Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2013 (Out-of-Date)

VC = visitor center...

thanks
where is visitors center in relation to portal/main street?

here:


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The Visitor Center is 2 miles south of town. The road to Whitney Portal is at the stop light (only one in town) - it's about 9 miles to the Portal itself.

In Fishmonger's graphic, the new visitor center is the long building with the silver roof.

Choclab, there is a Lone Pine Layout diagram within the Orientation Notes (link above on the left). At the bottom of the layout, it mentions that the Visitor Center is 2 miles south.

The Layout might give you an idea where to find other places in Lone Pine. Do check out the Orientation Notes if you haven't already.

can i expect to find other hikers/backpackers on the trail?

Hey Choclab,
you'll see 4 ppl coming up the trail from the portal starting at 3am.

we are heading the long route , not climbers trail.

Hopefully summit by 10am

Also, was wondering what you needed at the Visitor Center?

hey w, glad to hear. we are starting main trail by 11am. we plan on making outpost camp, and camping there. stop by and say hi
don't we need permit to be on the trail?

Davey McCoy posted a report on the WPS site here.

Summarizing:

The trail is clear the first mile or two, with snow beginning before Lone Pine Lake. If you start early and it is cold, the snow is solid and easy walking.

Microspikes work well up to Trail Camp, and crampons and ice axe are best above that point. Until the switchbacks open up, the slope to the west of the switchbacks is easier to climb.

The post includes this regarding someone trying to glissade without an ice axe for braking:


Glissading is sitting and sliding on your butt. There are techniques for braking and controlling your speed using an ice axe. Without that is suicidal. And glissading while wearing crampons is a good invitation for a broken leg.

My son and i just came back from staying above mirror lake. This was our first time on the mountain, we used microspikes about .5 to .25 miles from Lone Pine Lake. Slept at Lone Pine Lake Saturday night and were awakened by voices at around 11:30pm, must have been mountain rescue going up after glissader.

Headed above Whitney Zone sign Sunday, microspikes are needed. Traveling early is recommended as the snow gets slushy after 10am. I postholed a lot and even faceplanted a couple of times, gotta love it. Sunday night slept on a nice spot under a tree above mirror lake. Beautiful views of Mount Whitney and Owens Valley. Wish I had a thermometer with me as it got pretty cold at night. Coming down after 10 am just above Lone Pine Lake patchy ice. Past Lone Pine Lake trail cleared up.

Great time, just found out we didn't get lottery pass. Looking to summit in early August. How difficult do you think it will be to get a camping pass?

Thanks for the report, choclab!

> How difficult do you think it will be to get a camping pass?

I assume by "camping pass", you mean an overnight wilderness permit. There are cancellations and no-shows every day. Many regulars depend on those -- you just need to learn when they come available.

A good place to read up is in "Step 6" on our Wilderness Permit Options page (link above on the left). Please ask in the Lottery Info or some other thread if you have questions.

Bob R hiked to Bighorn Park / Outpost Camp on March 31. His pictures are here: 2013-03-31 Whitney trail

Bob reported:
Ranger at the Visitor Center told him the CHP had been up the road a few days ago and ticketed all the cars, but they drove up to the Portal. The road has been completely cleared already, even with some asphalt patching done.

They encountered the first major snow about two miles up the trail. Below are pictures from Bob's set:

North fork of Lone Pine Creek, and first snow patch


The trail, below Lone Pine Lake


Also below Lone Pine Lake


The log crossing


Frozen waterfall at Outpost Camp

Thanks for the update Steve - regarding CHP ticketing cars at the TH - do you know when the road would open legally precluding the possibility of tickets? I know the opening is weather dependent, but do they have set dates they try and get it open for?

Whitney Portal Store expects to be open on April 19th.
Doug Sr. also reports that "the sign is down". Not exactly sure what that means, but could mean the "road closed" sign is down.

ok, thanks John

I have always read that they want to open the road in time for trout fishing season. In the Inyo National Forest website, they say:

So April 19 is just a week before fishing season opens.

Seems to me the CHP tickets cars about the same time Inyo County road crews are working on clearing the road.

Road is open to Whitney Portal.

Walter R emailed and reported that on Saturday, Apr 13, he drove to Whitney Portal, and the road is completely open. The "Road Closed" sign is gone.

He hiked to Iceberg Lake on the North Fork route, using crampons. His ice axe was useful for several short glissades.

From his email:


Pictures from his Mountaineers Route hike are here: Day Hike to Iceberg Lake

Found a report from Friday, Apr 19:

Went up Friday to Trail Camp, only one there that night and had no problems finding the trail. Some of it is snowed over but should not be an issue. Summitted and came back Saturday afternoon. There were trails everywhere thru the snow. A lot of people making their own. Stay to the right after the switchbacks up from Mirror Lake to Trail Camp. Prepare for some minor postholing.

I wore crampons up the chute (west of the switchbacks) but nowhere else (not even sure they were needed due to the soft snow and potholing). No crampons from Trail Crest to Whitney peak and not used to come down the chute or back to Whitney portal. Snow shoes might be more useful depending on how conditions change.

Should have gone up the chute on Friday myself - had to turn around just below the cables, because there was a huge fresh snow pillow blown in that was rather bottomless and in a location where a slide would have been fatal. The cables themselves looked fine, but the last 100 feet below were sketchy. By now that should have all consolidated with a few melt-freeze cycles.

Had the mountain to myself on Wednesday and Thursday on the main trail, so that alone was worth the hike. Wore crampons from Lone Pine Lake up and down.

Considering the meager rainfall we've had this past winter and barring any big late season snow storms would you say the trail should be clear from snow (i.e. no crampons, no ice) by around early to mid June? Thanks.