Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney June 14-16 Trail Conditions

I just got back from a trip to Whitney up the main trail. Camped @ Trail Camp the 14th...huge storm up top & all the folks at Trail Camp sat & watched a big Lightning Storm in the White Mountains. The next day we tried to summit. Once we got up Trail Crest we were surprised to see what we thought was a clear sky...a huge cloudy mess over the Sierras in Sequoia (well I wouldn't say it was a mess...it was an extremely beautiful view). We continued to the summit, but around Keeler Needle got enveloped by a huge cloud. It began to snow pretty hard...could only see a few feet in front of you. Finally we along with many other hikers began to hear our ice axes hissing along with our hair standing on end. We turned back...and as soon as we did all the thunder rolled in. Got back down to Trail Camp safely. Many hikers turned back. The next day another huge storm developed so we went back to Whitney Portal. Hopefully this week's weather will allow for a safe trip up the mountain. My advice...start early up the switchbacks...make the summit before 10am as another Whitney hiker advises. Let me know if anyone wants me to email them pics.

Thanks for the report, we are heading up there tomorrow through monday. Did you need ice axe/crampons at the cables?

Nope...we brought our crampons & ice axes...but never had to take them out once. The cables are down...and there is a bit of snow in that area...but there is a narrow area to walk...just use your trekking poles & hold onto the cable posts. At the end of the cables you will have to do a small climb with your hands...no problem...just exercise caution. Besides this area, there are a few places where you will have to cut through some switchbacks to avoid some snow. Even the snow areas have good footprints to walk in. No one up there used crampons or ice axes...only a group of four...but they put their gear away when they realized they didn't need to use it.

Hello!

We will be climbing from Horseshoe Meadows on the July 4th weekend - planning about 5 days up and down. We're newbies on the mountain. Can anyone tell me (in general terms) about the route (via Sky Blue Lake) and the weather at that time of year?

thanks!

Thanks Leo!

To Raddish87 regarding the 5 day trip via Sky Blue Lake. I did that route a few years ago and it was a fine trip except that, looking at it on a topo map, I missjudged how rigorous it might be. There have been past posts where this route was discussed. If you can find R.J. Secor's "The High Sierra, Peaks, Passes, and Trails", there is good detail about the route. It's a beautiful route up Rock Creek Canyon with a good use trail as far as Sky Blue Lake. It's a crummy hike with a pack over the saddle (Crabtree Pass?) past the last lake past Sky Blue and then up the loose steep slopes of Discovery Pinnacle. The pass is not high, but it's a jumble of boulders which make the descent to Upper Crabtree Lake (?) very unpleasant. Eamil me if you like. adrianpols@earthlink.net.

Adrian

Thursday (17th) was wide open up top. We left Trail Camp at 7:30 am. Hit the summit around 11:30 am. Clear skies! Got back to Trail Camp around 2:00 pm. No problems. No need for crampons or ice axes. The "97" is in pretty good shape. My buddy did the whole trip without trekking poles. However, I totally agree with your statement - Leave Trail Camp early (before 8 am) to increase your chances of making the summit. The bad weather usually starts coming in around lunchtime.

Real quick question. When one refers to Trail Camp, are you referring to what is called Trail Crest on the USGS map or the trail head that is otherwise know as Whitney Portal where the trail begins on the east side. I would also like to do this trip in one day, starting from the east and would like to know when is a prudent time to begin my climb?

Trail CAMP is at just around 12,000 feet. It is a terrace that is relatively flat and offers the last area that accommodates quite a large number of campsites. There is a pond which provides water. There is a solar toilet. It is just before the famous 97 switchbacks.

At the top of the 97 switchbacks is trail CREST. The trail drops about 200 feet to a junction. At the junction, RIGHT goes UP to Whitney and down goes to the west side and the John Muir Trail.

Whitney Portal is the parking area, trailhead and store. It is about 8,000 feet. There is car camping and a walkin campground.

Raddish87: Paul Richins book Mt. Whitney The Complete Trailhead to Summit Hiking Guide has a route that goes over Cottonwood pass, guyot pass, guitary lakes and finally the west side of Whitney. He also has a route going over NAP (12320 ft) and then through Sky Blue Lake, Crabtree pass, upper crabtree lake, the dreaded sandhill and finally Discovery Pinnacle and then Whitney. These are routes 8 & 9. This book has a much more detailed account of each route then the Secor book and is very helpful.

It is an advantage to start over Cottonwood pass and then connect to the other route down by Soldier lake. Cottonwood pass (at the highest point above Chicken Spring Lake 11480 ft) is about 850 feet lower then NAP.

The lesser challenge you see is that people underestimate the time to get to Sky Blue Lake. We figured 1-2 days. We did on our first try. It took a full 2 days.

The greater challenge is the short 1/2 mile from Crabtree pass to the Discovery Pinnacle. It involves 307 feet down to the lake and an unpleasant 1593 feet up the loose dreaded sand hill. It is not far on the map but a real killer up close and personal.

I would plan on climbing from Sky Blue Lake up over Crabtree pass and down to the Upper Crabtree lake on the 3rd day. Then go to the top of the Sandhill/ and on to Whitney the 4th day and down to either trail camp or Iceberg lake.

5th day is an easy walk out compared to the 1st 4 days.

I happened to be headed that way tomorrow with Kashcraft ( my father) tomorrow. When we get back he will post a report.

We are going to try to modify the Crabtree pass to Discovery Pinnacle problem by staying high on the rocks just below the western face of Mt. McAdie and Mt. Marsh....an idea he picked up from Bob Rockwell. If it works we will not have to drop down all the way to Upper Crabtree lakes. Either way what an adventure it will be.

<em><blockquote>This book has a much more detailed account of each route then the Secor book and is very helpful.</blockquote></em>
Agreed about the book in general. But after following Richins' guide along this route, I think he definitely underestimates the difficulty of some of the sections (at least for this one route).

Also, the map shown for this route didn't match my perception of reality. I think most (all?) people stay to the west side of the large lake above Sky Blue Lk. I was not convinced that the route shown in Richins book was doable.

I remember when we returned to Sky Blue Lk after climbing to Crabtree Pass, I got the book out of my pack and read Richins' terse description of the route, which was something like "This is an easy cross-country saunter." We laughed/cursed at the ridiculousness of that, having just spent all day doing it.

YMMV

Hi Leo,

Thanks for the report. I'm going to be up there at the beginning of July. We're going to be taking it easy and stopping at Outpost and also Trail Camp or Consultation Lake, hence I'll have some extra time before our summit day. Do you think it would be helpful to hike up to the cables section and clear the trail some with an ice axe and maybe a snow shovel?

Ellen