I have never done a winter hike on Whitney and knowing that there was a storm brewing, I decided to err on the side of safety. I packed some light waterproof snow pants, a couple of extra fleece jackets, extra socks, extra gloves. In short, I had waaaaay too much stuff. Until LPL I was wearing regular light summer hiking pants with thermal tights underneath. On top I had a thermal long sleeve shirt and a light fleece lined windbreaker (with hood). I was plenty warm with that get-up until LPL where I added a light fleece shirt. (I still had two more thicker fleece jackets in my pack). I was using regular ski gloves and my fingers did get a bit chilly at times. However, the worst was when I stopped to eat and had to take my gloves off. My hands got painfully cold within minutes. And the one thing that I left on the table by the front door was my beloved balaklava. So the hood stayed up to keep my ears warm, but my chin and nose were uncomfortably cold from LPL to outpost (where I turned around).
With the late start, I decided that outpost was a good enough hike and turned around after noshing on a frozen snickers bar.
I saw exactly zero humans on the hike. In fact, I didn't see any birds or any type of mammals either. I took my time on the hike and really enjoyed occassionally sitting down to just take in the view with the wind whipping around me. It was really peaceful. I really enjoyed the solitude.
Great job, Tom! Some good decision making and you got to see part of why I like going out in winter so much. Having too much stuff is kinda part of winter hiking, but it just takes time to figure out
which items of which to have too much! For example, I always have at least three pairs of gloves, two of which are "cooking" with chemical hand warmers in my pack during the hike. I also hike up in as few layers as possible, because I sweat like a fiend, then make sure to change into dry clothing as soon as I stop for any amount of time.
Sounds like you had a wonderful day out there exploring! Here's to more winter fun, and more snow!
And as for Gary, he's getting the silent treatment from me right now...
