Sorry for getting my report in so late. After reading this report, you’ll understand why. Conditions in the next few weeks should be similar to what I experienced here.
Pictures of my hike can be seen at
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brantc/album?.dir=f1b2&.src=phMy Whitney adventure began like the others I have taken. I drove up from Lone Pine in the dark towards Whitney Portal. Previously, all of my climbs have been summer day hikes from the Portal to the summit via the “main” trail. This would be the first time that I would do a winter climb, and it would be on the North Fork route. My goal was to day hike from the “Road Closed” sign to Iceberg Lake.
(Photos 1 – 9).
The time was 6:00AM and clear when I left my car, just above the “Road Closed” sign. Several other cars were around. Dawn was breaking on a beautiful, clear, day. The snow on the road was somewhat slick but firm so I didn’t need to put on my snowshoes. I passed a car where people were sleeping and their gear was strewn about. At that point I discovered that I forgot my poles. I returned to my car to retrieve them. Fifteen minutes lost, no big deal.
Towards the top of the switchbacks the road cleared. Rubble was strewn about. Near the Portal signs, the road was once again covered with firm snow. I reached the Portal at about 7:45AM, a great time compared to a couple of reports about treks a week earlier. I was feeling good.
(Photos 10 – 14)
I saw a couple of people sleeping near the Portal store. I would meet them on the trail later in the day.
The snow was soft and deep so I decided to put on my snowshoes. Hiking up the main trail I had to cross two snow bridges. Both had brush and trees to get around.
(Photos 15 – 24)
At the North Fork turnoff I still felt good. The time was 9:00 AM. However, once I reached the bottom of the North Fork valley, I started to drag. It was hot. The sun was wickedly intense. As I moved up the steep incline to Lower Boy Scout Lake (LBSL), I felt like I was in the Sahara rather than the Sierra. My pulse started to reach the red zone. Every couple of steps I had to stop and take a drink. It took me over 2 hours to reach LBSL from the turnoff, much slower than planned. Once I reached to top, I was exhausted and had to take a long rest. My stomach was so out of sorts I could only eat half a sandwich.
(Photos 25 – 29)
I felt better hiking to Upper Boy Scout Lake (UBSL), even though I was still over heating. Halfway up, the folks I had seen sleeping at the Portal caught up to me. They said that they planned to summit and return in the same day. While the leader of the two looked ultra-fit and probably could have done it, his buddy already was flagging. They rested for some time while I trudged on. I only met them again when I was coming down the mountain.
As I hit UBSL it was getting much later than planned. It was 1:00 PM, my target time to reach Iceberg Lake. I either could turn back and get down with relative ease or try to accomplish my goal. I rationalized my decision to push on by saying that I still would have a good amount of daylight, I was starting to feel better, and even at night I would be able to get down with no problem.
(Photos 30 – 39)
My climb up was slow and steady. Halfway up to Iceberg Lake I met a hiker skiing down with his dog. He had started from the “Road Closed” sign at 3:00 AM, summited, and skied all the way down from the Notch. Both he and his dog were having loads of fun.
It was now 3:00 PM. A little further along I saw some campers getting ready to bed down. Ahead was the final, steep, ridge to Iceberg Lake. I saw three hikers take a half-hour to get over this ridge. After waiting for them to clear the ridge, I climbed up. Just three feet from the top, my left foot gave way. I slid down at least 100 feet to the valley below. Now what? Take another half-hour or more to get to Iceberg Lake or go back. I decided that it already was too late. Disappointed, I started down without reaching my goal.
Fortunately, the snow was soft and I made good time. The temperature now was perfect. I met the Portal group who suggested glissading. The snow was way too soft in most places and it was a nuisance putting on and taking off my snowshoes. My movement down slowed considerably.
(Photos 40 – 42)
I reached LBSL at 5:45 PM. I now would have to move to get down to the Portal road before dark. Unfortunately, the soft snow in the North Fork Valley was hardening fast. My snowshoes kept sliding out from under me on the slick ice. Glissading meant moving my butt over snowshoe holes and postholes, ouch.
Halfway down the valley light was fading fast. It was a moonless night. I reached into my pack for my overhead light. It didn’t work. I put in new batteries; it still failed. I changed the light bulb; no light. Now what? Soon, it would be pitch dark and I was still up the North Fork valley? Just as I was getting ready for a cold and miserable night under a space blanket, I remembered that my Nokia cell phone had a LED. Voila, a light good enough to see in front of me! Slowly I descended holding a pole in one hand and a pole and the phone in the other. I continued to trip, landing on my already sore butt wincing with pain. Some campers lower down asked if I wanted coffee to warm up. I declined saying that I just wanted to get down.
Almost to the main trail intersection, I lost my snowshoe. I spent a half hour looking for it. I thought that it was in deep snow but a day later it was found (see “Found” thread: http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002817). Now I would have to posthole in soft crusty snow.
Going over the snow bridges on the main trail was treacherous in the dark with one small, unwieldy, light. I almost fell into one of the creeks. Eventually I got to the Portal road. It was another hour and a half of postholing in crusty snow before I reached my car, much relieved. It was now 10:36 PM, much later than my expected return time.
As in any good horror film, beware of the first ending. I got in my car. Driving around the first curve, I lost control of the steering. Trying to regain control, my car rolled over. There must have been some bla$k ice on the road. My car was upside down on a dark desert highway. I crawled out and used the same phone that previously had been a lifesaver with its light to call 911. Luck once again was with me. Proving the monster movie cliché, I got a good fright but was safe. A half hour later I was at the Dow Villa.
It’s almost two weeks later. I’ve replaced my car, but not my enthusiasm for winter adventure. I’m planning to train more extensively for cold weather conditions. I’ll be back.
