Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Your favorite trail guide for Whitney (reading material)

I'd like to read ahead about the trail before we hike, just to have a better idea of what's ahead and what needs watching. What's your favorite written description of the trail? You favorite guide to study beforehand?

We are planning to hike to Trail Camp (that's the farther along one, right?), set up camp, then summit the following day, probably stay in trail camp again then hike out day 3.

I read a few books/trail guides before I did Whitney the first time (I also did a reconnaissance hike to Trail Camp). But truth is, the trip reports here and on the Whitney Portal Store site were the most helpful for visualizing, etc.

I know the recent SAR activity causes some concern. Generally, though, once the snow is gone, the trail is pretty easy to follow, at least assuming ideal conditions (sun, light, no extreme exhaustion, no incipient hypothermia or AMS, etc.) Your schedule is pretty good ... should provide you with some wiggle room to deal with any specific challenges you may face. You may find, for example, that you prefer to camp at Outpost Camp. I say this as someone who has several times chosen Trail Camp over Outpost Camp ... you just have to see how you feel at the time given the circumstances that you, personally, are experiencing (e.g., light, weather, fatigue, altitude, etc.). Outpost Camp is prettier, more sheltered, and can be easier for acclimatization, depending on how high you slept the 1-2 nights preceding, though it does leave you with a longer summit day ..... Wherever you camp, you'll want to give some thought to what you'll carry for the summit day hike to deal with the uncertainties of the weather.

Weather can be a big unknown. You'll want to check the forecasts up until you leave the TH. And make good decisions based on what you see, hear, etc., on the spot.

Thanks. Yes, part of it was indeed concern over the getting lost part, and making sure we were mentally ready for whatever comes our way.

After posting that I did follow some of the trip reports and some links to photos - that helps a lot.

It's interesting on these hikes, there are certain milestones that make the reports and photos, and a lot of miles in between that are never commented on. This makes sense in my own hiking experience; it's the changes and deflection points that act as both guideposts and timeclocks for the trip, but it's still kind of interesting to notice how uniform the perceptions are.

I am hoping to get to Trail Camp based on my personal needs: I have lots of endurance, but I tend to struggle more at peak output. Definitely the turtle in the race.


Speaking of which, do people ever go part way, to Trail Camp, and then, if bad weather happens on Day 2 just sit tight and turn it into a 4-day trip by taking a day off at Trail Camp? Do the permits allow for this?

Also, perhaps take down the tent on Day two, hike an extra few miles and spend the second night at Outpost instead of Trail Camp. It means packing up twice, but it might be nice to camp in both spots.

I have been reminded to take it seriously by last week's events. We've hiked so much with the kids that we kind of take their fitness (and our endurance) for granted and that shouldn't be allowed to happen. I still feel this is well within our capabilities, but I want to be careful to maximize fun and minimize uproar.

This site has been wonderful for preparing.

Brholler: Speaking of which, do people ever go part way, to Trail Camp, and then, if bad weather happens on Day 2 just sit tight and turn it into a 4-day trip by taking a day off at Trail Camp? Do the permits allow for this?

I asked a Ranger a very similar question answer to this last Sunday 6-15. I did Whitney up and back in a day on the 16th.
If you are having trouble of any kind on the ascent and need to extend the stay in the Whitney Zone, you are either poorly prepared, lack sufficient training, or the weather conditions are severe and should turn back. If you are having problems on the descent however and require extended time to hike out, that IS allowed, for obvious reasons. I know it sounds a bit strange, but if everyone decides to extend their trip a day or two or more, then the area becomes over crowded, which the permitting process is designed to prevent.


I would suggest you call the Lone Pine Ranger Station and ask them that same question.
Happy Trails and the best of Success to you on your climb.

Yes, your permit allows you up to two weeks on the mountain.

The thing is, when you go and get your permit, they will ask you your exit date and where think you are going to camp each night. (Whatever you put down on recreation.gov, when you requested your permit, will be superseded, so don't worry about that.) You are allowed to deviate from what you tell the rangers, and people do all the time (and the rangers probably expect some deviation, particularly if conditions occur that make it safer to leave early or late), but keep in mind they are asking that information so that if something goes wrong they have a sense of where to find you.

If you think there is a likelihood you may stay 3 nights, it may be better to advise the rangers you plan to stay 3 nights (which you can do when you pick it up) and then exit a day early if you choose to do so. If you exit a day early, the rangers will be able to figure that out if they need to because your car will be gone (just as if, if you overstay, and the rangers need to know, they'll be able to figure that out because your car will still be in a lot).

If you choose to camp on the way down, Lone Pine Lake is prettier and quieter than Outpost camp (it is off the trail, while the trail literally goes through Outpost camp, with people on it at all hours of the night). Though last year, when I was completing the High Sierra Trail, my goal was Lone Pine Lake for the last night, but when I reached Outpost, my eyes and legs were burning. So I put up my tent, made dinner, crawled inside, and slept like Rip Van Winkle (as did all of my trail friends).

Now, as to weather. Generally, the best way to deal with afternoon storms is to get up early, watch what the clouds are doing as you climb, and summit before 12 noon or 1 if the conditions permit. That usually works (the weather very often does permit later summits, and sometimes does prevents noon summits, but the noon-1 p.m. benchmark is a reasonable rule of thumb). But as you probably saw from some trip reports, every year or two, Whitney gets a really violent weather situation, kind of a freak storm. And occasionally, as you see from the trip reports, it is not possible to get all the way to the Portal safely during the storm, and you which case you may have to be prepared hunker down for a few hours, or even the night, wherever you find yourself.

If you're looking for an actual book, I really enjoyed reading this before my first Whitney hike. I occasionally go back are re-read certain sections:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Best-Hike-Mt-Whitney/dp/0899974643

Read right here.

What has gone wrong will be discussed in detail.

The basics are the trail is easy until Mirror Lake, afterward it beats the snot out of your body.

You will have to get water between Trailside Meadow and Trail Camp. The math says you need at least 4 L, people go with less and some people are out of water at Trail Crest.

You will need to read the weather out on the Great Western Divide before continuing from Trail Crest.

I own a guide book that is buried somewhere in the house, it has not been looked at in years and then to for routes other than the MMWT.

I think I've read all of the guidebooks, and I have found them all to be useful for what you mentioned. None of them will be correct for the permit issues, since that changes so often.

Also, no one has mentioned the video options from Hike Along Pete, either a 1 hour summary hike, or a total 6 hour video of the entire trail (up).

http://www.hikealongvideo.com/MW.html

I see that they are both out of stock, probably due to the time of year, you might try later or inquire.

The 1 minute version is on youtube.

Hike Along Pete's work is also on YouTube. Links can always be found in the first post of the Reference Forum.

Mt Whitney hiking and climbing videos