This is a 22 mile round trip hike, and if done in one day, is considered an extreme hike. If you run or bike regularly, you may already be in good enough shape to hike mt. Horseshoe meadows to mount whitney and whitney portal trailhead via new army pass is a 37. Horseshoe meadow, cottonwood lakes, new army pass, soldier lake, rock creek, mt. Whitney 14,505ft via the chute july 0102, 2017 duration. Click below to see trip reports from trekkers and climbers about their experiences on an international mountain guides expedition. Trail, snow, creek condition reports mountain education.
The goal was to summit first day to see the sunset we opted to rest instead. The icons represent the activity that we enjoyed e. The plan due to the late snow storm in the sierra this year, i came up with several different plans. It is a long grunt up to iceberg lake, a climb of 4,250 feet with the hardest part co. Our twoday backpack trip to the summit of mount whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48. This year was an especially memorable trip for me, as i was joined by my son jeremy. This trail is about 21 miles round trip and 6,000 feet of elevation, so it is no joke. Weather and snow national weather service forecast noaa snow depth map lists that contain mount whitney. I participated in the march 2528 mt whitney climb last week. Img expeditions filter seven summits trip reports client comments. Trip report for an img 2017 liberty ridge route climb on. Thats because it cuts against the grain of the sierra nevada, from crescent meadow in sequoia national park to just shy of 14,505foot mt. Mount whitney via mount whitney trail add to favorites.
You could spend a lot of time just camping here and taking in the sites without even going on the mt. Spring success on whitneys mountaineers route trip report. Jun 19, 2014 the whitney portal was useful to me when i first went up mt. My desire to hike this mountain started when i joined the website in 2006 and took a spin through some of the more popular individual mountain pages on that site. Whitneys prestigious summit, which is the highest point in the united states excluding alaska, attracts all sorts of people. If possible i highly recommend hiking a,000 14,000 peak as part of your training. Mar 29, 2020 updated 3292020 this is an index of all our trip reports around the world. At whitney portal, find the trailhead for the mount whitney trail located below the whitney portal store. While making the trek up the ski hut trail, the conversation topics between my son cameron and i covered just about everything. If youd like to share your story, images, videos, existing online photo album or web page from an img trek, climb or expedition, wed love to hear from you.
Of course, i will back fill my past trip reports in time. I unfortunately was not able to get as much climbing in as i would have liked, but the routes that i did get on were all stellar. There is the traditional route that is 22 miles round trip and then there is the short cut i. Whitney climb trip overview march 2529 route we will be taking the mt. Mount whitney via mount whitney trail hiking trail, lone.
Onion valley road is open and has sufficient snow depth at the trailhead to allow skiing down the the asphalt. Sunny and clear for the next seven days on mt whitney. Whitney more on this below, but you need to supplement your normal training with some hiking and time at altitude. Bakersfield to horseshoe meadows despite months of trying to nail down a group for our planned stroll up the mt. Because it is the most frequently climbed mountain peak in the sierra nevada, a permit system is in place to minimize the impact of. Most people who climb mount whitney or hike the john muir trail will start or end their hike at this trailhead, and in the majority of cases, permits can be difficult to acquire. The daunting whitney portal hairpin is visible three miles in front tayler. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from april until october. The book i have has printed maps, but we will also want to pick up a commercial topo trail. Whitney s prestigious summit, which is the highest point in the united states excluding alaska, attracts all sorts of people. Aug 17, 2017 mt whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous united states at 14,508 ft elevation varies depending on where you read.
Mt whitney webcam mt williamson webcam feature topics mt whitney lottery info 2020. Mount whitney view all trip reports add trip report to mount whitney. Whitney in 2014 as a day hike, an all day hike starting about 4. May 16, 2018 a 29yearold man died on a solo climb of californias mount whitney, according to officials at sequoia national park. Ambassador joyce britton recently found herself climbing mt. Whitney portal store message board trip reports for 2017 register forum list active topics forum help. Id read online that the trail wasnt entirely melted out and that the steep. Our advanced weather models allow us to provide distinct weather forecasts for several elevations of mount whitney.
Mount whitney hike via whitney portal outdoor project. They were all fantastic, and all three of the folks in our crew were elated with img and the trip in general. Whitney is a popular hike and during the summer months, there is a daily quota. Of these approaches, hiking on the mount whitney trail that leaves from whitney. Mt whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous united states at 14,508 ft elevation varies depending on where you read. A big day on mt whitney july 8th 2008 visit on this is a repost from the fourm. The trail was difficult to find at night with the snow. Latest trail conditions as of january 2nd the mt whitney trail is snow filled from top to bottom. Whitney is a popular goal for many hikers around the country.
The us forest service strictly limits the number of hikers permitted to enter the whitney zone, an area that encompasses the summit and all of the mt whitney trail above 10,000 feet in elevation. My plans did not work out, so i decided to stay at the whitney portal hostel for the weekend, spend friday and saturday checking out some possible mt. The trail steepens, ascends through a small forest, then into a tight canyon strewn with talus, aspen, alder, scrub and intense green plants and wild flowers hugging the creek. This table gives the weather forecast for mount whitney at the specific elevation of 4418 m. Im not saying im the most experienced climber or that mt. Here are links to hikes weve done in years past and trails id consider for future acclimation hikes. The start of the hike, the mt whitney portal has everything from campsites and waterfalls to a restaurant and fishing lake. The high sierra trail a guide to the famous sierra. Whitney across the entire width of sequoia national park.
