Mt Whitney Webcam
Mt Williamson Webcam
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 155 guests, and 16 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
#5488 06/25/10 10:10 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3
D
OP Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3
I've gotten a lot from reading all the posts here, so I think it's only fair to share some up-to-date info as I completed Whitney yesterday.

After hearing so much about the importance of acclimating, I arrived and stayed in Lone Pine Monday night. Tuesday morning at 6am I drove up to the Portal and checked in to two of the first-come, first-serve campsites since we had a total party of 10 arriving that afternoon. Even at that elevation, I could feel the altitude. At about 10am, I did an acclimation hike up the trail to Lone Pine Lake (10,000'). I highly recommend doing that, as you don't need a permit until after the lake.

I then drove down and picked up my rental crampons from Elevation and met up with my friends as they had just arrived to town. We did some more shopping, then headed back up the mountain and set up camp.

We walked up the trail for 30-min in one direction, then turned back to make sure we could get back at the Whitney Portal store by 7pm, the time they stop taking orders for burgers. It was another good acclimation hike. After that, we met up with the others, sat by the campfire and then hit the sack.

Although we had ten people, there were essentially three groups: Three wanted to do single-day, three wanted to do two-day (me), and four wanted to go as far as they could (perhaps to Trail Camp) with no plan of summiting.

Since I was in the 2-day group, we didn't have to get up too early. First day plan was only to reach Trail Camp, six miles in. We left sometime after 8am. My pack weighed 37lbs, including water. We took our time, stopping for lots of photos on the way. As we ascended two of our party of ten were coming down due to altitude sickness. They had left at 4am. One of them actually was sick at Lone Pine Lake (10,000') and the other had made it to ~11,000' and was throwing up. Too bad for them to have it kick in so fast. They had arrived the latest in the evening and in my view didn't have sufficient time to acclimate.

Going to Trail Camp, there are several places you will need to walk in the snow. Just follow the other footsteps and you'll be fine. No need for crampons all the way to Trail Camp, although you definitely want to have hiking poles as they keep you balanced on the slippery surfaces.

We camped at Trail Camp, another perfect place to do some acclimating. Make sure to have your food secured in the bear canister to protect from the ground animals running around trying to steal people's food. Do NOT leave any food in a bag or they will eat right through it.

At this point, do an inventory check to make sure you have plenty of food and warm clothes to last. We had to "save" a couple of dayhikers that summited way too late (~4:30pm), took hours to just get down the chute and then it was basically dark. Between the different campers, they had to be given water, food and clothes, plus ultimately share the tents of other campers. The story could have turned out much worse.

The next morning, we got up at 5am with a target leave time of 6am, which we missed by 15-20 minutes. By then the sun was already heating the air, not what we expected. We were prepared for freezing cold, but it was the opposite. We started the walk to the chute.

The bottom line is right now you definitely need crampons and ice axe. The switchbacks from there up to Trail Crest are still impassable, however getting better. We met someone that actually was able to do them, however everyone else we talked to didn't. The only way up is the ice chute, to the right of the switchbacks. You DEFINITELY need to have some skills to get up and down. Going up is very difficult and plan to spend at 1.5-2 hrs to get up. No room for mistakes here. Very serious stuff. Same is true coming down. Make sure you get trained on the proper way to use your ice axe BEFORE going down or you'll become a statistic. After reaching Trail Crest, you will not need the crampons/ice axe anymore, however keep your gators on as you will pass a couple more snowy areas and you don't want your pants getting wet.

At the top of the chute we "recovered", packed our axes and crampons and moved on. A beautiful view on the other side, but altitude was definitely kicking in. At this point expect to be walking slow. The air is thin. If you speed up even slightly you will start gasping for air. Find a rhythm that works for you. I was walking to the "ABCs". Don't walk fast, then stop. Simply keep going with a slow pace.

Although the books say it's 1.9 miles to the summit from there, it seems like it takes an eternity and definitely seems much further than that. Again, take your time. Enjoy the scenery along the way, anything to take your mind off the thinning air. After a walk along a long snow field, we turned up to the right and out of the snow. At that point, the trail wasn't too steep. We walked another 20-min and then there was the shack!

Upon summiting, we signed the log book, hung out and got some awesome pics. My friend had brought his ukulele, so there he stood at the peak playing it. It was awesome!

From there, we headed down. It seemed so easy in comparison. It was now time to go down the chute. This is where it became interesting for me. My friends and I spent quite a bit of time reviewing how to glissade down, which is basically sliding down on your butt, while using the handle of the ice axe to slow you down. Although my friends picked up the skill quickly, I was having a hard time with it and was petrified the whole way down. This can be very, very dangerous if you're not prepared. You can pick up speed so fast that you lose control and eventually fly out in to the rocks (as has happened before). I cannot stress enough how dangerous this portion is.

