Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Winter Hiking Recommendations?

My first post on the Zone, and a big thanks to Steve and the gang for providing a second quality forum for those who have a fixation on Whitney and environs. For the record Samantha; one Whitney attempt, zero summits, and over 100 posts on WPSMB - guess I'm posting way out of the parameters you envision, but I prefer to think of these boards as what they declare themselves to be: forums for Whitney enthusiasts. Although I'm a long, long distance away from the Sierra, I'm pretty enthusiastic about it, and get out that way as often as I can. Hope that's good enough.

Back on topic - I've made a habit over the past few years of spending a week or so camping and hiking in Death Valley during late February or very early March. I can't say I've exhausted my trip options in DV, but it is getting a bit monotonous. I was wondering what recommendations any of you might have for hiking options that time of year in the vicinity. Let me make clear that I am NOT an ice/snow kinda guy, which is why I have such limited options for travel each winter. The Inyos have crossed my mind, and I received a couple of suggestions for them on the WPS, but I thought I'd post here to see what the local experts of eastern California have to offer. I did Joshua Tree one winter, but got nailed with a 100-year snow ('04). Any thoughts would be appreciated.

By late February/early March spring is often well underway. Have you done a couple of the obvious ones, like Wildrose and Corkscrew? Finding the right canyon to begin the actual climb of Corkscrew is a bit tricky, but after that there's usually a defined treadway to the top.

A bit closer to my home, there are some local hikes like Jenkins, Boulder, Deer/Chukar and even Owens - all in the southern Sierra - which are usually snow-free by that time.

Another interesting hike in the Panamints is Surprise Canyon. It's a 4K' hike up to Panamint City, an old mining camp. The lower part is a bit tricky as the brush is very thick, but get an early start and take your time. Lots of wildlife in that canyon, and you can overnight in one of the old cabins as well.

If you don't mind driving a few hours, you could also see some places farther north, like Mono Lake and Bodie.

Kevin, I have done Wildrose a couple of times, as well as Telescope Peak (summer). The last time I tried Wildrose in the winter (2008), it was a sheet of ice from the kilns upward. Corkscrew has never been on my radar. I generally use Digonnet's 3-pound guide to select hikes, but I don't recall Corkscrew being mentioned. I'll take a look this evening when I get home. Same for Surprise - sounds familiar, but I haven't done it. Is it in the northern part of the park? I typically camp at Texas Spring, but I'll drive any distance for a good hike.

On that subject Steve, distance is absolutely no object. I don't make this 5500-mile round-trip each year - or a couple of times, counting Whitney in the summer - to let a few miles stand between me and that great hike. This past August, while acclimating for Whitney and staying in Lone Pine, I shot up to Yosemite early one morning just to hike Mono Pass. As I recall, that was about 110 miles each way.

I should mention that the problems I've run into in DV are the 4WD/HC access roads. Lotta good hikes still in the park for me - I just can't get there cuz I'm always in a rental. Last year I got the Caddy I was driving (free upgrade - bad idea for DV) stuck on the Grotto Canyon road. That was fun. Wasted about 2 hours of valuable winter daylight rocking that SOB free.

So yeah, anything I can get to in a 2WD rental, I'll go for. Distance isn't an issue. 'Preciate it!

For Corkscrew you park beside the paved highway on the way to Beaty. Surprise Canyon is in the Panamints, just north of Ballarat. It's good gravel road, if sometimes a bit wash-boardy. All quite doable with a 2wd rental.

Bodie's a great place to explore, but I don't know if you can get in there during the winter. It's a good road, but not plowed.

Yes, Corkscrew Peak is a good idea. The hike to Pyramid Peak is also nice and you park along a paved road at the starting point. Other nice hikes that don't require a high clearance vehicle to get to the starting point include: Tucki Mountain, Fall Canyon, Death Valley Buttes, Towne Peak, and Pahrump Point. Some California Desert hikes (not all in DV though):

http://kathywing.smugmug.com/California-Hiking-Scrambling/California-Desert-Hikes-and

Kevin, exactly the type of information I was hoping to get with this post. I've not driven down the Panamint Valley Road since the map I've used the past few years (Trails Illustrated) shows the two main access roads to the west side of the Panamints as high clearance (to Ballarat and to Warm Sulpher Springs). Ditto for going any further south than Wildrose Campground on the Emigrant Canyon Road due to a stretch of about 2 miles listed as HC. Are all three of these drivable in a typical rental sedan?