Whitney, though not seen directly, yet, i do not expect to be safe for ascent by the average thru hiker for some time. These are two fantastic ers hidden in the collegiate range between colorados highest mountain, mt. Whitney acclimation hikes mono and kearsarge passes, trip reports coming soon, then spend the evenings and early mornings taking photos of read more. Whitney mountaineers route, the final roster wasnt decided until the monday before our saturday permit date. Climb along the north fork of lone pine creek along several long switchbacks. As the highest mountain in the lower 48 states, californias 14,505foot mt. You need to prep your feet for the long day and get accustomed to carrying and using the gear youll take on the hike. Whitney portal is the launching pad for some pretty amazing trips. Total trip distance should therefore be about 22 miles. Im going to make an unorthodox suggestion for a twoday hike. Aug 15, 2017 backpacking trip went downhill thanks to my mistakes. Weather for mount whitney at trip report for inyo, ca by ron tagliapietra. We parked our teardrop trailers at the lone pine campground for the duration of our trip. Whitney start from the east side of the sierra and remain in inyo national forest throughout their hike.
A 29yearold man died on a solo climb of californias mount whitney, according to officials at sequoia national park. After climbing colorados mount elbert in 1997, the second highest peak in the 48 states, i knew id be on whitneys slopes soon. Mount whitney via mount whitney trail hiking trail, lone pine. Trip report for an img 2017 liberty ridge route climb on mt. Eric juliani of new jersey was found on may 5 by two hikers who spotted two. Whitney every year, memorial day weekend tended to mark the beginning of our training and planning. The whitney portal access road is now closed two and a half miles before the trailhead making the approach a total of 5 miles longer. Located on the eastside of californias beautiful sierra nevada mountains, the mt whitney trail starts in inyo national forest at whitney portal, 8,300 feet above. I share stories of my pacific crest trail thruhikes, visits to national parks, and trip reports from hikes throughout the pacific northwest. Whitney, 2000 10 photos sonoma to monterey 7 photos badwater to mt. One of them is to make sure i am not hiking down the mountain in the dark.
Whitney archives hiking photos, trip reports, trail info and. I quickly found that regulations and red tape attend any climb of mt whitney. After climbing colorados mount elbert in 1997, the second highest peak in the 48 states, i knew id be on whitney s slopes soon. This was a day hike which i did sunday august 27th. And since you probably want to maximize your chances of summiting, you have to time your trip just right. Mt whitney and death valley trip report toms mountain places. I first attempted mount whitney in july of 1998, and returned again in august of 1999. Sunrise at trail camp in californias sierra nevada mountains. Sep 17, 2016 we departed on a friday, spending the night in lodgepole. Allen and i planned the trip, getting the permit for the long day hike up the east side of the mountain. From the grandeur of hamilton lakes basin and precipice lake, to the awe inspiring big arroyo and kern river valley, the high sierra trail is some of the best that sequoia national. French mountain and its softranked neighbor,876 ft.
Jun 23, 2017 us air force drone crashes in remote area near mt. This is an 11 mile trail with a 6,300 foot elevation gain. Whitney archives hiking photos, trip reports, trail. The high sierra trail a guide to the famous sierra nevada. Whitney via the mountaineers route yesterday along with another solo climber i bumped into figuratively speaking on the ebersbacher ledges. Of course, that doesnt really help you in applying for a permit, but it can give you an idea of what you will be facing, what equipment you will need, and if you even want to give it a go before you drive. It was may 23, 2017, i met at friend that night to go camping at alabama hills, in lone pine, ca. Troop 1180 mt whitney trip video august 2017 youtube. The high sierra trail has two great ascents the first one over kaweah gap and the great western divide, and the second over the eastern sierra and trail crest at mt. I knew the trip was not off to a great start when i. The john muir trail may hold the high country in a loving embrace for weeks, but the high sierra trail gets right down to business. Whitney trail are unbeatable, extending across the jagged granite peaks of the sierra nevada to the expansive owens river valley and beyond. Quick summary of mt whitney weather and road access.
It was the start of warmer weather at least compared to the week before that i would guess temps were close to the same, but may have been warmer than what you saw. Horseshoe meadows to mount whitney and whitney portal. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, ice climbing, and backpacking and is best used from april until october. Whitney lies on the boundary of sequoia national park and inyo national forest. Dont want to go too far and carry pack i am 60 years old and weigh 110 lbs but want to also reduce milage for next day. I had 3 hours of sleep before we started, most of which was on the car ride. Whitney trail, but veers off onto the north fork of lone pine creek after about a mile.
Backpacking trip went downhill thanks to my mistakes. The 4hour hike from the whitney portal trailhead to trail camp includes. That stovepeak photo is one of the best ive seen in long time. People will post the current conditions sometimes with a trip report with pictures as well. The different options i came up with can be seen here. Whitney weekend, i also recommend hiking in the area a day or two prior to taking on mt. Mount whitney is the flattopped feature to the left and behind the much more spectacularlooking keeler needle in this picture taken from the final section of the mount whitney trail 198906.
The trail head starts at 8,360 feet and gains over 6,000 feet. Thank you to everyone at img, especially eben, greg, mike, peter, and eric, who made our rainier summit one of the most memorable and fantastic experiences of my life. One patch of snow to traverse right before the summit. For my first climb of 2017, i chose to ascend,940 ft. Expect a roundtrip day on the trail to take anywhere from 10 to 20 hours. Standing at 14,497 feet, mount whitney summit is the tallest peak in the lower u. Photo taken from highway 6 on the way from death valley, mt. Whitney s standard, class 1 trail is the most difficult, but the percentage of newbies that we came across was staggering. Whitneys standard, class 1 trail is the most difficult, but the percentage of newbies that we came across was staggering. Trip report for inyo, ca by ron tagliapietra trip report for inyo, ca by dale millsap. To see the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. Colorado trip report 6 photos another zion trip report 5 photos japan trip report 7 photos maui trip report 4 photos dana point pictures 6 photos san francisco to san diego 14 photos badwater to mt.