First, I am one of those recreational hikers, not a climber. I'm in "good shape," forty-something... heavy on the "something." So if it's your first time, I hope this helps you understand a little about the Main Trail. If you are going soon, I hope this helps you to be prepared and hike safely.

I had started to organize a three-dayer for about 15 people to Whitney last year. To make a long story short, the permit process pretty much killed that idea.

Undaunted, on May 1st I got four others together and got day permits and overnight permits to cover the time period. Sweet! Well, two cancelled, so it was me and a friend and his girlfriend. I mentioned 0300 to start, and they said have a nice walk. They did hike the trail, but just for fun.

It T-stormed Thursday at the Portal. Cloudy with widely scattered sprinkles late Friday afternoon. It was absolutely gorgeous Saturday.

Anyway, I got going around 3:15 along with a group of 15! We were separated on the trail by about five minutes. It was eerie and fun to walk in the light of the full moon and an LED headlamp. The wind was calm to light and the temperature was mild. Two shirts and a fleece sweatshirt to start. The sweatshirt was off in an hour.

There was some snow on the trail below Outpost Camp, but was easily negotiated. It may last till this next weekend. I was fine with hiking alone. I got to set my own pace whether quick or slow and made Outpost Camp by 5:15. There is plenty of water. Bring your filter. The toilets are available.

Just below Trail Camp there were places still covered with plenty of snow. Crossing these snow fields is easy. Pretty solid early; slushy in the PM. Just follow the tracks. I arrived at Trail Camp at 7:10 and discovered I'd lost my TP when I put my fleece sweatshirt away. Hmmm, I debated whether to ask if someone could spare some, but found some paper towels stowed for other purposes in my pack. The point is, the toilets are also available at TC. There was still snow covering several tent sites there. And it appeared the lake froze over at night.

After a short break, I headed for the 99 Switchbacks, which were only about 90 or 95 due to snow. The Ranger told me it's OK to cut switchbacks when on a snowfield. It didn't help. 99 or 95, it's a long grind. There is lots of water on the trail that will be icy early. There is water for drinking as high as 1/4 the way up.

Now the fun part. (And it will be better next weekend.) There is still a significant amount of snow at some places on the Switchbacks. Notably, at the Cables and the last 100 yards to Trail Crest. The cables were NOT up except in one particularly dicey spot. In the morning the snow is hard and stable and the cable posts can be used as hand holds by the more rational of us! In the afternoon it is slushy and I felt much more inclined to be precise as I traversed this area.

Near the top, the snow was good in the morning, but soft in the early afternoon. I felt like I needed to be careful and expeditious while crossing there. I had no desire to "glissade" to Trail Camp! There are several troughs headed down the chute that I supposed were planned....

I reached Trail Crest before 9:30. The hike to the summit was better for me than it's been in the past. There were still a few places with snow covering the trail as I walked across the back side of the ridge and the snow field near the summit. They were easily managed. The snow was soft in the PM and was slippery.

I had planned to try to climb Mt. Muir. With the help I got on this board, I found the cairn and looked at the climb from the trail. I decided it wasn't something I wanted to attempt alone and I thought I'd rather go up with someone who has already climbed it. And on a three-dayer rather than a day hike.

Reached the summit at 11:23. Undoubtedly, one of the BEST days ever on Whitney. Clear blue sky, light breeze, and a cool temperature. I was still in two shirts and long pants. I was looking at the survey markers on the rocks and inadvertantly looked over the east face. I think it's a candidate for a BASE jumper.

This was my best hike yet. I did hikes on the 6 or 8 weekends before the trip, worked out in the gym with weights and aerobic conditioning, and I used supplements (gingko, cordyseps, ginseng/guarana, and some extra B vitamins). I also walked up the Meysan Lakes Trail Friday before to "tune-up." I ate a little every hour during a 5-10 minute break (lunch didn't really interest me on top, but ate anyway), and had plenty of water. I took aspirin twice on the hike preventatively.

It'll be GREAT! Hike safely.