Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board electrical storms

I'm heading up next Saturday as a virgin and have read a lot about what to do in the event of an electrical storm. I'm more confused than ever. Can anyone advise someone from So. Cal. experiencing a rash of monsoonal storm activity about what to do when this happens? Other than to retreat, I'm not quite clear about how best to weather a storm if it comes up. Thanks

Here's the sign at the top of Half Dome on this subject:
http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/84870361/original

Of course, the best advice lies at the bottom, which tells you not to go up if there are thunderclouds anywhere in sight.

It's a bit counter-intuitive; I noticed an earlier post where they had taken refuge under a rock overhang, and while that seems logical, it is not safe. Unless it's right on you, I'd head down immediately, rather than try to wait it out.

If you can get hold of a copy of "Shattered Air", it's a very interesting book about some folks who decided to watch a lightning storm from a talus cave on top of Half Dome...nice and safe inside, or so they thought.
(the cave) http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/61298401

The hut atop Whitney is also apparently unsafe and should not be used. The best advice is to be sure you're not up there in a thunderstorm. We just had a big lightning storm here in central-coastal CA, and I was imagining being on a summit during that. At two seconds lag (less than half a mile) the sound is ground shaking and the light is blinding; I would do everything I could to NOT be on any summit when that comes.

I was on Mt. Whitney on a Labor Day weekend a few year back when I left the summit there were a few very small puffy clouds by the time I reached the Portal the entirety of the Sierra Crest covered in dark clouds and electrical storming.

It does not take long to go from mild to wild. I have been caught in electrical storms Sierra very early in the morning...as early as 8:30 AM.

The name of the game is to retreat lower quickly, below the treeline if possible. I have friends who have had the either hair stand at attention and their trekking poles sing.

I think you meant to say that it does NOT take long to go from mild to wild. I was flying past Paso Rolbles earlier this week and watched a cloud go from a small puffy cotton ball to a full fledged thunderstorm in less than 30 minutes.

Unless you are feeling awfully lucky, retreat is the best way to go on the mountain when you see the first signs of a thunderstorm building.

Lastly, it has been said before, but bears repeating: general weather forecasts for the area don't necessarily tell you much about the mountain weather. Big mountains like Whitney tend to make their own weather systems. How many times have we all seen it hot and sunny down in the valley and storming at the summit of Whitney?

Thanks Sam, I made the change.

A couple years ago I was at Long Lake and saw some guy running like hell(retreating) from Mt. Langley during a hail and thunderstorm in shorts and t-shirt.

Needless to say we made an alpine start for Cirque the following day and were hiking in run by the time we got back at Long Lake and experience a full on electrical before noon...about a 2 miles short of Horseshoe Meadow.