Hey Everyone,
I hiked the peak yesterday. It was my first time. I found it to be one of the most beautiful trails that I've ever hiked, and overall, the most phenomenal experience of the summer. This message board was very helpful in planning my hike, so I hope my report helps with future hikes.
My day started very early. I left Yucaipa (near San Bernardino) at 1:00am. After picking up my permit at night drop box (with a map that I purchased included inside, Thanks Julie) I drove to the trailhead and began my hike at 5:30am. I brought crampons, trekking poles, and MSR mountaineering snowshoes (I was on the fence and didn't think I needed the snowshoes, but I would've kicked myself if not having them prevented me from reaching the summit). I was glad to not be packing a lot of water. I knew that there would be various places for water throughout the hike, so just brought some empty nalgenes and my filter (I had read on an earlier post that you could drink the water in many places without filtering it, which is what I ended up doing).
With my pack loaded up with extra clothes, my gear, and a nice variety of snacks, I put on my headlamp and hit the trail.
With a large and bright moon, I quickly realized that I didn't need my head lamp. I was enthralled to hike the first 1.5 hours or so by moonlight and was delighted to watch the sunrise from such a beautiful and unique location. The towering peaks and ridges that had looked so mystical in the moonlight were illuminated. I gazed up at them in awe and wondered which was Whitney.
The trail heading to Trail Camp was amazing. I've had never seen lakes like those I passed and was glad for the cool temperatures. Before long, I had reached Trail Camp and was ready to make a go at the switchbacks.
I followed some tracks and took a direct route up a snowy slope and eventually ran into a switchback. I could tell that my crampons would be helpful, but wanted to give it a go before I broke them out, b/c one of them had a crack pot fix job that I did the day before and I was doubtful that it would stay on my foot very well. It ended up that I was able to negotiate the switchbacks without them, and reached Trail Crest by 9:30am.
The footing on the switchbacks was definitely a little sketchy. The snow was soft and pasty and the downhill slope of the track meant that I had to be careful to utilize existing tracks and really use the uphill side of my boots.
I had a quick snack and added a shell jacket and gloves and headed for the peak.
The 1.9 miles from Trail Crest to the peak was enjoyable and filled with great views. Most of the trail was clear of snow. There were a few areas with snow and ice, but they were short. Although I didn't like going downhill a couple of times, I could see the peak, so I kept pushing. I was really hitting the wall as I approached the peak, but I knew I was close so I didn't stop. All in all, the stretch of trail seemed a bit longer than I had hoped.
Reaching the peak brought an amazing feeling of accomplishment. It was so amazing to look out over the mountains of lakes. I have been to my share of peaks, but never seen views like I saw from the top. I was also glad that it wasn't very windy. I made the mistake of taking off my shell and gloves in the thrill of the moment and exposing my sweaty clothes to the brisk wind, so before long, I was shivering and had to add a layer and put my gloves back on. It took a while to overcome the chill that I had let sneak in, but I spent about an hour on top, snacked, and chatted with other successful mountain climbers.
I left the peak at 11:30 am. I was happy to be going downhill and scampered back to Trail Crest in much less time than it took me to go up. The few uphills on the way back reminded me how tired my legs were getting.
When I reached the switchbacks again, I wondered if I was going to need my crampons. I started making my way down. The snow didn't seem that much softer than it was on the way up, just a bit more slushy. I was able to negotiate them fairly well without my crampons. I think I was still so happy to be going downhill instead of up that I had some extra spring in my legs and extra twinkle in my toes.
Overall, crampons or micro spikes would definitely make the switchbacks easier to hike, but unless the area gets anymore snow anytime soon, snowshoes are not necessary. I would also say that you could plan to take the crampons or micro spikes off after Trail Crest.
The hike down was pleasant and very enjoyable. I took my time, took a lot of photos, and carried the thrill and fulfillment of my hike to the peak with me the whole way. It wasn't until shortly after Lone Pine Lake that I started to feel like the switchbacking and joint pounding downhill were getting old.
I reached my car at 3:30pm. I put on a fresh t-shirt, traded my boots for my nice furry slippers, and rocked out to a favorite song. It was such a great hike, such excellent weather conditions, and the perfect capstone to a quality season of hiking.
This site is a great resource. After driving 4 hours back home last night, I lacked the ambition to do this write-up, but I regret that my notes on trail conditions and necessary gear weren't available to those making a run at the peak today. I would also like to thank Cindy at the permit office, Julie at the Ranger Station, and everyone that's posted in the past week for their help and advice.
Onward!
Evan
