Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Summitted from Whitney Portal on 7-19-11

Our backpack approach from the west side was going very smoothly for 4 days: got over New Army Pass, summitted Langley, and was looking forward to Crabtree Lakes and Guitar Lake. Then things took a turn for the worse. One of my group was crossing Rock Creek with boots in one hand and an ice axe in the other, taking it a little too lightly. I recommended to him to unbuckle his chest and waist belt on his backpack and toss his boots over to me. The latter was a very bad idea as he made a critical throwing error and lost a boot to the river gods. Crampons and Teva sandals just don't cut it, so after scrambling to find a boot at the backcountry ranger station (we actually managed to come up with a women's size 9 running shoe, but too small for the men's 11 boot we needed), we aborted and headed out the PCT and had a nice high, dry camp one night, then camped at Chicken Spring Lake another night, thence down Cottonwood Pass back to Horseshoe Meadow, where we started.

Our one-booted companion was very happy to have us accompany him out, but bummed that his throwing error cost us our west-side attempt. Fortunately, when we got to the Lone Pine ranger station on Monday afternoon, we scored two day-hike permits for Tuesday, and the summit attempt was back on. One-boot drove home, and my other companion and I drove from Lone Pine up to the Portal into a smokey hell. There is at least one forest fire in the southern Sierra and it billowed smoke into the Portal at an astounding rate Monday afternoon. Ash was falling like snow and the particulate matter in the air stung your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Fortunatey, it dissipated by morning and stayed away for most of the next day.

We started out from Whitney Portal at 3 A.M. on Tuesday, July 19th. We had the benefit of being incredibly well acclimated to altitude for having been above 10,000 feet elevation for the previous six days, but we were fatigued from hauling backpacks and hiking as well. We were climbing relatively slowly and steadily; we were not catching many people and were passed by many others. Nevertheless, slow and steady got us there.

My take on the snow: easy crossings with dire consequences for a mishap. Previous hikers have worn deep, narrow, flat-bottomed troughs into the snow, so it's pretty easy to get across them. My companion and I carried ice axes and although they were probably not necessary, they were quite a comfort (provided you know how to use them). Self belaying (helping yourself not slip and fall) and the ability to self arrest (using the pick to arrest a slide in case of a fall) made the ice axe a most valuable tool. As far as I know, everbody who wanted to, crossed the snow patches on the trail and nobody slid to death or injury, but the possibility is there. The most intimidating snow patch is probably the last one you cross on your way up to Trail Crest at the top of the switchbacks. It's long and the runout is steep. My companion, who never walked on snow before this trip, made it fine and without a lot of trepidation, but she had the benefit of self-belay and the possibility of self arrest in case of a fall. To quote her, the ice axe gave here a "warm fuzzy feeling". My opinion is that crampons would be overkill. Treking poles would help stabilize you and prevent a fall, but would be of no use in case of a fall.

From trail crest, it was a matter of perservering the thin air, long hike, and wind blasting us. I was dressed fine for the wind chill (long underwear, gaitors, shorts, long-sleeve light capilene shirt, long-sleeved nylon shirt, gore-tex jacket, wind-proof neck gaitor, fleece hat, and I had a nano-puff jacket which I wore for the first 20 minutes of our descent). My companion had similar garb except no gaitors and no long underwear. Saw some people summiting in shorts with bare knees. Made me chilly just to look!! There is a snow patch just before the last summit push, but like all the others it is well worn and primarily a deep, flat-bottomed trough to walk in. By the time we summitted (1 P.M.), haze had begun to besmudge the view to the south and west; things were still pretty clear to the NW and north.

We pushed it going down trying to make Bishop by 9 P.M. before Wilson's closes to return our rented gear, but missed it by 30 minutes. We were back to the Portal by 7:40 and on the road by 8 P.M. The "run" down from the summit took it's toll. I slipped and nearly fell at one point and strained a pelvic muscle preventing the fall. Lone Pine was filled with smoke when we got there. It was horrible!! As we drove north toward Bishop, we finally left the smoke behind (don't recall exactly where). Slept at the Roadway in in Bishop (incredible nights sleep!!) and returned the gear in the A.M. All in all a great long day!!

I really appreciate these reports, especially since I will be there in two weeks. (and... congratulations!)

There seems to be a huge disparity in description amongst trip reports. I don't mean to be argumentative, but is this just perspective?

This one from 7/17, two days earlier:

"On Sunday we woke up at 4 am, started climbing at 4:49 am, and I got to the summit at 11:25 am. There was a little bit of snow along a few sections of the route, which slowed down the hiking some, but not much. The snow was well packed by footprints, so we never sank in or got our hiking boots wet."
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/16571/Trip_Report_one_day_7_17_11#Post16571

sounds so different, almost like the snow was totally incidental

It is all in the personal perception Harvey.Like two people looking at the same clouds. Each person sees a different image.
Bummer about the boot throw.I can't imagine hobbling down the trail with only one boot on.Thanks for the report.

Thanks, Rod.

I am honestly just trying to communicate to my group about what to expect. This year is different, condition-wise, plus... two of our group are newbies. Being here in VA with 98 F and 80% humidity, well, it is impossible for them to imagine the glorious Sierra.

Agreed on all counts. The loss of the boot was a bummer, but stepping up and accompanying my friend back to the trailhead safely was reward enough. He wasn't hiking in bare feet though. He had one boot and a Teva sandal with a foot bed from my water shoe duct taped to it for arch support and heel cushioning. He did quite well on it, but the potential for a Teva blow out or a turned ankle were high, so neither he nor we felt good about him walking out on his own (although he likely would have made it just fine).

As for the differing perceptions, I tend to give walking in the mountains a lot of respect. I don't dwell on potential danger, but I don't ignore it either. I'd rather carry the extra weight of an ice axe than face the prospect of not being able to arrest myself if I made a dumb mistake and slipped off trail and started sliding down the snow. I've seen my share of dumb mistakes, the errant toss of the boot across rock creek being the most recent, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. If a lighter load means more to you than carrying an ice axe, you'll most likely be fine without one. It's a matter of personal comfort level I guess.

Thanks to all for the congratulations. It's the first time I've ever gained the summit on a day hike (soemthing I swore I would never attempt), so there is a feeling of accomplishment.

Harvey I met Gary and Joe at the portal this afternoon. They just came down fron Consultation Lake today.They all, Gary,his wife Barb,daughter Bri and Joe made it past Trail Crest and Joe summited yesterday.The only sketchy section according to Gary was at the end of the 97 switcbacks. There is a patch of snow there that goes up to Trail Crest with the bowl(snow slope) on the right still fully covered in snow.When the mid morning to early afternoon sun soften that patch of snow it is easily negotiable.Gary was told by someone I believe a Ranger that when it gets late afternoon that patch of snow hardens and it is very slippery and very steep making it quite hairy cuz of the snow in the bowl and the steepness of that section.Other than that the trail is clear and normal.So you have to time passing the section at the end of the swithbacks both on the ascent and descent so that the snow is soft and not refrozen.Hope that helps.

Rod, I really appreciate the description.

Two of our crew started the drive from VA and report no snow in Ohio. Rest of us fly out later. My trip #20 but this is very helpful for some of the others. You will appreciate this.... I get another hyaluronic acid knee inj next week. Thanks again. Harvey

hyaluronic acid knee inj
Very alternative medicine and Chiropractic approved treatment. Sure beats cortizone and its side affects. Good choice Harvey.Seems to be very mainstream treatment by orthos nowdays.