Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Late June: Horseshoe Meadows - > Exiting Whitney

This Heavy Snow year will keep backpacking action slow until this July . Head nets and deet Mosquito repellent required at that time ...if you like your self . Or be a very ,very fast runner . If you are not a seasoned Back country veteran then New army pass , old army pass, and crabtree pass will over your heads . Crampons and Ice axe will be mandatory for safety on many High Sierra Pass's this Spring/Summer . This years monumental snow pack will provide Search and Rescue Personnel with a vast amount of Hiker rescues .Snow and ice falls and major sliding into rocks below will be the root cause of very bloody injuries ( I know ,as I have been on several operations in the past ) . Ego , tiredness , over extending , poor planning ,poor gear, poor conditioning ,too much trip for the allotted time, poor decision making ,and over confidence in ones skills can lead to deadly consequences . Consider Cottonwood pass , pct trail , guitar Lake , over to Whitney portal . CP will be the easiest of the 3 pass's . For some who are new and have never been there ...just a week in the Horseshoe Meadows / Cottonwood Lakes Basin hiking all around the amazing scenic area ...would be Fantastic ! Good luck , be careful and take your time hiking safely .I have been hiking and climbing extensively here for over 50 years ..winter to summer. I recently got out of the CT basin after hiking up and down the gate blocked road at the bottom . The very long road sucked ( a mountain Bike would have been great )and the Cottonwood Snow Basin was Amazing ! Cheers ! GST