Mt Whitney Zone Forums Reference Older Trail Conditions - Mt Whitney Trail, 2022

        Out-of-date Mt Whitney Trail Conditions -- 2022

The posts below have been moved from the main Current Conditions thread for trail reports during 2022.
(Posts are moved periodically after they no longer represent current conditions.)

Previous years:
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2021
    Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2020
    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

In case someone is still planning to take a Whitney Trail before the "real winter" comes I attached a few pictures to show current conditions of the trail.

Half way to Lone Pine lake, the trail disappears for 0.3 mile and you need to take one of the snow paths.
Switchbacks are passable and pretty safe until the last stretch before Trail Crest. The easiest way is to climb up and bypass this part.
Trail Crest to Summit, mostly dry, almost entire trail is safe and passable without crampoons, but there are two very short streches which are narrow and icy, so extra caution needed.

Thank you for the information.

Did you do it in one day? We are looking at doing it in march if weather permits, but with the gate near hog back road being having the closed sign up, we are trying to figure out were people are starting for the day hike.

Most likely the conditions will drastically change by March. I don't think it'll be possible to do a day hike or even safe to take this route, if we get heavy snow again.

NVG sent me a PM and has posted some questions. I'm replying here, rather than privately, so others might benefit.

Conditions can change drastically. The snow conditions on the mountain make a huge difference. I've dayhiked Whitney in every month of the year, but I waited for near-perfect conditions in the colder months. If there is fresh snow, I stay home until it consolidates. We haven't had any meaningful snow in a month, so conditions on the mountain are probably as good as they ever get in the winter. The next storms, whenever they arrive, will make it much tougher, if not impossible, for a few days if not weeks.

There are three gates that can be locked, keeping all cars out. They always lock the lowest gate in the spring while they are clearing rocks off the road and getting ready for tourist season. In my experience, that gate has often been open during the winter. They post a "ROAD CLOSED" sign by the gate. Sometimes, they ticket vehicles that drive around, and sometimes they don't. If you drive around and get stuck, or a storm buries your vehicle, you are basically screwed. Depending on conditions, I have had to park below that sign, I have driven partway up, and I have parked near the campground. Read the posts online or post a question about the road just before you go. There is no way to know the status of the road and gates weeks in advance.

Whitney is a non-trivial undertaking under ideal conditions. Many people train and plan for months, take two or three days, and still don't make it, even in the summer when the road is open, there is no snow, and the weather is perfect. On the other hand, RichardP, who posts on WPSMB, dayhiked Whitney every week for 52 weeks. It can be done. Just be aware that cold weather, short days, snow hiding the trail, and a long hike to the trailhead all make it much harder.

My advice is that you need plenty of winter experience, you need to know the route, and you need to be comfortable with thin air to attempt a winter backpacking trip. To dayhike it, you have to think about what you would do if things didn't go perfectly. A minor injury or a frozen water bottle could spoil your whole day. You don't want to be cold, exhausted, and out of food as you stagger through Trail Camp in the dark on the way down.

Good luck. Be safe. Have fun.

Edit: The Mountaineers’ Route requires some technical skills (and maybe a rope) in the winter, but it’s much shorter and quicker than the main trail. Maybe it’s for you, and maybe it isn’t. Choose wisely.

One thing to consider is to bag lesser known peaks in the Whitneyzone -- peaks that you wouldn't necessarily want to waste a permit on during the permit season. Lot of fun things to go after besides Whitney.

Anyone got eyes after or during the weather today? I know it went basically into dusk with very little visibility. Looks like the next few days are going to be real nice, besides the wind tomorrow.

Seems like the eastern range got anywhere from 1-6" based on Northern observations. If anyone has observations for snowfall and wind in the Whitney Zone that would be great. Climbing partner and I were planning to climb Irvine via the E couloir but now have concerns about wind-loading on the southerly aspects of Candlelight's NE ridge, and potential cross-loading of snow into the E couloir of Irvine itself. Hoping that we only got 1-2" and are experiencing a wind more out of the NE/E, else we might have missed an amazing weather window.

Thanks for the info. Also trying to find conditions in the zone for a possible trail attempt on Saturday, but would have to know conditions of the portal road etc. From the cameras it doesn't seem like much stuck up there after yesterday but looks can be deceiving.

