Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Main Trail Conditions 2016 (Out-of-Date)

Tyoshi

Okay, thank you for this information.

Also, your pictures are awesome! Can I ask what camera you shooting with? As a solo hiker I am not sure I want to haul my Cannon up there but seeing your pictures makes me want to rethink this.


Thanks,

Hi Iclimbmtns,

I used Sony A5100 mirror-less camera with two zoom lens (18-200mm & 10-18mm).
I think that's probably the smallest setup for APS-C sensor size cameras.
It's definitely worth bringing a decent camera up there if you can.
Views are so spectacular and my photos can't do their justice either.

                SUNSCREEN ALERT

Every year, we see reports from people who were seriously burned from hiking Whitney in snowy conditions. The sunlight at altitude is significantly stronger and more intense due to the thinner air; AND most importantly, the snow reflects the sunlight back at you.

People who don't wear sunglasses can return with serious eye burn. It feels like sand in your eyes, and can last several days. Major prescription pain medications are required to ease the pain.

People who don't wear sunscreen can get seriously burned! When the days are warm, people like to wear shorts and peel down to a T-shirt or less. You can burn far worse on a Whitney hike than anywhere else.

Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are mandatory this time of year.

...Here's a dialog from an Instagram post:
L671: Super sun burnt from this hike. Looking like a Marvel character at the moment. Trying to make sunglass tan lines look cute. 100% worth it
MV13: Hey for real .. Me too
H151: Me too!! Lol even the inside of my nostrils are fried
L671: The sun on Whitney this past week had no mercy...I don't usually get sun burns!!

Ok, so I plan on trying a Day hike June 22 whats the best guess for snow conditions. I don't think I want to try it with heavy snow. Any info would be great!

Thanks

Most snow will be gone late June.

We are headed up on this Sunday. Can someone who has been on the trail recently tell me where the last open water source was along the trail up to trail camp.

Thanks!

HeyCKM15

How long are you guys going to be up there? we are staying monday night at whitney portal to acclimate and then either summit the next day or camp somewhere higher and then reach the summit wednesday. I would like to meet up with my party of 3 other guys.

Past consultation lake where high camp is (We might be there tuesday depending on weather conditions) there is pond that has source of water but do BRING A FILTER.

It is our first time do this and we are planning to rent crampons and snowshoes. I just graduated from college and I want this trip to be a self-graduation present.

@bsiwecki0: Leave the snowshoes home.

@ckm15: Here is the Trail Camp pond, taken Sunday, 5/15. Looks like the inlet will have flowing water.

I have a one day trail permit for 6/5/16, and I'm wondering what the trail conditions might look like then. Can we do either Main Mount Whitney Trail or the mountaineers chute? Will we need crampons and ice axes?

My son and I have a day pass for June 6th and will be looking for the answers to the same questions as Anusha.

We have been following the site closely for more than a month and it has been a huge help!!

I think the answers will come from following the photos and notes from those forging the way in the next two weeks so keep the TRs coming.

In two weeks, there will still be plenty of snow. I doubt many will be trying to use the switchbacks as they will still have quite a bit of snow. Most will still be using the "chute" (slope west of the switchbacks). To go up that area, crampons and ice axe are always helpful.

Anusha, the Mountaineers Route is not a trail -- you need to study and memorize the route before you go. People can get seriously off route there.

I agree, this site has been super helpful. Thanks for the answers. I think we're going to stick to the main trail and go up the chute. What map do you recommend?

> What map do you recommend?

I print my own maps on my home printer from the gmap4 mapping site and my browser. Here's a link to Trail Camp.

Move the map window around and set up pages the way you want and print. If you want less detail and more area on a page, you can zoom out.

Hi Steve, we are planning on going on the memorial day weekend. We do have crampons, but don't have ice axes and don't really have any self-arrest experiences. Would crampons alone be enough? Or should we give up the hike for another year? Thanks in advance!

If you have ski poles or hiking poles with snow baskets, along with crampons, then you will travel up and down pretty well.

The ice axe is for your safety -- If you slip or trip, (and know how to self-arrest) it can save your life. Do NOT glissade (sit down and slide down feet-first) without an ice axe to use as a brake. If you get into an icy spot, you can take off like a rocket without a brake.

You can rent an ice axe at Elevation in Lone Pine: http://sierraelevation.com/

Go here:
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/18197/Links_to_important_Whitney_inf#Post18197
and check the links and videos on ice axe use.

Steve: can ypou identify exactly where the trail is in this picture? If I am reading this shot right, the big, squarish rock to the far right has a particular significance for me, and I have lost all my pictures of it. If its my rock, I may post a TR from 1964 to explain its significance.

> Steve: can ypou identify exactly where the trail is in this picture?

Well, I am sure it is the Trail Camp pond, looking east. Checking the google satellite view on the gmap4 site, I would say that rock is the one identified in this map link. Looking at the vertical view and the photo, I sure think I can identify other features in the picture.

Hey Steve,
What about June 4th? It will be mine and my daughters first Whitney hike:) I'm prepared for snow and what not, but I am reading comments regarding a day hike being nearly impossible this time of year (two more weeks!). What are your thoughts?

And thank you for quickly answering a previous question I had...I am just getting use to navigating my way through this:)

Janine Lynch


Update...never mind...I just scrolled up and saw similar question!! This site is amazing:)

Janine, be sure to check the Trip Reports forum (scroll to the top, click Forums, then Trip Reports). There are two good reports, one by Michelle, a second by Gregory.

Most people's experiences are somewhere in between those two. Michelle, from London, UK, made it in one day:
5 hours to Trail Camp, 2 more to Trail Crest, 1.5 more to the summit, 6.5 to descend, and she says she rested little!

She spent two prior days doing some acclimating hikes, one hiking the Main Trail up to Lone Pine Lake and back -- a good thing to do in daylight, if you are going to day hike starting in the dark.

Gregory, on the other hand seemed to lose the trail often, and his labels of places don't match the map. In fact, the Mountaineers Route is not even in the area he was hiking. But one of his biggest mistakes was to underestimate the affects of the altitude.

Also, be sure and look over the Orientation Notes (link above on the left). There is lots of useful info tucked away there.

Thanks for the info. Not the one I was thinking of: too big. But it may be another one that I have slept under a couple of times: anyone ever notice rocks in TC with crawl space underneath?