Permit date: July 8-9, 2017 Temperature throughout hike: High of 70s, low of 50s Starting pack weight: 45 lbs Campsite: Trail Camp Time of departure from Whitney Portal: 4:05am Time of arrival to Trail Camp: 11:20am Time of departure from Trail Camp: 4:35am Time of arrival to Trail Crest via the chute: 7:50am Time of arrival to the summit: 11:10am Time when arrived back to Trail Camp to pack up: 3pm Time of departure from Trail Camp to Whitney Portal: 4pm Time of arrival to Whitney Portal: 8:50pm
We started off at Whitney Portal (where we camped the night before) at about 4am. The first part of the hike just includes a whole lot of switchbacks. There are maybe about 8 river/water crossings, but the second one is the hardest (maybe about 1/3 of a mile from Whitney Portal). The water is freezing, you will get wet, and the current can be a bit strong. Use your trekking poles!
Side note: I've always just walked into the water with my boots and socks on, and have never gotten a blister from wet feet. This is my 5th 20+ mile hike with wet shoes/socks and I've never gotten blisters, it'll just feel cold and a little squishy for a bit.
The majority of the hike is pretty straight forward. Clearly marked signs. The incline was pretty gradual. Many parts are quite rocky, so make sure you have good hiking shoes on (preferable with ankle support). Right before you reach Trail Camp, you will need to cross a few snow fields. We were totally find with just our trekking poles and boots (no crampons or micro-spikes needed here).
Trail Camp isn't as bad as what everyone says. We were there on a weekend, and we weren't really bothered with the noise. We found two great campsites right next to each other for our group. Sadly it is true that there were wag bags left everywhere, so it did smell a little in certain places. But there's a great water source there!
We decided to climb up the chute the next morning instead of taking the switchbacks because most of the lower part of the switchbacks were still covered in snow. So you had to climb up part of the chute anyway. Plus, it took some people about 6-7 hours to get up on the chute.. no thanks! However, if you decide to go up the chute, ice axes and crampons are a MUST. You can easily rent them in town for pretty cheap, but you MUST HAVE THEM. I also recommend to start as early as you can - like 2am or 3am because the later you wait, the slushier the snow will get from the warmth and it will be much more difficult going up the steep parts (max incline of 39 degrees).
Once you get to the top of the chute, it's the most amazing feeling ever. That was probably the hardest part of the hike! But it ain't over yet! It's another 1.9 miles to the summit, and it's probably the hardest/longest 1.9 miles of my life. The trail just kept going and we were definitely feeling the altitude here. We barely spent 10 minutes up top and had to descend immediately because it was starting to sleet and we just felt sick.
We also took the chute down, which was super scary, but also really exciting and fun. It only took us maybe 20 minutes to get down? Seriously, make sure you know how to glissade down with an ice axe.
Helpful tips: - Arrive a day early and DRIVE to Horseshoe Meadows (about 30 miles/~1 hour drive from Whitney Portal) to acclimate. The elevation there is 10,000'. You can hike around there too. - Bring mosquito spray! They were everywhere and you cannot escape them. - Bring a rain jacket/outer shell. The weather truly is unpredictable up in the mountains. - When setting up camp, if you decide to leave your belongings on summit day, make sure you leave your tent opened! Marmots and chipmunks will chew through anything if they smell food. However, if you leave your tent unzipped, they will just come in, sniff around, realize that there's nothing there for them and will leave your stuff alone. - Bring an extra WAG bag or two - yes, you will need to pack your poop out. Or just take Imodium! - Make sure you hydrate and eat constantly! Bring ibuprofen. Energy/caffeine chews or Bloks were super helpful.
