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Joined: Oct 2008
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Making plans for this coming weekend. Planning to make camp at Iceberg Sat night if the weather is good. Trying to get back out there this winter. Have not been to the Sierra in months so I need to go get a quick fix. Is anybody heading up the Mountaineer's Route this coming weekend? It'd be cool to meet some folks from this boad.
Kevin
When in doubt, go up.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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I am considering going up on Wed or Thur. My daughter has been bugging me to take her on her first Whitney winter trek. I usually solo a trip or two on the MR in Dec and Jan at least to Lower or Upper BS. Not sure how she will do. If we get stuck at Lower, we'll have some hot choc ready when you go by.
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Joined: Jul 2008
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Weather permitting, I would be interested. Let me know your plans if you decide to go.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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I'm headed up this weekend with my partner. We hope to make upper boyscout lake (or iceberg) by late Friday, summit Saturday, and return Sunday. Depending on conditions(ours and the snow), we may use two days to get to iceberg, and try to summit Sunday.
Hope to see you up there..
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Joined: Dec 2008
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I went up to LBSL on Dec 29th postholing in waist to chest high snow all the way from the first creek crossing to where we camped overnight. I went with two others and we cut a trail all the way to the south side of the lake. IT WAS EXTREMELY TIRING! Hopefully the snow has crusted ALOT more or else two days may not be enough. The ledges were very sketchy due to being snowcovered and we didn't use them. Maybe our trail will still be decent till this weekend. That would save a bunch of time and ENERGY.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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Where's that picture of Doug from earlier this year? (Glad to see I'm not the only one who likes to embelish their stories.)
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Where's that picture of Doug from earlier this year? (Glad to see I'm not the only one who likes to embelish their stories.) 
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Joined: Sep 2005
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I can't wait to see the pics.
I plan to do the mail trail this winter maybe at the end of this month or early february.
This summer I'll try the MR so I can try it next winter/spring.
Please post the photos and let us know about the experience.
Tent/bivy; weather conditions; wildlife; etc.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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It looks like my other plan to climb in Lee Vining fell through. No MR this weekend. Everyone else heading up there, have fun!
When in doubt, go up.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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I was planning on spending a couple of days up there, but have to get to Mammoth to pick up gear on Saturday (heading to Park City for the tail end of Sundance - no way am I passing up the opportunity to stay and ski free.), so I'll only have one day to try and get as high as possible. Have fun up there. Say hi if you see me blazing past. 
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Joined: Aug 2006
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(heading to Park City for the tail end of Sundance - no way am I passing up the opportunity to stay and ski free.) Ummm... jealous, much??? 
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Joined: Sep 2008
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Where's that picture of Doug from earlier this year? (Glad to see I'm not the only one who likes to embelish their stories.)
I was with jhonda on 12-29. Thats no embellishment. What he forgot to mention was that it took us 11 hours to get to LBSL from the MR break off.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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I was with jhonda on 12-29. Thats no embellishment. What he forgot to mention was that it took us 11 hours to get to LBSL from the MR break off. Why? I was there a couple of days later, breaking trail from LBSL to the summit of Thor (solo) and it "only" took me 11 hours car-to-car (at the turnout - an extra 7 miles).
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Joined: Dec 2002
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The weather, skies, and moon were great on Thursday and Friday. We had hoped to scout out some of the MR but didnt get far. It was just nice to be out.
Next month work permitting!
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Joined: Jun 2008
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What sort of temperatures are you seeing up there on these winter hikes? like -20F at night? This beginning winter section of this story is comical: http://www.sierra-trails.com/whitney/whitneypre.htmBut this was in december and he said it was perhaps -20F during the night.
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Why?
Why does it take anyone a long time to move in snow? It was up hill with 40 to 50 pound packs through the willows in powder two days after the last storm had passed.
It must have been nice that things went so smoothly for you on your Thor climb. Everyone should be so lucky, but you did have "a couple" extra days for the snow to settle.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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What sort of temperatures are you seeing up there on these winter hikes? like -20F at night? This beginning winter section of this story is comical: http://www.sierra-trails.com/whitney/whitneypre.htmBut this was in december and he said it was perhaps -20F during the night. I checked the Cottonwoods Lake weather station and on the morning of Dec 26, 1999, the low temp was 18 degrees F, so the temperature at Lone Pine Lake that night would of been about the same. The Trip Report also said that Lone Pine Lake had a "rim of thin ice" at night and then the next morning it was "frozen over to a depth of at least a foot". That would be impossible to happen, but hey, it's not my Trip Report 
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Joined: Aug 2006
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My fave conclusion from that TR: 4) Due to the weight and dangers of cold, a partner is needed to share the load. Ummm... yeah...
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Maybe it was to make it more entertaining, after all his stuff is published stories rather then trail reporting.
-20F does seem a bit harsh for december.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,448 Likes: 11
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..., but you did have "a couple" extra days for the snow to settle. We'll name it The Miracle Consolidation Of Year-End '08. Or, maybe the wind blew so hard during the couple of days after that the extra 2+ feet of drifted snow blew down to the Owens Valley and melted.
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