Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Acclimatization plan for some flatlanders

I am planning a trip for 6 Minnesotans to day hike the main trail in August. We are flying into Sacramento and driving through Yosemite to the Eastern Sierras. I was looking for some interesting hikes along the way to get to elevation without getting too strenuous. I was thinking of stopping in Yosemite to hike up Tuolumne Peak. Then staying in the Mammoth Lakes area and climbing Mammoth Mt. Then heading down to Lone Pine to get permits and hike up to Lone Pine Lake the day before our scheduled climb.
I can't find much beta on the Tuolumne and Mammoth hikes so if anyone sees any major hitches in my plan or if I am missing a great opportunity for a better climb, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks,
Steve from Minnesota

My two favorite peak hikes in Yosemite that are right off of 120 are:

Mt. Dana: a 13K peak at Toulumne Pass, http://www.summitpost.org/mount-dana/150284. Amazing views of Yosemite, Mt. Conness, Mono Lake...don't know of a mountain with better views, including Mt. Whitney.

Mt. Hoffman: an almost 11K peak that is at the geographic center of Yosemite, with 360 views since there is nothing near it that is high enough to challenge it. http://www.summitpost.org/mount-hoffmann/150445

In Mammoth, you might look at day hiking Duck Pass. Mammoth Mountain has great views, but you are kind of in the thick of things. Also, fabulous day hikes out of Mosquito Flats TH (Little Lakes Valley) just south of Mammoth.

I think your plan is splendid. However your first hike day will not be a fun cardio-pulmonary affair; Tuolumne Meadows are at 8,000 feet in elevation I notice 8,000 feet at which I start to feel the pull of thin air when I am un-acclimated. Take it slow and you'll be fine, I too would recommend Mount Dana (beautiful mountain!)

I would simply suggest you reevaluate your camping option coming up the MWT. Lone Pine lake is great but it can also be crowded, especially in August. Outpost Camp is also crowded, as is Trail Camp. I would recommend camping at Consultation Lake. It would make a great launching-off point for the summit and it is a little ways off the main drag so it sees less travel.

You'll also have stellar views of Arc Pass and Mounts McAdie and Irvine. At Consultation you will usually be on your own or with a smaller group. Also due to your acclimatization hikes you shouldn't have any problem sleeping at 12K.

You should consider hikes out of Bishop - great scenic trails out of North, Sabrina and South Lakes. Hiking to Kearsarge Pass out of Independence (Onion Valley) is also worthwhile.

All good suggestions here. In general you are unlikely to be disappointed no matter what you choose. One more to put into the fray - for the Yosemite portion you should consider going up Cloud's Rest from Tenaya Lake. It takes in some of the iconic Yosemite sites without having to deal with Yosemite Valley. Like Whitney, you certainly won't be alone. Mt. Dana is very nice, but it is also a fairly short trek from the road, so if you choose this you may want to add a trek around and up Lembert Dome or another short trip to the day.

Another good stopping point along the way is Mammoth Lakes. Having spent way too much time getting to the top of "my" mountain, Mt. Ritter, I've been to Mammoth a number of times. Lots of good hikes out of that area and if you want some extra altitude, drive over to Glass Mountain and hike up that pumice-and-obsidian pile. My son and I did that as a warmup before we hiked Whitney in 2001.

Don't see any mention of Horseshow Meadows area... great way to get to 10K without having to expend any energy. Take a book and just breathe in the thin air. You'll be glad you conserved the energy on your way down from the Whitney summit...

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. We will be looking into each of them for acclimatization climbs. And after all that hiking we may take Richard's advice and rest our weary legs at Horseshoe Meadows the day before we hit the WMT. I really enjoy looking into these options so any new posts would be appreciated. Planning the hikes is part of the fun.
Thanks again,
Steve from Minnesota

You might want to consider camping one night at Grandview Campround (8,553', very nice, no water) on the road to the Shulman Grove of Bristlecone Pines and hiking the 4 mile loop trail around the Grove. The walk is easy and interesting and it's at 12,000' elevation.

Day hiked Whitney last year leaving from Bay area. Day 1 hiked to Cloud Rest from Tenaya lake. Day 2 hiked to Bishop's Pass from South Lake. Day 3 picked up permit and picnic'd at Horeshoe Meadows.

We overnighted at Parson's Resort at South Lake (9200') nights 1 & 2 then Whitney hostel before and after Whitney. Our Whitney hikewas day 4. All 4 in our group made the summit including 2 60YOs. No issues with altitude and no diamox

Hey Steve,

How long will you have for your trip?

If you've never been to the area, I'd suggest spending a day or two exploring and hiking in Yosemite valley (~4,000ft) and then a day or two elsewhere in the park if you have the time; maybe a day in Tuolumne Meadows (8000ft+), perhaps walking to Cathedral lakes and then (possibly from the Valley) doing the hike up Half Dome and/or Clouds Rest (long day) - which will give you moderate elevation 8,900 to just under 10,000ft but will work your legs at moderate altitude. Mt Dana (13,000+ft) as mentioned is great too near the eastern entrance.

To better prep you for Whitney, you should try and get something in up to 13-14k before Whitney and allow at least one day rest before attempting Whitney. Boundary Peak (13k) and White Mountain Peak (14,246ft) are great options, though a bit out of the way on the way down towards Lone Pine, but recommended for nice scenery and good acclimatization climbs to high elevations.

Then again, as mentioned, Kearsarge Pass is wonderful and there is a 13er or two in that basin you can get to as well.

Take a rest day before Whitney and try and stay at 10,000ft for a while either in the Bristlcone Forest up off395 near Big Pine or Horseshow Meadows (west of Lone Pine). Regardless of your selections, you can't go wrong with any of them!

Good luck and enjoy!

Rob

I like this plan, it's what I usually do the day before tackling Whitney. Sit on a chair in the back of my truck and lose myself in a book for a while. Gotta watch out for sunburn.

I'm in the camp of sleeping at altitude a couple of nights also. If you are already driving through Yosemite I would definitely hike Dana. If you get there before noon you can snag a spot in the Tioga Lake Campground at 9600 feet and do Dana the next morning. Next day hit Onion Valley campground and just hang out at 10k and kick back or do Kearsarge if you want. Next night sleep at Horseshoe meadows and rest up before you hit the main MMWT.

For ultimate acclimitization with the time you have I would head straight to Onion Valley and camp one night and do Whitney from the backside via Kearsarge and exit via the portal. Of course you would have to secure the ever so rare Whitney exit permits.

You could also check out White Mountain, interesting hikes there and you could camp at altitude at Grand View Campground.

Our entire group of 10 hikers (6 Minnesotans and 4 Californians) including 6 first timers summited on Sunday Aug 4 with your help. Our acclimatization hikes included Mt Hoffman on Thursday and Mt Dana on Friday. We took Richard's advice and hung out at Horseshoe Meadows on Saturday. Many of us felt the altitude effects ease each day as we went higher. Thanks again for your suggestions. Here is our summit photo.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...e=1&theater

Steve J - Congratulations to you and your team!!!
Not everyone has success on their first attempt (don't 'cha know)...

Kudos of the highest order... and on such a grandiose tour including Hoffman and Dana too!