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 Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3 |
Pictures from June 23rd.  Consultation Lake Still had some ice on it at the east end  Going up at the cables  Looking back at the cables. This was probably between 12:30 and 1:00, and no ice, just a shower of drips.  Looking at Trail Crest from the east side. The snow that is on the top left of the picture is the snow that had to be gone over to get through Trail Crest area and through to the west side.  On the way down, at Lone Pine Creek, below Lake Consultation
Last edited by Tom S; 06/27/16 11:58 AM.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
Yes we made it Ben! Thank you for all your help on the mountain.
We stayed an extra night at Trail Camp and started our descent from there Monday morning.
Last edited by mkmwhitney; 06/28/16 02:30 PM.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
How is it in regards to permits staying a night before or after your permit date?
My wife and I are now thinking we didn't allow enough time to summit, hike down, and drive back 1 one day. We were thinking of going up a day early.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
How is it in regards to permits staying a night before or after your permit date?
My wife and I are now thinking we didn't allow enough time to summit, hike down, and drive back 1 one day. We were thinking of going up a day early. If you have overnight permit you can stay multiple nights as long as you let them know your desired itinerary when you pick up permits. They put entry and exit dates on the permit based on your desired itinerary. They need those dates for records and rescue purposes, I guess. I suggest that you call them and find out if you can start earlier than your permit date.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
You can stay as many extra nights as you need (there is only a two-week limit on staying in one place). The permit you get only requires (and restricts) you to enter on the entry date shown on the permit.
If you are trying to change a DAY hike permit into an overnight, that is a different problem. There will likely be no-show permits available when you show up to pick up your permit, but the parking permits are necessary after July 10, and switching day permit to overnight may be tough.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
You can stay as many extra nights as you need (there is only a two-week limit on staying in one place). The permit you get only requires (and restricts) you to enter on the entry date shown on the permit.
If you are trying to change a DAY hike permit into an overnight, that is a different problem. There will likely be no-show permits available when you show up to pick up your permit, but the parking permits are necessary after July 10, and switching day permit to overnight may be tough. So, we have an entry date of July 6th and it's an overnight permit. We don't think we have enough time to summit, hike down, and drive back on the 7th to be back to work on the 8th. We can't, unfortunately, take the day off work on the 8th. I've done Mt. Shasta, but not Whitney and Whitney seems like an easier trek, but my wife hasn't gone above 8k feet. So, we will need to take it slow. I'm wondering if there's a possibility to hike in on the 5th (When we pick up our permit) instead of the 6th. Is that most likely a possibility? Thank you both for the information!
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail 2016 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
The Whitney Main Trail is a lot longer than the Shasta approach, so it is not really easier. If you carry overnight gear up to Trail Camp, that is lots higher than the overnight spot on Shasta, so that part is tougher, too. AMS is a bigger threat there, too. If you camp at Outpost Camp, then that compares more to the Shasta overnight at Helen Lake, but quite a few miles more to the Whitney summit than Shasta. If I were you, I'd stop at Outpost for the overnight. You could even spend two nights there and hike out and drive home the 7th.
Permits: When you go to the Visitor Center in Lone Pine to pick up your overnight July 6 permit, there will very likely be some no-show or cancellations for July 5 available. If there aren't any available, come back 30 minutes later and try again, as they show up as others picking up permits drop off slots. At 11 AM on July 5, all the no-shows for entering that day become available, but since you have a July 6 reservation, the person giving you a permit might be able to assign one to you before 11. If you are there AFTER 11, then all the no-shows will be in their system available to anyone to pick up.
Not sure of your work time-off situation, but if you have July 4 off, too, you MIGHT even walk in and get an overnight permit starting that day. There have been unused ones available on July 4 on previous years.
If switching permit dates makes it so you don't get a parking pass, you can park along the road just down from the hiker parking lot. Roadside parking is available through July 10.
Good luck!
...and please report back how things work out with the permits! (But report in the REAL current conditions thread, or in the Trip Reports forum.) This is the "out-of-date" thread.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail 2016 (Out-of-Date)
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
The Whitney Main Trail is a lot longer than the Shasta approach, so it is not really easier. If you carry overnight gear up to Trail Camp, that is lots higher than the overnight spot on Shasta, so that part is tougher, too. AMS is a bigger threat there, too. If you camp at Outpost Camp, then that compares more to the Shasta overnight at Helen Lake, but quite a few miles more to the Whitney summit than Shasta. If I were you, I'd stop at Outpost for the overnight. You could even spend two nights there and hike out and drive home the 7th.
