Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Mt Whitney - Mt Langley back to back with 12-16 yo Scouts

We just finished an almost 50 mile backpacking trip from Horseshoe Meadows, up through Miter Basin and back through Cotton wood Meadows with summits of Whitney (8/7) and Langley (8/8) on back to back days with a group of 12- 16 year old scouts. It was a great but grueling trip. Only 1 in our group had summitted Whitney before and none of us had been on this route but we had been planning and studying it since last October. We were blessed with extremely great weather after watching all of the thunderstorms the week before and snow on both peaks last Monday.

It seems to me from what I have read online that this would be a fairly unique feat. I'd like to convey this to the boys to help them understand what they were able to accomplish. I thought I would reach out to this forum to get some thoughts from the experts.

I greatly appreciate all of the information provided on this forum as it proved extremely valuable in making the trip a success. Thanks!!

Did you go over Crabtree Pass? What route did they use for Mt Whitney??

Was it twelve scouts? Congratulations, by the way!

We went over Crabtree Pass and up the back side of Discovery Peak and dropped down onto the main trail just below trail crest. We were camping above Sky Blue Lake and did Whitney as a day hike from there.

The next day we went back down through Miter Basin and climbed out above Upper Soldier Lake towards Old Army Pass. We dropped packs at the junction and summited Langley before dropping down Old Army Pass and camping at the Cottonwood Lakes.

It was 6 boys ages 12 to 16.

thanks!!

Tremendous! That routes a feather in the cap of a Sierra veteran.

My cap (and feather) are off to you hardy adventurers!!!

Amazing that all those young men made that hike on that route! Both the boys and the leaders should be congratulated.

What route did you take from Crabtree Pass up to Discovery Pinnacle -- Did you drop down to the highest Crabtree Lake, or use the more direct route climbing from the pass to Discovery?

If you dropped to the lake, which side did you use to go to the outlet?

We dropped down to upper Crabtree lake and around the north side of the lake. There is a use trail that continues west up the draw from the west end of the lake up onto the bench. The trail then cuts back up towards Discovery peak. The trail is decent until you get heavy into the rocks where it becomes intermittent and you are pretty much scrambling up towards the top of the ridge. Once you get up on the ridge it opens up considerably and the climb isn't that bad up towards the peak.

As we read in other places, the short descent to the main trail is pretty steep and a bit tricky. Part of our group cut back west around the peak and ruffled some feathers with sliding rocks onto the main trail. The rest of us kept east a little bit to a spot where the trail was clearly visible below and we could give some advance warning to passerbys.

Dan and I saw you guys. You were coming down from Sandhill and I heard "don't tell anyone's mother you did that."

We were camped at the lower end and north shore of the highest Crabtree lake after descending from Crabtree Pass. It may have been 6 pm or so. I think Dan spoke to a few of your group as you passed by. We were simply amazed at your long arduous day and wondered if you would get back to your camp at Sky Blue Lake before dark. What was your start and finish time?

Congratulations X ten, no a hundred

Harvey

Thanks! I remember talking to you. I was the first one down to the lake to filter water with my boys. We had another "don't tell your moms" moment the next day when they were all laying on their bellies looking over the edge at the top of Mt Langley.

I think we had a 5:30-6ish departure and we were back to camp around 7:30-8ish just in time to get some nice pictures of a colorful sunset. It was a long day! I still can't believe what great weather we had!

Thanks!
-Craig