Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion MR on 9/18

Hello, I'm planning my second Whitney trip, this time up the MR.

I haven't seen many trip reports up MR lately...

My partner and I are planning on heading up early Friday 9/17 to be at the Visitors Center by 2pm in hopes of getting two day permits for Saturday the 18th. We plan on starting early (around 5am or 6am) to head up the MR. I'm not quite sure about my comfort level with the exposure on that little ledge going up the Rockwell Shortcut (just before Elephant Ear) so am looking at doing the south side route up to the E-Ledges. The pictures may have it look worse than it is, so I was thinking about hiking up there a little ways on Friday to check it out. I read you don't need a permit up until LBSL.

I've done a ton of research so far and should have the route pretty well nailed down. I'm breaking it up into 3 sections; 1) Start to the E-Ledges 2) E-Ledges to Chute and 3) Chute to Summit.

Last September we did the main trail, made it up in 6 hours and down in 4. Have done many long day hikes in the past so I'm not worried about physical requirement, food, water, gear, etc. I'm pretty comfortable with all that. My main concern is staying on the best route and not spending every other minute second guessing myself as to which direction we're going.

The plan is to go up the first chute, seems the most popular, then from there up the notch or cut across. I can't tell you how many photo sequences of that I've studied and still get confused. I've lined up different peoples photos to try to get a sense for where they're at in the chute or which chute their in but it's really difficult because the photos can have such different perspectives on them. I'm sure it will all be easier when I'm actually there. I do want to thank everyone though for sharing all of the photos and links of the MR. I think I've read them all and they are tremendously helpful. Especially those that have placed the route lines on the photos, I can't tell you how much easier that is to see the route. I'll be looking at a photo and it says go around "that" rock, and I'm like, "okay, there's 400 rocks in that photo, which one is "that" one I have to laugh because I know I'm over complicating it. Then I'll see a similar photo with a route line on it and I go "ooooohh, THAT rock!"

I'm not planning on any snow, hopefully it'll be good up through this coming weekend.

Any feedback on my plan is appreciated. Just a few general questions. Do you think chances would be good to get 2 walk-in permits for Saturday? Where do people normally refill water going up, or do you just carry enough for the trip up and refill at the switchbacks for Trail Camp on the way down? I recall a recent post from Richard P. regarding the cairns being in pretty good shape marking the trail up, is that still the case and should be used as the best route?

Lastly, anyone else heading up at the same time? Maybe we'll just follow you



Thanks!

Kevin

A follow up question...

Here's a map I have with 3 different tracks people have taken up the MR. One is from trailrunner that I found in Steve C's link on the mapping question, the other two I found on everytrail.com.
MR 1st Section


Anyway, it looks like in the center of the map the routes take a decidedly right turn for awhile (maybe a couple of hundred feet) then turn back to the left all the way to LBSL. I'm guessing that where the tracks make the turn right is where the Foxtail Pine is? And that first section is the first E-Ledge?

That leaves me wondering if these tracks are the North side shortcut or the traditional route up to the FoxTail Pine? Could anyone point out where the "Elephant Ear" would be on this map or the Waterfall where the two trails come back together? That part may be obvious as that may be the two trails marked ON the map But just to double-check.

Thanks!

First, your North Fork map between the North Fork cutoff and Lower Boy Scout Lake:


Get rid of that track that zig zags all over the place. The gps unit was obviously picking up false locations. The two better tracks do in fact cross the creek and use the south side. This time of year the creek will be very low, so that route will be easiest. Staying on the north side, involving the elephant ear, is a little more tricky to follow.

The foxtail pine is exactly where you describe.

The waterfall is right where you climb up to the foxtail pine. It may be dry this late in the year.

> so I was thinking about hiking up there a little ways on Friday to check it out. I read you don't need a permit up until LBSL.

Great idea. A little acclimation hike and familiarize yourself with the part so you can do it while it may still be dark.

> The plan is to go up the first chute, seems the most popular, then from there up the notch or cut across.

Not sure what you mean by the "first chute". Sounds like you're talking about the area below the notch. It is really a single wide area. Most people start at Iceberg Lake and stay to the left of the main gully, and climb. At some point near the top, you may want to cross to the right. But it is all pretty straightforward.

Your chances for walk-in permits is good. You might try calling several times later in the week and snagging a released reservation so you can avoid the 2 PM crush. Also, being there at 11 AM might get you a released permit. Read box 6 of the "wilderness Permit Options" (link above on the left.)

As for water: I just dip and drink -- from the stream and all the lakes. Search for "60000" (Bob R's number of liters consumed, untreated). It might convince you about the water.

And finally, look at the MR links in the first paragraph of the Orientation Notes. There are maps and pictures to help you find the route.

Excellent. Just what I needed to know...

I tried calling the line and continue to do so.

With regards to the 1st chute, I was talking in reference to this photo I had seen where it outlines different ways up.

I'm guessing the common route is up the 1st vertical blue line to the 2nd line coming in from the left. I would guess that 2nd line up is the "last 400" or what looks to be a way right across and under the red rock? Like you said, I'm sure it'll be more obvious when I'm there.



From the videos I've seen on youtube it looks pretty straightforward from Iceberg lake on up.

Thanks a ton!!

Kevin

In the picture above, the point in the lower left area where the blue line comes through the gap, just before it splits up into all those various routes up to the summit plateau, is the notch. The entire blue line from that level all the way up to the summit plateau (usually using the first blue line on the left) is called the Final 400, or the chute.

CaT

Thanks for the clarification. The scale of that photo then is much smaller than I thought, and also corrects the order I had thought of between Notch and Chute. The Chute is IN the Notch

Yikes, just get me on the mountain already!!

Was up there last Tuesday(summit #30)- starting to get ice at some of the upper water spots including my last tank up spot(water fall below East Face Lake). I usually fill up with 2.5 liters here to get me up and back. Note I start on trail with appr .5qt due to the abundance of water down low.

And a hearty congrats Tom on # 30. Richard and Jack have to be looking over their shoulders, thinking, "damn, this kid's at 30 already . . ."