Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Night Hiking

Last July two friends and I made it to the summit after camping overnight at Consultation Lake, and have permits to go again this July 17-19. This year we hope to correct a few of the mistakes we made, the most costly being that we left the Portal too late in the morning, and had to endure the stretch of trail between Outpost Camp and Consultation in the withering heat of the noonday sun. So this year we plan on leaving the Portal around midnight and hiking to Outpost Camp in the dark. We'll rest at Outpost until first light and continue on to Trail Camp. I'm sure this has been done before, and am curious to know of any obstacles one might encounter hiking at night - a moonless night at that. Of course, we'll have head lamps. Any thoughts?

I don't think you need to leave that early to avoid the heat. However, on a moonless night you can get disoriented if you don't know the trail.

Bill

I dayhiked last July on a moonless night. We left Portal at 2 a.m. and had no problems with our headlamps. It was as dark as dark could be. You probably don't have to leave that early however, if you just want to avoid the heat. Good luck!

The trail can look very different by the light of headlamps as compared by the light of the day (or even the moon). My suggestion is that you be very familiar with hiking under headlamp power before you begin. I favor early morning starts (2-3 AM) on many Sierra and Cascade peaks so I use headlamps often. It took me a while to find the best headlamp solution however. I now favor any of the combination units that have LED lights and more powerful incandescent or halogen bulbs. Use the LED lights which use little energy for following a simple trail or around camp. Use the more powerful light when scouting the trail ahead.

I also agree that you do not need to start so early in the morning to avoid the heat. To deal with heat you may also want to reconsider what clothes you are wearing and how much gear you are carrying. A lighter pack and good hydrophobic clothing can make a world of difference.

We started at 3:00AM in 2001, and had little trouble night hiking with headlamps. There's just that one spot where you cross a creek to stay on the main trail and we ended up turning left onto the MR trail (we turned back after 1/2 a mile when we realized we were rock climbing, not just hiking - but an additional mile on a 22 mile trail is not a happy occurance) - just be aware of that - the creek, in the dark, does not look like something you'd cross. I understand the animals tend to be a little more active at night, so you might get lucky and see a bear or two, but they'll leave you alone. We didn't see any.

i also think i'm leaving at 2-3am and have no experience hiking with a headlamp. how many people should we pass on the trail at that time?

My wife and I have left between midnight and 3:00 AM each of the last 4 years. The only spot where route finding might be a bit tricky is the rocky stretch between Mirror Lake and Trail Camp. There is a place where the trail makes an abrupt left turn. It's hard to see because your headlamp shines straight ahead. If the trail stops at a drop off, go back a few steps and look around. You will see the continuation easily. Good luck!

By the way, in the pre-dawn period, you may see a headlamp bobbing in the distance ahead or behind you. You may pass or be passed by one or two groups. Mostly, you will have the trail to yourself. In the 4 trips, we have never seen a bear. Based on postings to this board, bear encounters on the trail are rare.

When we left at 3AM we had a couple of groups of people in front of us. There are a few sections of switchbacks (not like the 97, but they are there) that are pretty open, so you'll see headlamps bobbing around. Just remember to turn off your light if you want to talk to someone. Nothing worse than walking along in the dark, focused on a narrow beam of light in front of you, only to have your partner turn to talk to you and shine his/her light in your eyes... Purple spots everywhere! I guess they go with the pink elephants I've heard inhabit some of the ridges.

Just be aware that the Whitney Trail by night is completely safe. Last Sept. when fellow hikers backed out of the trip, I went alone. I got out on the trail at 2:30AM ( I was going to sleep until that time in my car, but the guy next to me was up at 1:00AM slamming each of his car doors over and over instead of leaving them open for the consideration of those still sleeping!)

I don't know if it was the gas prices or what, but no one showed up. I was a female alone on the trail for the first 5 miles (until dawn) and I can honestly tell you I was not a bit afraid.

One perk about night hiking was a thing that happened when the moon was going down over Whitney at about 3:00AM. It shot the biggest white light through the canyon between Candlelight Peak and Thor Peak. It was as if someone put a huge spotlight on Whitney and aimed it towards Lone Pine. Fantastically jaw-dropping!! Wow factor a ten-plus!

There have been run-ins with bears. Their feet sound like leather. Actually they sound like a fellow hiker...except the hiker is moving very fast in pitch dark without a headlamp. The bears always moves away from me when the discover I'm there too. These times were in the brush area before the open air switchbacks below Lone Pine Lake. Also heard a bear beating the crap out of waste can at the Trailhead at 3:30AM. Just walked past him. They're more interested in the refrigerators on wheels also known as cars.

Go and enjoy without any worries.

Thanks for all the information and advice. Having been up the trail once before, I know better than to go beyond Outpost Camp in the dark, as that part of the trail becomes a staircase in places and is often exposed. Our rationale for leaving at midnight is that it will give us a few hours rest at Outpost Camp while we wait for first light. I'm not in a hurry this time, and hope to enjoy the sunrise rather than curse the sun. Thanks again.

wow, keats86, that's really good to know about outpost camp. it's only 3 1/2 miles, too, so it prob only takes a couple hrs to walk there, huh?! i don't know how much of a rest i'd want to take just after 2 hrs of hiking. how exposed is it?

what time does it start getting light out on the trail?

Keats86 - There is nothing to fear in continuing past Outpost Camp in the dark. We made it easily our first time and never even practiced with the headlamps. We just hit the trailhead at midnight and went for it. Last year we were half way up the switchbacks before the sky started to lighten.

kim - Today, morning twilight began at 5:08 AM and the sun rose at 5:38 AM.

Kim: There's really not that much exposure on the whole trail - including the infamous 'Windows', but I recall a couple of places where, at the apex of a switchback or up past Trailside Meadow there were considerable drop-offs. The main problem is, that part of the trail is not so much a ramp as a staircase, with some risers of 1 to 2 feet. When I'm toting a full pack up this kind of terrain I think darkness might be just one more obstacle I'd rather avoid. As far as how much time I need to rest, I'll take all I can get. Having already summitted once, I really have only one goal on this hike. Enjoy myself, and stay out of the midday sun (I guess that's two goals).

keats86, i like rest, too. i thought i might prefer it by sleeping in instead of resting after a couple hrs hiking, though. anyway, if it's getting light out at 5 or so, i won't have a prob and as you and Richard said, there shouldn't be a prob with drop-offs in that area. the part of the trail with the 1-2ft risers are on the early part of the trail before outpost camp?

Kim, no the part of the trail with the 1 to 2 foot risers is after Outpost Camp. It's between Outpost and Trail Camp, and probably the worst section of trail on the hike. Although, to be honest, I would not think twice about doing it in the dark with only headlamps. It's really not that difficult.

Lst time we hiked it we started out in the Portal at 4:30. Good move. It was a warm day.

We just hiked up at night last Wednesday. Left at 10:30 and summited at about 5:30 to watch the sun rise. There is really no problem going up the trail at night. It's actually my favorite time, the moon shining on the mountains is breathtaking. Didn't see another person until on the way down.

I hiked the trail in a full moon and there was an anoying glare the first four hours, no moon or half with headlamps works best. If you start at midnight you will be walking over the body storage site at Outpost in the dark, pissing everyone off.