Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 2025

Hi Jgoz,

Jim already answered this pretty well, but I thought I'd contribute.

1.) Check recreation.gov and see what's available. Should be some options.

2.) Crampons and Ice Axe - non-negotiable. Anything else is extremely risky and dangerous. Snow chute can get pretty steep in places.

3.) Have the ability to dress warm(jacket, snow pants, gloves, hat, etc). Will warm up during daylight and you will shed clothes, but if you're operating in the dark it will be cold. Also recommend good sunglasses so the snow doesn't blind you.

4.) Keep in mind you are now operating above 10k feet for the majority of the hike/climb vs. 8,000ft max on rim to rim. You will also be in snow for a significant portion. Even if you are adept at mountaineering I would plan for 16hrs minimum. If you beat that, good for you. If not, at least you are prepared.

5.)
-I second Jim's mention of being prepared to stay overnight on the mountain. You are at its will and conditions can change at any time.
-I recommend carrying necessary materials to trail camp, then storing it there and taking a small daypack up the chute.
-Take whatever you may need to help you with altitude sickness(ibuprofen, electrolytes, etc.); If it hits you, it will hit you fast and hard.
-Download your map of the trail. You will not have signal. There are pockets around mile 2.5 and at the summit, but they are not reliable.

Always better to be safe rather than sorry. This mountain claims people from accidents and unpreparedness. Mitigate your risk.

Crossed paths with a couple of Forest Service Rangers who were heading over Cottonwood Pass to do a Trail Routing Assessment. One of them stated that both the FS and NPS are working to get trails off of meadows...

Of course, I took the opportunity to $%#@!!-and-moan about the Whitney Permit System...Interesting hearing that they are frustrated that some of us are frustrated by the system...

It also lead to the potential offer of a Voluteer position...Ithey are short-handed...I'll probably know in a couple of weeks...Dropped Doug's and Brian's names as references...

Asked about the NPS Backcountry Ranger sitiuation and was told they were prepping for deployment and would be in the field soon...

When asked about Whitney Conditions, one stated that they still consider it a Snow Climb up the Bowl to Trail Crest...


Switched from waterproofs to Hokas for the Loop and ended up finishing about 20 minutes faster for the 11 miles...snow is almost gone on the PCT through this section of trail...

Oh...June 5th and already in 4 T-Storms...

Hey Richard.....as for rerouting trails through the meadows. About 5 or 6 years ago I made a request to have the trail through Big Whitney Meadows be rerouted. Currently, the trail goes through the middle of the meadow, and on top of that, it is constantly inundated with water. It is constantly a slug through mud, with some hikers going off trail thinking it would be better. It's not. They trample the grass.

I told ranger May about the trail.

I hope it's the Big Whitney Meadow trail!!!

Can’t wait for for trip report on your Whitney climb.

Good luck.

paul

Hi there, wondering if anyone has info on the conditions for the switchbacks and the cables? I'll be doing the MT next week.

Thanks a lot

t

Was up there 07JUN--switchbacks still buried under snow at that time. Crampons were on just past trail camp up to the cables then traversed over to the snow slope for the journey up to Trail Crest.

Hey thanks man for the info on what to expect

Awesome 3 days from Cottonwood Pass to Whitney Portal...except for the lousy snow on the east side...photos and more about the trip later...

Here's my take on Whitney right now:

-A few snowfields on the West Side Switchbacks...Trivial...40 PCT'ers left Crabtree a little past midnight for a sunrise summit...quite the parade down as I was heading up at a more resonable hour...

-A few snowfields on the West Side Whitney Trail...nothing considered difficult...

-A split path up Whitney...I preferred the direct ascent, but you have the option of the traverse around the "normal" way the trail goes...I'd be careful on that traverse if the wind is howling...tends to ice up...

-Met a couple of women who had done The Switchbacks...comment was they only geared up for The Cables and the rest wasn't bad...I went down based on what they said and boy, was that a mistake...first thing, there's a "bulge" of snow at Trail Crest that requires a delicate traverse around...not for the faint of heart...the top of The Cables has a 5-6 foot headwall (you'd have to climb down it on the way up) that isn't easy climbing...then you get to go back-and-forth on the inside and outside of The Cables to negotiate the rest of the terrain...I'd call that Mountaineers Only...the lower Switchbacks still have a bunch of snowfields that you have to boulder-hop around if you're sick-and-tired of the crappy snow...

-Loads of the trail is running deep with water in the afternoon...the Spring on The Switchbacks was flowing as strong as I've ever seen...

-The snowfield direct from Trail Camp to Trailside Measow is a sun-cupped mess...not fun...

-The Bacon Cheeseburger and Beer were as good as ever...Thanks Paul...I didn't ask, but I think I'm still paying with your money...

Here are some photos of the conditions on Whitney (06.10.2025):


Looking up The Cables.



Looking down The Cables.



The trail above the cables is clear.



The Chute (really a Bowl).



The snow traverse to Trail Crest.



A view of The Switchbacks from the West Side Trail.



Zoon in to see the 2 alternate paths up the Summit Snowfield.

Thank you Richard for a fantastic report out on the conditions. We have our planned day trip coming up on 24th, hope to see some more melting down by then.

Can you confirm other than Cables section, rest of the areas are hikeable without any major fuss. We are not mountaineers , just hikers and planning to have some microspikes on us.

There were about 3, or 4, sections like photo 5...
I call them boot buckets...because of the soft snow the boot track is fairly deep...if the snow doesn't collapse out from under you (a strong possiblity in the afternoon heat) it's relatively easy to handle...
Like I said in the earlier post, The Cables and that traverse as you approach Trail Crest are not for unskilled people right now...I am worried that we're going to hear about an accident if people don't stay clear of these areas right now...

It was dang hot on the east side...I'd call the freeze level 12k'+ now (maybe even 13k), so melting 24/7...

Great trip report Richard. Just like the old days,and I hope there are more to come.

I was up at the Portal Memorial Weekend, and according to Doug Jr, you still had about $70 left to use.

I am heading up today for some day hiking out of Horseshoe Meadows. My plans are to head up every 2 to 3 weeks.

paul

Thanks...the Trail Pass / Cottonwood Pass Loop is one of my favorite hikes...

Although from the west side, this is an example of the Boot Buckets:

The cables look passable with microspikes and poles, correct?