Permits: When you go to the Visitor Center in Lone Pine to pick up your overnight July 6 permit, there will very likely be some no-show or cancellations for July 5 available. If there aren't any available, come back 30 minutes later and try again, as they show up as others picking up permits drop off slots. At 11 AM on July 5, all the no-shows for entering that day become available, but since you have a July 6 reservation, the person giving you a permit might be able to assign one to you before 11. If you are there AFTER 11, then all the no-shows will be in their system available to anyone to pick up.
Not sure of your work time-off situation, but if you have July 4 off, too, you MIGHT even walk in and get an overnight permit starting that day. There have been unused ones available on July 4 on previous years.
If switching permit dates makes it so you don't get a parking pass, you can park along the road just down from the hiker parking lot. Roadside parking is available through July 10.
Good luck!
...and please report back how things work out with the permits! (But report in the REAL current conditions thread, or in the Trip Reports forum.) This is the "out-of-date" thread. Thank you! And will do!
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 4
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 4 |
Hi ,
We are also doing an overnight trip this weekend. What are the sunset timings at trail camp. That will help us to decide what time to start on saturday from whitney portal.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 6 |
Has anyone been up the MR recently? I've been watching the webcam like a hawk and it seems that there is still a bit of snow. I'm heading up in a week or so and am wondering if anyone has a firsthand trail report.
Cheers!
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
What are the sunset timings at trail camp. That will help us to decide what time to start on saturday from whitney portal. From the US Navy: Complete Sun and Moon Data for One DayYou can use Lone Pine, or for exact Trail Camp coordinates, use: Longitude west 118°17', Latitude north 36°34' Interestingly, checking webcam pictures from this morning, the first illumination of the Whitney summit appeared at 5:57, but the website shows sunrise at 5:38. Go figure!?!? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Has anyone been up the MR recently? I've been watching the webcam like a hawk and it seems that there is still a bit of snow. I'm heading up in a week or so and am wondering if anyone has a firsthand trail report. I've not seen any reports at all lately. Looking at the webcam, the only snow is in the main chute, and most people climb west of that chute. I'm betting you could make it all the way on dry rock.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 256 Likes: 36
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 256 Likes: 36 |
It was hard to tell from the pictures just posted, but how much of the trail is still covered in snow? Is it possible to summit without microspikes? I am hiking on July 4th and trying to figure out if I need to bring additional gear than basic day hike stuff.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 5 |
I did it last weekend, Somewhere around 8:30 or 9 I think you would want to put a headlamp on. My recommendation would be to leave around 6 or 7 in the morning and take your time going up. There are plenty of great spots to take a break, even some waterfalls. The atmosphere at Trail Camp is pretty cool to hang out in too. And you'll catch all the day hikers coming down so you can chat with them and get a report.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
BFR, people are going now without any special traction gear. But some people have a lower risk threshold, and for them, crossing the few snow sections is an issue.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 256 Likes: 36
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 256 Likes: 36 |
BFR, people are going now without any special traction gear. But some people have a lower risk threshold, and for them, crossing the few snow sections is an issue. Thank you!
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 2
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 2 |
Like so many others this forum was extremely helpful to me. I summited in one day on 6/26. We left at 3am summited at 12 and were back down at the portal around 7. There was no need for ice axe, crampons or micro spikes. I was pretty nervous about the hike a couple of days going into it but as long as you have the right mental attitude you'll be fine. I have two kids and trained the best I could mostly at the gym on the stair master with a couple of day hikes here and there. We spent two nights at Whitney Portal to acclimatize but the altitude still effected me quite a bit with some light headedness and nausea. It was also very warm the day I summited and didn't put on enough sunscreen, remember to reapply. I also overpacked my pack and brought more food then I needed. The hike is strenuous but I strongly believe that your attitude plays the biggest part of getting yourself to the top. Not sure what else to add except hiking poles are definitely a worthwhile investment. Also we had no issues with parking seemed to be more than enough spaces in overflow. If anyone has any other questions please feel free to ask. Thanks.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1 |
Whitney Portal Road is currently closed. There is a fire going on right now close to the road, and they're turning everyone away. I talked to a few rangers and as of this evening, they do not know when the road will re-open.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
The fire has been contained, and the road is open again.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 453 Likes: 1
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 453 Likes: 1 |
Last edited by 2600fromatari; 07/06/16 12:56 PM.
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Re: Current Conditions: Mt Whitney Trail
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107
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OP
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,529 Likes: 107 |
Nice picture. From where was it taken?
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