Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Day hike MWT starting times

I’m sure the internet has something to do with this. Pretty much everywhere you look, you hear that a predawn start is an absolute must. It’s drilled into people’s heads to the point that they believe a late start means certain death from a thunderstorm or other unforetold event. One of my favorite arguments in favor of an alpine start? You avoid hiking in the dark after the sun goes down (like it’s not dark before the sun comes up).

This is different from the past, where word of mouth and maybe a few publications were the only ways this sort of thing could get around. These were easier to avoid or otherwise pass up, which left people more on their own to make their own decisions. Not a problem for late starters like myself, as we end up often having the summit to ourselves these days.