Kathy, very nice albums - thanks! A few of those are very familiar - Fall Canyon, Marble Canyon, Telescope Peak, even Joshua Tree. I particularly liked the shots for Mount Inyo. I spent a week in Lone Pine a few months ago, hiking Whitney and several of the Cottonwood trails, and was really struck by the Inyos. I'd definitely like to explore this range, but suppose my timing in late February may be a bit iffy for icy conditions. It appears the Mount Inyo hike would be a good workout and worthwhile even if I were to hit snow/ice and had to turn around before the summit (Georgia boys + ice = trouble). Any idea where the snowline might be that time of year in the Inyos?

The gravel road from the state hwy leading to Ballarat is in good shape, as well as north from Ballarat to Surprise Canyon. The trailhead is known as the Chris Wicht Camp, although the camp itself burned a couple of years ago. It's an easy drive with a rental. As far as going south of Ballarat - it's fine for the first few miles, at least to the Brigg mine, which was reopened a couple of years ago. Much beyond that and you'll need a 4x4 - it leads to Goler Wash (where they just discovered the remains of some missing German tourists from 1996) and also the cabin where Charlie Manson and his followers were holed up.

A good source book is Andy Zdon's "Desert Summits".

Also - have you considered getting some traction for your feet? Something like Kahtoola's Microspikes work great on everything from sneakers to plastic mountaineering boots. The spikes are small (hence their name) and don't weigh too much. That way if you work your way up high and find some snow/ice in a shaded area you'll be less likely to fall on your kiester.

The Bodie road works a lot like the Whitney Portal Road. It is marked closed most of the winter at a gate a few hundred yards from the turnoff from 395. There is a 30' wide area to pull around the gate. If there is a Caltrans truck blocking the pull-around, they are actually working on the road.

There is also a dirt road (Cottonwood Canyon) that approaches Bodie from the south from the road across the north side of Mono Lake. Last April when Caltrans was working on the paved road I drove the Cottonwood Canyon road, also closed as far as the hill above Bodie. The last stretch was a rutted hill covered with slush and mud so I walked the last bit.

If you approach the paved road gate you find this sign:



Dale B. Dalrymple

For Inyo, with 2WD you'll start a little lower than we did and that will make it a slightly longer hike. It's really hard to tell how much snow you'll run into and at what elevation. Most forecasters are predicting a wet winter for the southern part of California (the farmers are smiling at those predictions). You'll just have to wait and see on Inyo regarding how far up you'll be able to get without running into snow/ice.

Here are good directions to Inyo's starting point:

http://www.climber.org/DrivingDirections/InyoNelson.html

Thanks for posting that link, Kathy. I'd downloaded those waypoints a few years ago, but misplaced the web links.

Kevin, Kathy, Dale, Bob - thanks for all the great info. I've definitely got some things to research and mull over, and that was the point of my post. Just knowing that the Panamint Valley hikes are accessible in a 2WD opens my options up quite nicely. I can't believe I've avoided them for years due to trusting a stupid map.

Corkscrew Peak and Surprise Canyon sound like great day trips in the park. Surprise Canyon seems a lot like the Keane Wonder Mine / Chloride City hike I did two years ago, and I really enjoyed that.

The Inyos are on my radar as well if not too icy. Kevin, I'll get a pair of micros and bring them JIC. We'll see what happens - damn sure nowhere around here to test them out. I also appreciate the Desert Summits reference. Moosie recommended the same book on my similar post on the WPS - I'll certainly pick it up.

Thanks again to everyone for responding. Any other thoughts will be appreciated as well.

Bulldog34 - We did Corkscrew in March. It was a clear day and views from the summit were stunning. The route description in Zdon's book is the same as the one used by the Sierra Club Desert Peaks section. That route is not the most straight forward way. No guidebook describes the standard route. Let me know if you are going to Corkscrew. I can give you GPS coordinates.

Another book I've found useful is from the "Afoot & Afield" series - "Afoot & Afield - Las Vegas and Southern Nevada", by Brian Beffort. Occasionally has info which Zdon's book doesn't.