Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney Stream Crossings

Does one need waterproof boots to make the crossings on the summit trail or can one tip toe on rocks and avoid dumping an entire boot into the water? If the former I may bring some Tevas or flip flops. Thoughts?

Look at the topic called "Virtual Whitney Trail", and scroll down until you see some links in a posting by "hikealongpete". Each of these links shows you an edited video of each mile of the main trail (so far, only through mile 5, I think), and include stream crossings. Personally, I have always just worn my boots, which I think were water-proofed when I bought them.

CaT

There are rocks or logs at the stream crossings. Your feet wont get wet unless you slip.

Day hiking I would worry more about it during the descent, when you are tired and are finding it difficult to concentrate. All the crossings are relativitly simple.

Wow! Thanks for the quick responses! I'm in the process of downloading those videos now.

Early in the season some of the river crossings have a lot of water in them, sometimes covering the rocks.

By July or so it is easy and you won't have to worry about getting your feet wet unless you fall in.

If you go up the old stock trail, you bypass the first two stream crossings had you started from the main trailhead.

The log crossings give me the heebee jeebees since my depth perception isn't so good with a headlamps at zero dark thirty. When on the descent, no worries.

I have seen hikers in Tevas. They switch into boots at Trail Camp as they stash their Tevas under a rock to save on extra weight.

Seal Skinz socks or kayak booties can probably be worn with your Tevas.

I just take my boots off and walk across. The cold water feels great...

Roger that, aMC!

Especially after a long day-hike.