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 Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
I'm heading up Tuesday the 13th, and with the "warmer" weather, the snow should mostly gone, with some snow on and near the summit and switchbacks. Thursday the 8th might be a different story, I'm thinking the weather will be clear, but still a good amount of snow on most of the North facing trails. Not a game changer, but play it day by day.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,524 Likes: 105
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,524 Likes: 105 |
"quick", There will be some snow and icy places on the trail. Some people might opt to carry micro-spikes (like Yak Trax and similar.) NOAA predicts high temps around 60 F by Thursday, so if they are right, it might be a good day.
Have fun, be safe!
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 5
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 5 |
ive got one extra pass for this friday. my wife and I will be hiking and sledding where possible. just kidding on the sledding. gonna bundle up(wife isnt too happy being cold, but shes tough)and take it nice, safe and slowly. microspikes included. anyone interested in joining?
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2 |
Thanks for the information fellas!
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2 |
My boy (age 11) and I headed up to Lone Pine Lake yesterday. We left the portal at 1pm, prepared to spend the night either by the lake or at Outpost Camp. Very few hikers on the trail, but many search and rescue, with several people still missing on the mountain. Despite waterproof and Snowsealed Merrells and Drymitt shells over our gloves we were still wet, and I decided to turn him around at the fork to Lone Pine Lake. Word from hikers coming down from Trail Camp was that the snow was thigh deep, with drifts deeper, and at least 8 inches at outpost camp. Snow at 9500' was slushy. The thought of sleeping in it, with a scared 11 year old, was enough to turn us around and hike down in the dark. i have a panorama from about 6:30pm yesterday just below Lone Pine Lake that shows a fair amount of snow...trying to post it from the Hostel here... [img:center] https://flic.kr/p/zetXng[/img] 
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
This is very helpful, thank you for posting this.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 7
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 7 |
My group and I will be heading up this weekend for a couple days and attempt a dayhike on Saturday. Hopefully the conditions improve between now and then. We are bringing along MicroSPIKES, if needed.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 12
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 12 |
My boy (age 11) and I headed up to Lone Pine Lake yesterday. We left the portal at 1pm, prepared to spend the night either by the lake or at Outpost Camp. Very few hikers on the trail, but many search and rescue, with several people still missing on the mountain. Despite waterproof and Snowsealed Merrells and Drymitt shells over our gloves we were still wet, and I decided to turn him around at the fork to Lone Pine Lake. Word from hikers coming down from Trail Camp was that the snow was thigh deep, with drifts deeper, and at least 8 inches at outpost camp. Snow at 9500' was slushy. The thought of sleeping in it, with a scared 11 year old, was enough to turn us around and hike down in the dark. i have a panorama from about 6:30pm yesterday just below Lone Pine Lake that shows a fair amount of snow...trying to post it from the Hostel here... [img:center] https://flic.kr/p/zetXng[/img] <img src="https://c2.staticflick...; width=800> OMG, just a week ago weather was beautiful, no rain , no snow, some wind and sunny. 
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 11
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 11 |
FYI - Just spoke with a ranger and there's about a foot of snow at Trail Camp. We arrived on Tuesday to climb the Mountaineer's Route and decided to come home and wait it out. We only have Friday and Saturday to come back down so we're hoping that the snow starts melting fast. I'm guessing that by then people will have already forged a trail to the top.
Does anyone have an idea of what the Mountaineer's Route may look like on Saturday?
Thanks!
Steve
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 1
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 1 |
I am praying the weather clears for that day too...thanks to everyone for the info
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22 |
Heading up Whitney via the main trail on the 13th also with an overnight planned at trail camp and summit the next day. hoping the forecast holds out long enough with warmer clearer weather.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
Heading up Whitney via the main trail on the 13th also with an overnight planned at trail camp and summit the next day. hoping the forecast holds out long enough with warmer clearer weather. Those are my plans as well
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
This is looking at Trail Camp on 10/7. 
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 3
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 3 |
Thanks alot for the updates and pics everyone. Would be great to see a pic of the trail this coming weekend. I hope the clear skies/sun melt most of the snows by the weekend.
Planning on a day hike for Monday. Anyone with similar plans? would love to tag along.
Thank you
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2
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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2 |
I also have a permit for 10/13. Overnight but my friends want to try to do it in a day so now we are planning on leaving at 0'dark hundred. Hopefully the warm weather will make the trail passable. We'll have to hope for the best.
I have a couple of spots on my permit. I summited in July but my friends haven't. We have been pounding the 6 Pack multiple times and did them all again since August plus White Mtn., but this is another thing altogether.
Thanks for the pics and descriptions.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
Just got off the phone with the MW Ranger Station, and they told me the switchbacks have "waist" deep snow, so maybe 3.5'. So i'm assuming the only way up the switchbacks would be straight up, just to the right.
They couldn't tell me much about the backside after Trail Crest, but I read yesterday, the snow up to the summit is at about 5'.
Still possible rain at Lone Pine on Thursday through Saturday, currently at 30%
Last edited by Brett Dean; 10/09/15 08:52 AM.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,524 Likes: 105
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,524 Likes: 105 |
Brett, where did you get that photo?
I would doubt the waist-deep snow reports. There might be a spot or a few where snow drifted into something like that, but it would mainly be a few drifts. The picture makes it look like a foot of snow fell, and if that is a current picture, lots of people have tramped it down on the trail already.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 28 |
This is what the the ranger station is telling me, i'm not making the reports here.
The photo is from Instagram (obviously not 3 feet of snow). There's a lot of relatively current photos and info on Instagram, it seems most people who are hiking Whitney will immediately post on Instagram, and not this particular forum.
Also, people are reporting that no one has made the summit since the storm, mainly turing around somewhere on the switchbacks.
Last edited by Brett Dean; 10/09/15 10:30 AM.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22 |
I find it hard to believe 3-5 feet of snow accumulated. Based on the pics of seen and reports. Maybe a few drifts but highly doubt that much snow fell. Would love to see current pics from the summit area and trail camp if anyones been up there since. The webcam shows a considerable amount of snow has melted the past few days.
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Re: Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2015 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 22 |
Okay i was able to find some more pics on instagram and wow...more snow fell then expected for sure. Still question the reported amounts some have reported. Hoping the trail is passable by the 13th and 14th.
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