Right on, agreed that it looks like possibly just a dusting from the cams. Additionally, weather stations at Crabtree Meadows (https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?stn=CBTC1&unit=0&timetype=LOCAL) and Cottonwood Lakes (https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?stn=CWDC1&unit=0&timetype=LOCAL) suggest that approximately .5-2" or precipitation have accumulated in the last 24 hr. Additionally, Cottonwood Lakes station shows wind mostly out of the N although it was pretty variable yesterday.

Probably best to keep an eye on the wind over the next few days as the snowpack settles. My partner and I have decided to see if it goes on Saturday and may just climb a different peak in the Meysan Basin with a more favorable aspect if we suspect moderate avy risk. I'll make sure to post some conditions on the portal area and Meysan Basin after I get back. Good luck on your attempt.

Thanks for the weather info, been using meteoblue and had decent success so far. As far as the wind, i agree, the window keeps closing. If you look at the picture attached, there were few wind warnings for the week prior to this morning, and they keep popping up now into Saturday. The other place i use called Open Summit (app) isnt calling for so much wind but still a good bit.

Per the crabtree station you sent, almost 40 degrees at that elevation is pretty warm. I think the next few days the area is going to be blasted by sun. Ave risk seems to be showing moderate now, which makes sense after the system that came through yesterday.

[img]https://postimg.cc/hXW4Chzt[/img]

I live close to lake level at Tahoe. We got barely an inch of snow yesterday. Central Sierra Snow Lab at Donner Pass reported 1.3 " of snow. Doubtful that the Whitney area got much more than that.

Not too far from tahoe myself and we got nothing. Whitney has been under a cloud or haze all day. Cameras have been interesting. If anyone is around the portal road tomorrow for a condition report let me know.

I just checked the log of webcam pics from today for Whitney, and it was clear at 7:23, and there was only a dusting of snow. The clouds all day didn't look to be the type that drops any precip.

Yeah the whitneyzone camera right now looks the same as it looked prior to these weather systems. Wish i could get some intel on the portal road, if its got glass on it or not after the weather. The front half seems to get blasted by sun all day though.

Just saw the fire in Bishop. On the cameras yesterday i thought it looked like smoke a few times.

Looks like as of 1143 PST smoke is actually covering the camera facing Whitney.

Great trip report NVG, glad you had a safe trip.

Just to close the loop in this thread as well, here is a general summary of current conditions as of 20FEB22:

Road up to the portal is closed approx. 1.5mi from Whitney trailhead. The road is mostly clear up to that point besides a few instances of rockfall and a patch or two of ice, but it is mostly passable.
Although, we havent gotten too much snow this year and have seen record temps in the state the snowpack is still very much in winter conditions. Additionally, snow conditions are extremely variable ranging from hard wind buffed areas to fluff to straight up Sierra cement.
Commonly trafficked trails in the Whitney basin may have a great boot pack, but other routes may prove challenging for all but the most determined snowshoe cowboys. Factor difficult travel into your itinerary and make sure you have the proper gear and 4-season clothing.

That being said, there should be some more snow on the way over the next two weeks so these conditions are bound to be obsolete soon.

Here are a few pics that show the conditions over in the Meysan Basin are in this album:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fp4P6b1nJUK6aZZt9

Thanks Brett.

As Brett already said, I would definitely be aware of the conditions currently if you are going for Whitney soon. I picked the 19th because the window looked like it was closing, and I swear some came down the night of the 18th because there were not many tracks out in the open, especially from trail camp up. There were a few spots where I was really breaking trail. Now that wasn't the whole trail at all but there is still a good bit of snow up there.

Thanks for the pics Brett, such a beautiful place.

Edit: just looked at the camera....looks like a few clouds hanging over the mountains

Went up Friday 3/18 on the regular trail (not Mountaineer's). Parked near locked gate (actual locked gate, just when the road makes the big right turn onto the main straightaway to the Portal). Camped near Lone Pine Lake Friday night. Microspikes good for most of the way at least to Trail Camp I think. I inadvertently went straight up from Outpost Camp to Consultation Lake . Weather was turning very windy and snowy, so headed back down from there. Water at Mirror Lake and Outpost Camp. I only saw two other parties the whole time.

Here's a video from just a little below Trail Camp.

