Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2016 (Out-of-Date)

Thank you all for very useful info and tips!!!!
I'm getting a much better picture now.
I guess we will climb up the chute to get to the Trail Crest not the 99 switchbacks.
From there on, I hope there are going to be enough footsteps to the summit.
Keep my fingers crossed...

We will start in the early Friday morning and stay at Trail campsite that night then try to summit on Saturday.
So see you all who are going up there this weekend!!

I'm still curious to know the condition of the pond by the campsite.
Please keep posting the latest photos and reports!

Cheers!!

Hi Tyoshi!

We are also going to walk up to the camp on Friday and try and summit on Saturday! Company is always good!

@others - A few of my friends tried the summit this past weekend as a day hike and could only get half way up the chute and had to return back due to lack of time and weather getting worse. What I heard from them was that, crampons aren't required immediately and will probably be required from Mirror lake or so. They didn't see anyone summit when they did and cautioned about possible lack of steps from trail crest to summit. Based on the weather forecast, the weekend should be relatively snow free. They also mentioned that, they got lost a couple of time in the trail and suggested to study the map carefully and mark a few locations. The trail from the portal up to the camp was clearly visible.

Hey everyone, thanks for all the input. Sounds like the chute is the way to go, although once were there it would be easier to gage. I think I decided on not taking snow shoes, just my pack, crampons, and an ice axe. I'm gonna try to make it to trail camp on friday, then attempt summit on saturday, so I'm on the same page as you guys. My buddy bailed this morning so I'll be a solo hiker from SD. Any other advice/information, please share!

Hey Adam and IdEaMaNi,

Looking forward to seeing you guys over there!
We are a party of 4. With enough people here, I hope we all can make it to the summit!

Anyway, it looks like our summit day is going to be pretty windy.
Its westerly wind so it will blow us really good once we get to the Trail Crest and there on.
http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Whitney/forecasts/4418

I'm shooting for Friday, so I should be back down to Trail camp by 2-3pm. If you see me:



Or my distinctive home-made green Dyneema backpack (that's Ryan Huetter of Sierra mountain center in lead). Note: this is the descent down the Gully on the mountaineers route, not the Chute from the main Whitney trail.



You can thank me for breaking trail. Actually, I think a few are heading up Wed/Thurs, so hopefully the track will be nice & compacted.

I highly suggest bringing snowshoes just incase. Especially with the warmer temps this week. Post holing sucks!

Thank you, Hobbes!
We see you on Friday hopefully!
We are a group of 3 Asian and 1 Caucasian.
Sorry don't have any group pict.

SarahD
We may bring just one set of Snow Shoes up there so that one guy can lead and compact the trail just in case.

Tyoshi, your group won't be the first. I've seen reports of a few making it already. You will find footprints already to the summit.

Thanks, Steve!

So you think we don't need to bring snow shoes at all?

I found this on Instagram, posted yesterday, posted by rrokosz73

All he wrote: "On the Whitney Summit! Conditions? Use your imagination!"

Thank you, Steve for the photo.
Now I must use my imagination to see the conditions there!

I saw another report that people were coming back from the summit. Ice axe and crampons are definitely the thing to have. Snow shoes would be extra weight.

If I were hiking it, I'd also have hiking poles with snow baskets (or maybe ski poles.)

Right on, this is all good info. Hope to see you guys tomorrow!

Yes! See you then!

Also, if anyone who came back from there recently and knows about the water supply in Trail Camp, please share with us.
I don't want to carry all the water from Mirror lake to the campsite if I don't have to...

Thanks to all the knowledge on this site...

Summited this past Tuesday, 5.10.16 First time on Whitney, and it was amazing! What a mountain. Hiked via main trail, starting from Whitney portal on 5/9 and camping that night at Trail Camp. Thanks to those who laid the trail before us on the Westside.

***All notes relevant to 5.9-5.10

***Notes with regards to the trail before Trail Camp are based on progressing up the switchbacks to the North of Outpost Camp. A lot of people have been following the snow to the south (left) of Outpost. This route (while I did not hike it) appears to put you in steep snow for a lot longer than following the main trail to the right (past mirror lake). I can't vouch for what is encountered by going that alternate route.

To answer some questions:

---Water at trail camp is what you make it. We filled up 3-4L apiece about a mile below Trail Camp. There is a rock face to your right (north) as you progress up the snow after Mirror Lake, per GPS @ UTM 11S 386746E 4047547N. It was just after you cross all the rocks after the switchbacks out of Mirror Lake.

---Once at Trail Camp there are some pools of still water next to rocks. We avoided these, even with filter, just because it was not moving water and in an area prone to human waste. We did however find water trickling off the rocks at the base of Woton's throne, and with rocks and snow managed to form a small pool that would collect that we could filter. (A two person job).

---Switchbacks still snow-covered, seems everyone is going up the 'chute'. People have worked switchbacks into the snow which is great.

---Leave early. We left @5:30 am, hit trail crest @ 8am, summit @ 11:27. Even with this early start we started postholing on our way back as the sun hit the western slope. Glissading from Trail Crest down @ 1:55pm was fantastic.

---We did not use snowshoes. Crampons and Axe are a must. We did not use our poles on the West face, just an axe in our uphill hand.

Lastly, please carry out waste and trash. In addition to the many wrappers, foil, ziplocks we picked up, we counted 6 WAG bags at Lone Pine Lake, an abandoned tent fly, a Coleman propane canister, and what appeared to be tennis rackets fashioned into show-shoes at Trail Camp. Please show respect to a beautiful trail, those who maintain it, and the people hiking it after you are gone.

Hope this helps!

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for some feedback on a trip described below, any advice/recommendations would be a big help, thanks!

My 2 buddies and I want to make our way to the summit memorial day weekend (Saturday-Tuesday) from the west.

Starting at Horseshoe Meadows to Crabtree Lake to Guitar Lake to Whitney Summit and then exit through Whitney Portal.

Has anyone done this route during this time period? Is this route manageable with all the snow?

Thanks,

Tommy

are you planning going thru miter basin? im sure there is a ton of snow back there so if your not on skis its probably going to be a pain hiking thru deep soft snow - post hole hell. Ive heard army pass can have a good cornice on it, and if there is any snow on old army pass forget about it! then there is crab tree pass. for all those passes you would need ax and crampons.

Hey mates, hope you had a successful summit this weekend! I had a family issue come up so I had to delay my trip. Attempting next week now. Please share you experience and the conditions if you could! Cheers.

It's probably manageable. Snow level in the area is around 10,000 (higher on south-facing slopes, lower on north facing). Rule of thumb this time of year is that snow level rises about 500' per week. So maybe 11k on your trip. If you use Cottonwood Pass you will hike mostly on dry ground until you get around to Guitar Lake. Then snowy up and over Whitney.

Now... if you are doing this because you don't have a Whitney Main Trail permit reserved, you can pretty much depend on picking up an unused permit for that weekend. If Road construction hasn't closed the upper section of road to parking, then you are home free. (Only reservation holders will get a parking permit to use the official parking spots.)

Hey.
I and my buddies came back home safely yesterday.
I just want to let you know we summited the peak on Saturday and I would like to give huge thanks to everyone who helped me here!!