up the Main Trail, approx. Dec 1, 2020.






Lone Pine Lake



Outpost Camp



Trail Camp


Owens Valley, Consultation Lake



Hitchcock Lakes and the Kaweah Peaks & Great Western Divide

Pedro L posted this report on the Mt Whitney FB page. Posted with his permission:

Ebersbacher Ledges



Iceberg Lake



Main Mountaineers Route chute, the notch at the top



The traverse from the notch to the summit



Summit picture

Hi, does anyone know what the current conditions are like on the Mountaineers Route?

Thanks!

Alex, the post just above yours are pictures from the MR. But now some light storminess has moved in, so it will have a bit of snow.

Summited 12/20/2020 via main trail

Cables on switchbacks


Summit

skeleton, Thanks so much for posting the pictures. They will help people who might want to try a winter hike.

Bill D posted this on FB (shared with permission)

Great pics. Thanks for posting!

Anyone been up recently? Webcams are looking good-ish and considering a one day up Russell. Anyone know if lower gate is open?