[video:google]https://photos.app.goo.gl/NXcx3wpNERqtAv628[/video]

Thanks for the post. Looks like the weather was about to get real sketchy up there.

Here are some recent pictures from the North Fork -- provided by Connie Kim. They were taken March 19, 2022.

Whitney Portal


North Fork Lone Pine Creek -- where the Main Trail crosses.



In the North Fork -- Mountaineers Route approach

"Elevatedtv" climbed Mt Whitney via the Main Trail on 4/12/22, spending one night at Outpost Camp.

His trip report is here: Mt Whitney Trail 4/12/2022

Here are some of the pictures:

Main trail half a mile above Whitney Portal



Outpost Camp



Mirror Lake



Looking down at Trail Camp



The Cables Section



The Cables



Approaching Trail Crest



The crest, past Trail Crest



The Summit Hut

Steve, thanks for the pictures. Looking nice up there, but I' am guessing a decent amount of snow has fallen since then at least over this last week.

Do we have any intel on when the gate will be open to the trailhead? I see they were going to open the campgrounds, but then changed it due to not knowing if the road would be done...

Let me rephrase this in case anyone has an answer.

The "middle" gate is what I would be referring to; not the one near the trail head. So we know the gate at the bottom with the sign is open, the one closest to the trail head is not (I think), but what about the middle one that is always closed in the winter?

Looking to possibly head up there later in the week.

Would love to get beta on the access to the portal as well. Heading up this weekend to hit the Meysan Lake trail/Mt. Irvine and hope we don't have to hike up the national scenic trial from Lone Pine Camp.

I called the Inyo County road department, and the best thing I could get was "They're working on it" and it will open "any day now". The phone person took my number and said she would ask the person in charge to call me....

The link to the roads page is at the bottom of the Road Dept page.

Steve, can you also ask about Horseshoe Meadows road.

Last year the road was open to the last gate which is about a third of a mile from the trailhead on April 19th. Less snow this year so I thought it might open around the same time.

paul

I love how the Road Dept page has "News Items" about the 2020 work on the road to South Lake, but nothing for 2021 or 2022.

Thanks Steve. I've been calling the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center, which is supposed to be open on a daily basis, but the phone has been going to voice mail every time.

Steve, I appreciate you doing that and posting the information here. I should be heading down there later this week, so when I can confirm it I will post it here.

If anyone goes before then, let me know.

Thanks for the updates, everyone. I’m headed up to the portal this Thursday morning. I’ll give a report at that time. Going to summit Friday so I’m hoping the upper gate will be open.

As of this evening, April 26, 2022, the Inyo County Roads page shows the Whitney Portal ROAD IS OPEN!

Awesome! Me and my friend are hiking up Thursday and hiking to Consultation Lake and camping then summit on Friday

Thanks for the update Steve as always. Appreciate it.

So we’re camping at Consultation Lake that’s the plan and I was wondering where to store our bear canisters pretty sure there’s no trees up there.
Secondly, does anyone know where to rent ice axes in Lone Pine? I called a couple shops but I know there’s more, and REI none of them rent the axe. It’s for my friend I’ll be bringing crampons and a ice axe.

Just put it 50 feet from your tent where you can see and hear if anything is messing with it (marmots would be more likely than bears at Consultation Lake). Make sure it's not near a place where it could get pushed into water or down a steep cliff.
I sometimes put my cooking pot on top for extra noise.

Bears stay low--at Whitney Portal, where they can steal daypacks from early-morning hikers who set them on a picnic table while they're getting ready to hike. Or they raid the campground areas. Way easier for them to score food there. You only need to keep your food away from mice and marmots.

Call Elevation Sierra Adventure in Lone Pine regarding the ice axe rental: (760) 876-4560

Just to double confirm this, I was just up at the portal.

Bottom gate is open, no road closed sign. Middle gate is open up above that.

The gate all the way at the top on the road not too far from the trailhead is locked, and all campgrounds are locked. About 15 cars up there when I was there.

NVG, thanks for that. The gate you found locked must be the one the Road Dept person referred to as the Forest Service gate.

NVG and I dayhiked the Mountaineers’ Route yesterday. The gate just before the overflow parking was still locked. It’s only a short walk to the trailhead, and there were cars parked WAY down below the gate.

