Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports MMWT Whitney Trail Report, 7/5-7/7

We managed to get our trip extended from a day hike on Thursday the 7th to a two night stay starting Tuesday 7/5. We clearly picked a great week, since T-storms pretty much blocked out the middle of each day.

Tuesday it wasn't really much of a problem, even though we had one in our party who was much, much slower than anticipated. We only made it to Lone Pine Lake, but managed to miss the rains. It wasn't all that cold through the night, but it did rain for one short spurt at about 2am.

Wednesday would be a much different story, as the slow pace continued, and got us caught in a nice fat T-storm. It hit right about a mile before Trail Camp, just as you really start heading up the more exposed trail lines above Mirror Lake. We decided that while the clappers and lightning were around, we'd head back towards Outpost Camp and figure things out from there. It rained hard and heavy for a good long while.

Once we got back to Outpost Camp, we decided to set up a shelter for a little while until the heavier rains subsided and we could head back up. When I and another one of our group opened our bags, we found our sleeping bags and clothing soaking wet. With the temps dropping quite a bit from the day before, we knew we'd be in for a really cold, wet night, and we probably wouldn't be up for more climbing the next day if we stayed. We waited out the T-storms for the day, and made our way back down the trail. The other two in our group were able to keep their gear dry, and managed to summit today.

We saw barely any snow up to the point in the trail that we had to turn around, which was about a trail mile before Trail Camp. Only one or two places where one would have to actually walk on snow at all. Past that, I couldn't really tell you much. Check your weather, and make sure you pack a rain cover for your pack if thunderstorms or rain are anywhere in the forecast.

We knew they were coming, and we thought that we had a group that was capable of getting up and on the trail and to our destinations for each day before they hit. But we were slowed, and that changed everything, so it turned out to be poor planning on our part. Don't let it happen to you, it's frustrating to say the least.

Well that's too bad. You can never tell how another person hikes until you hike once with them. I don't like to invite new people to join a planned hike unless I know for sure they are able to make it. But I guess someone has to give them that first chance.

Too bad about your gear getting wet. A trash bag will do the job when the pack is just sitting. If you are carrying the pack in a storm, then you need something that accommodates the straps.