Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2012 (Out-of-Date)

Richard P posted this picture on wpsmb of the cables, taken Friday, May 25:



People are making it through this section in trail running shoes and no equipment. But it looks pretty hairy to me!

Will dafoe, myself, and our friend will be up there this week! Tuesday through Thursday! Thanks everyone for the information!

Steve,

To me, it looks stupid.

Let's see if I got this right...you are going to go on the outside of the cables to get by after hiking about 7.5 miles, + just short of 4,000', then you are going to do it again after hiking 14-miles with a case of AMS with an alien trying to crawl out of your right eye, in the afternoon shade when ice is firming up.

Give me a pair of clampons, an ice pick and show me where the chute is...please!

I certainly wouldn't go on the outside of the cables without a some sort of safety device, but it would seem like a very simple harness (a line tied to your belt or around your waist) with a carabiner to slap on to the top cable would take a lot of the risk out of traversing along the outside of the cables.

hey everyone. calm down about the cables.

i reached the top yesterday 5/28/12. went up the chute but came down the switchbacks. the chute is pretty hairy looking but that is the only difficult spot of the switchbacks. it's a lot less hairier than it looks though.

yesterday was very busy. alot of people with very different levels of skill were going up and through these cables. i personally used my cramp ons and axe (that is not snow on the cables. it is solid ice)to get through the cables because i was so tired from going up the chute and summitting and i'm accident prone so i didn't want to chance it. but like i said, alot of people with very different levels of skills were making it through this. it CAN be done if you're very careful and are not scared of heights. i would suggest to use at the very least micro spikes and trekking poles to traverse through this. however, some folks were doing it without any gear!

btw, if anyone is still looking to go up the chute you'll have maybe a few more weeks before it's a pain to do so. it was so icy at it was and most people's foot prints are almost gone.

trail crest is excellent right now. no gear necessary. everything between whitney portal and the switchbacks is completely bare. every one is good to go without heavy gear. i do suggest bringing micro spikes for anyone going the next two weeks. just to be on the safe side with those cables on the switchbacks.

I'd second what Fran said.

We ascended via Guitar Lake (thru-hiking the HST, so only had trekking poles and Kahtoola microspikes) and came down the MMWT yesterday.

The cabled section is dicey, yes, but with a lot of caution, it is passable, even without gear. Of course that is not the safest way, and I wouldn't recommend it, but plenty of people are definitely doing it.

No kidding, the switchbacks are not the safest way when they are in the condition of Richard P's picture.

The people here who offer advice predicate it on what is the safest way to travel up and down this mountain. I've been playing the winter in to varying degrees since 1998, seriously since about 2005. I know what is safe and what isn't. Personally, I would not to across the outside of the cables, with or without gear. It's not worth the risk, as far as I'm concerned.

As I've said here before, 99% of the time people will not have problems on the ice/slush in the chute either up or down. However, when there is a mistake, the chances are it will be catastrophic because they do not know how to arrest, belay or recognize dangerous conditions.

Went up the MR, and down the MT yesterday for anyone interested in conditions on either.

MR: Entirely free of snow until the chute. You can take the standard route at the beginning crossing the creeks or the Elephant's Ear. We saw some people taking the right side of the chute with axe and pons. You can take the left side that leads to the East Buttress then cross over to avoid the snow. There is snow at the Notch/beginning of the Final 400.

MT: The switchbacks are almost completely free of snow. The only part worth noting is the Cables, but it is hard ice. I thought about glissading down, but since I didn't go up, I didn't know the conditions. From the top, it looks like a thin layer hiding a lot of rocks underneath. I value my tail bone too much and will take the switchbacks anytime under yesterday's conditions.

Hey Steve can you help me to figure out how to down load photos onto your site ? I am not having any luck.

MW85

Does anyone know if a glissade is possible at this time? I am trying to decide if I should leave the ice ax at home tomorrow....

Lane: Probably too late, but just above, 2600fromatari posted that it looked like glissading might hurt the tail bone on the rocks.

Mountainwalker: It appears you figured it out. For others: Click on the Picture Gallery forum, and at the top, there is a link to instructions for uploading and posting pictures.

lastadventurer posted a trip report here:   Mt. Whitney, Main Trail Conditions 05/28/12

He has more details in his website/blog:   Current Trail Conditions on the Mt. Whitney Trail, May 2012

Here are several pictures from that web page:

"Hikers consider the cables on Mt. Whitney, 05/28/12"



"Final section of ice, Whitney cables 05/28/12"

The Forest Service USDA site mentions following as June 2 update:
June 2, 2012 The Whitney Trail is undergoing major repair and maintenance. Hikers may experience up to one-hour delays. Whitney Portal to Trail Camp(0-6 miles):
Small patches of snow above Lone Pine Lake and above Mirror Lake.

Trail Camp to Trail Crest (6-9 miles):
Switchbacks are about 80% free of snow. A few switchbacks immediately above the cables are covered with ice and snow and are very exposed. Crampons and ice axes recommended. Glissading is discouraged.

Trail Crest to Summit (9-11 miles):
Two small drifts about halfway, one of which is somewhat exposed. The snowfield below the summit is easy to cross.

- Can someone please help me answer these... Does this mean there is no snow at cables? Also "somewhat exposed", what does it mean in simple terms? I am going to attempt on 7th and would like to be prepared. Thank you!

"Immediately above" the cables means "at" the cables, as in the above pictures. "Exposed" means if you fall, you keep going for longer than you would like, also as in the above pictures, immediately below the cables.

Thanks!

Will hikers really experience up to an hour in delays due to repairs? Heading up there for a day hike on Saturday. The only winter gear I'm bringing are micro spikes. The dudes at REI say I don't need to rent an ice ax. From what I'm reading on here they are mostly right.

My group summitted on Saturday. Nearly everyone is taking the switchbacks at this point. They are passable without any special equipment, but can be icy in the early morning. I went up the snow chute with ice axe and crampons and was the only person there all morning. The chute was crusty in the morning, but by 9am was pretty mushy. The snow is melting fast and the chute probably only has 1-2 weeks left.

From trail crest to the summit, there is a little bit of ice and a few snow patches along the way, but nothing serious, and no special equipment needed. Just watch your step. On the way down my entire group glissaded down the snow chute. The top 1/2 was kind of icy granular, but the second half was corn snow and a ton of fun. Lots of huge sun cups (2-3 ft deep) towards the bottom.

TRIP REPORT 06/02/12:
First time in Mt Whitney, left San Diego at 4:30pm, arrived at Lone Pine at 1:30am, small nap till 4:30am, arrived at Whitney Portal at 5:00am; small breakfast (apple, granola and coffee); I was at the trailhead around 5:30am, arrived at the Smithsonian Institution Shelter (summit) at 11:22am.
I didn't have spikes, axe or crampons and I was always at the main trail including the switchbacks and the cables; there is no need for any extra equipment besides some comfortable shoes and plenty of water
Here some pics from the trail, have fun! Pictures

Want to see those pictures, DJ!

...and you're one of the lucky to get that high without any AMS problems.

Hi Steve, I don't know how to add pictures, please let me know, I also have some videos.
I know! I was very lucky, maybe was the Tylenol, a lot of water and I came back fast enough. Anyway this forum was very very helpful. Thank you very much