Wow 10 hours to the summit from the parking lot? I'm trying to summit in one day memorial weekend. I was planning on starting around 4 - 5 am. I'm kind of concern I won't be able to do it now.
The average time to round trip Whitney is around 14 hours plus time on the summit. The actual time varies greatly between persons. Super fit and acclimated trail runners have done it in 4 hours (maybe less, I don't remember exactly). The last time I did it in honor of turning 60 took 24 hours. OK, I'm slow and not aging all that well.
Your permit allows you to leave at midnight if you so desire. You may not sleep all that well due to the anticipation anyway.