Any updates on current trail conditions? How are the switchbacks, overall snow accumulation on trail, etc? Flying out in 3 weeks from NJ to complete the hike and want to know what to expect as it approaches with an idea of more current conditions

Bring ice axe and crampons. There will be spots you will be glad you have them.

How far can you hike until you need ax and crampons? Just looking to go for a hike and not summit.

Right above Trailside Meadow, which is 1 mile before Trail Camp, is where you’ll need crampons. Section of trail that is pretty dicey. Then you won’t need ice axe and crampons until ascending the chute to Trail Crest. Bring climbing helmet. Hit the chute super early in morning.

I have a video on YouTube showing all these areas in detail. It’s from April 29th so pretty current trail conditions.

https://youtube.com/channel/UC0ePKWygPWyZZtC2yWlpQ8g

If that link doesn’t work look up MtnMike on YouTube.

A buddy and I are attempting the Whitney Trail this weekend. The weather has been kind of bad the last few days from the weather reports, but does anyone have any trail conditions from this week?

Take ice axe and crampons -- At some point you will need them. The only unknown is where.

This is awesome! I wish we could have a post dedicated to each CA 14ers like this showing current trail conditions.

Hi! Planning on hiking Mt Whitney next weekend and was wondering if there were any updates on trail conditions? Thank you!

Here is a picture posted on May 20 of the Cables. I read a report that the chute (west of the switchbacks) was too soft to climb. The person reported they downclimbed the trail, and thought people should at least have microspikes at two places -- at the cables, and I am assuming, the final switchback before Trail Crest.

Here's the picture at the Cables.




The spot farthest in the distance is the worst. same picture, zoomed in.

Will my group need micro/exo spikes for a mid-June summit? Any ice under there?

I was up there on the 17th and the chute was perfectly fine - arguably much safer than the switchbacks as long as you have crampons and an ice axe. You just have to ascend it early in the morning between 4:30 and 9am. I ran into some campers who said that a guy told them that the switchbacks took him the entire day to ascend/descend on the 16th and he started up at 7:30am.

It should be ice free by mid-June. But no guarantees.

Hello! Heading up this Thursday. Would like to take the chute vs. the switchbacks (will overnight at trail camp). Any update on the conditions?

I found this report from a May 27:

"Zero people took the chute. It was full of rocks and I would say it is done for the season without a large snowfall. On the main trail there is maybe 25 feet of total snow to walk thru. We brought microspikes and considered putting them on while descending but with poles and sticking to the rocks it's totally fine."

Here's a picture at the cables on the switchbacks, posted May 29, 2022, by "Fox Adventures" on Facebook:

I went up today (June 3) wearing minimalist trail running shoes with close to a thousand miles of tread wear (had beta from past 3 days so decision was with care).

Went up and down both sides (main trail and jmt to guitar lake, trip report coming). Can confirm that unless there’s a storm, this trail is fully passable without traction. Cables are no problem, a couple 15 foot sections of sun cup snow after trail crest and before the summit boulder field. Also no problem.

Filmed a bunch of the water and snow/ice sections for beta reference for anyone else. Uploading to YouTube now, I’ll edit this post with the link when it’s up (might be tomorrow, I’m on a horseshoe meadow road clinging to 2 bars ????).

See the trip and video report here.

Following up on my beta request, I can confirm that the trail is completely possible without traction as of June 3rd 2022. A few notes:

-- Left trail camp around 5am. The first few hundred vertical feet were sometimes icy from snowmelt the day prior. This was easily passable without traction.
-- The cables have a completely snow free path (about 8 inches wide on average). There is a snowbank to your right (ascending) that requires a good hand hold or pole hold to feel secure. No traction is needed as the foot path is snow free.
-- There is a small snowfield about 750 vertical feet below the summit. There is a very deep and very secure path trodden in, and requires no traction.
-- While at trailcamp, there were a few instances of what sounded like significant rockfall. I wasn't able to spot it, but sounded like it was coming from somewhere near the east face/mountaineers route.

This snowbank, is it on your right (ascending)?

Frank, watching his video, it's on the right, on a switchback or two above the cables section.

Anyone have any intel on the current trail conditions? I was up there last weekend, saw nothing much to report. Someone on here posted the cables had snow and some ice.