This is a trip report for an overnight ascent that 3 friends and I made on Oct 18 and 19, 2021. Overall it was a great experience.
Following are a few thoughts that might be useful to others:
* We spent a night at Cottonwood Lakes Walk In Campground at 10,000 feet the night of Oct 16 to build up a little altitude acclimatization. It also helped us sort out our gear. Then on the 17th we hiked around the area before driving to Whitney Portal. All of us experienced a little altitude sickness at Cottonwood, so I think this did contribute to our acclimatization.
* When we got to Whitney Portal we spent an hour searching for the campsite we had reserved on Recreation.Gov. We were searching in the area called "Hiker's Campsites". Eventually we figured out that our site was a mile downhill at the "Family Campground".
* We were told that there was no water anywhere above Whitney Portal, and that the lake at Trail Camp was frozen solid. So we each carried an extra gallon of water. If I were doing it again I'd plan to get water at Outpost Camp (Lat 36.57096, Long -118.25836). We saw some campers getting water out of the Trail Camp lake by carrying Rocks out onto the ice and dropping them. If the ice broke they'd get water, if it didn't they'd pick up the rock and drop it further out. This seems a little sketch to me.
* We were very fortunate to hit a good weather window. We did meet one couple who successfully made a one day ascent using strategy rather than luck. They'd seen the weather window in the forecast and picked up a one day permit at the last minute.
* One member of our party purchased Gripons for each of us. These were a boon to me because I was slipping on the icy trail. Gripons are the little brother of crampons. They are black rubber devices that fit over the sole of your shoe. Steel studs on the bottom provide grip. They cost about $20/pair.
* It was cold! Several of us wished we were better prepared, particularly in the glove/mitten department.
* At trail camp it was difficult to sleep because the wind buffeted our tent all night. If I were doing it again I'd camp in one of the sites directly before trail camp, that are protected from the wind. One site with 3 tent spaces was on the North side of the trail about 2/10 mile before trail camp. The other with one large tent space was on the South side about 1/10 mile from Trail Camp. There was also a protected site with 2 tent spaces up on a rise to the South of the trail where you first arrive at Trail Camp. Ear plugs might help too.
* After summiting on the 19th we headed back down to Trail Camp where we broke camp and then headed for Whitney Portal. We got back to our vehicles about 9:30 PM, so headlamps were critical. We should have planned better for this because when we got to Lone Pine the only food available was a Carl's Jr.
* In conclusion it was an incredible experience that I'd recommend to anyone willing and able to do the training and preparation. The most impressive thing to me was the trail itself. I can't imagine building 10 feet of that trail, let alone the entire length. Also, it was a joy to look out toward the west and see a vast expanse of our planet with no visible evidence of humans.
