Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Video: Crossing North Fork Lone Pine Creek

This was uploaded to YouTube June 17, 2011:

Not surprising from what I saw last week Steve. That can ruin a trip. Imagine first timers heading up at night and not expecting that. Uuggghhh, nothing worse than wet boots when it's cold.

By the way, that is the worst stream crossing of the entire Whitney trail. It can be avoided by taking the old trail that starts a little ways beyond the Portal Store. No markers, best found in day light. It hits the main trail just past that stream crossing.

Here's the map, the old trail is the red line.

Well finally something shown about the Whitney Trail these past several weeks that I have years of experience at...creek crossing. Never used crampons or an ice axe but creek crossing, ta-da!

A little off topic...sort of. My absolute favourite creek-crossing picture:



Tamarack Creek in Yosemite


second favourite:



BlueJay Creek in Yosemite


not sure that our Common Sense-O-Meter was turned on...

Great pictures Bee. I could have done the second one, but that first one, I would have sat my a** down and very slowly scooch across. AWESOME.

Hmmm. More than a bit dicey on the first one. Also, I can't tell, but when doing stuff like this (and snow bridges) be sure to unbuckle your waist belt -- one less thing to worry about if you go in. Also, what I don't really like about either of these log crossings is the run out. The ideal is to go into still water if something goes wrong, not a waterfall or cascade or rapids.

Obviously anyone can do whatever they want, but think long and hard about this kind of thing and what Plan II is if you go in.

g.

I did NOT do that first crossing...nope...not gonna do it...could not pay me..!!!! (Old Dude & Billy Goat do things that I just take pictures of)

The second creek -- BlueJay -- takes a bend just beyond the picture and pauses at about a two foot pool (otherwise, I would not have touched that log)

In both pictures, the hikers have unhooked the waistbelt and removed the straps from the hiking poles.

The high water is part of the reason that I am sitting out most of the areas that we would normally hit by now; when I start wishing -- mid log -- that I was at work, then I know I have made a bad choice.

B

No, I don't think it was turned on at all Bee! I would have done the second one but not the first one. Common sense would have turned me around. I have a feeling you won't let me live that down!!

You strip down and do push up's! Common sense again! I see it on TV all the time.

Obviously anyone can do whatever they want, but think long and hard about this kind of thing and what Plan II is if you go in.

g. [/quote]

Here's a video from the PCT last July up in Washington. Others at that spot walked across the log.

Darren (Steps) Crossing the Suiattle River log.