After I got through that, going down was basically the reverse of going up, but without stopping for all the pictures. Definitely a lot easier on the way down, but with a sore body!

We wrapped up the day with burgers at the Mt Whitney Restaurant in Lone Pine. We were so happy to have all come back safely.

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
DS-Hiker #5489 06/25/10 10:43 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
S
Offline
S
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
Excellent report! Glad you made it. Too bad for the day hikers getting sick so early.

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
DS-Hiker #5517 06/27/10 09:53 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
G
Offline
G
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
thank you for the trip report. We are bringing our big dog with us on july 3rd and hopefully, the conditions will have improved for us to make it to trail camp at most. Hopefully we won't have any acclimatisation problems (especially the dog) like your group did.

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
gerard #5518 06/27/10 10:20 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
S
Offline
S
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,505
Likes: 103
Welcome, Gerard. Have fun with that big dog. It will probably do just fine to Trail Camp.

Hope you will post a trip report.

...say, does the Forest Service require wag bags for the dog?

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
gerard #5529 06/28/10 08:57 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,253
W
Offline
W
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,253
There is a sign at Trail Crest, which states no dogs are allowed in SEKI. It's a very nice engraved anodized aluminum sign.

Last edited by wbtravis; 06/28/10 08:57 AM.
Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
wbtravis #5535 06/28/10 10:19 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
G
Offline
G
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
thank you all. Yes, dogs are not allowed at SEKI, except in a few campgrounds only. In fact, dogs are only allowed till trail crest at whitney. That's ok, I know we won't even make it all the way there for this trip. I'm sure they require those bags for dogs and we will be bringing them.

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
DS-Hiker #5538 06/28/10 10:41 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
CaT Offline
Offline
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 695
Great trip report. Glad everyone in all groups got back down safely. My own experience with the 2 miles between Trail Crest and the summit is that it seems like it takes forever on the return trip primarily during that last half-mile of uphill between the JMT junction back up to Trail Crest.

CaT


If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
CaT #5566 06/28/10 05:09 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1
F
Offline
F
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1
Great report. I am going up to Whitney July 6,7,8. We have an overnight permit for 6th and 7th. I am thinking we may want to go up a day early and acclimate before the real deal. I have done the trip 3x before without acclimating...just straight to Trail Camp on day 1 then the summit...I was about 20+ yrs younger then and I found that being in good cardio shape seemed to help on the AMS.

I plan on renting crampons and ice axes in Lone Pine at Lone Pine Sporting Goods. Called them today and they had both available but the guy told me to check back on Sunday before we arrive to see what he has.

I have never gone up the chute but will probably give that a try this trip. As for coming down, I have heard various cautions on glissading. Some say don't even try while others say no problem, just be careful. I definitely don't want to become a statistic.

Food & varmints: I was actually robbed of some food on a previous trip by a marmot. This was pre-bear cannister days. On that trip, I was lucky enough to get the camp spot under the giant boulder. On this trip, if I store the cannister outside the tent and zip the packs in the tent, do you think that will suffice? (no food in the packs of course). I really don't want those buggers chewing up my pack or tent.

Re: Trip Report 6-23 to 6-24
Frank G #5608 06/29/10 06:07 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3
D
OP Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3
Frank, by the 6th or 7th, the switchbacks may be more accessible. Keep checking in at whitneyzone to see what others are reporting. I'm glad I acclimated, simply because I'm not sure what the effect would have been if I didn't. It seems that all the experts recommend it and claim it makes a big difference. If you have the time, definitely plan on it!

Regarding glissading, it depends on the conditions of the ice. If it's cold and the ice is frozen, you will slide very easily and therefore your speed arresting skills (ie, ice axe) will be required. If it's slushy, the snow will bunch up underneath you and keep you slow. Make sure to have some waterproof pants to make sure you don't get wet.

The varmints are not scared of people. I heard others talking that they were coming up right next to them and stealing stuff right in front of them. We left our packs out (without any food) with no problem, but I was told of a case of a pack that had a tiny piece of food in it, the varmints smelled it and ate through the pack. So long as your food doesn't cross-contaminate and smell up your pack, you should be ok leaving it out or in the tent.

Good luck!


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4
(Release build 20200307)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.4.33 Page Time: 0.022s Queries: 32 (0.018s) Memory: 0.6192 MB (Peak: 0.7055 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-28 17:24:25 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS