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

Trail update from Mon (Jun 23, 2025)
There are 3 snowy section to deal with:
1. The upper end of the Cables has an Icy Blob that you squeeze between it and the rocky wall. It's not as bad as it looks. I didn't need any micro-spikes to go up or down this section.

2. At the top of switchbacks, just before Trail Crest, there's about ~100' section with a good boot track, except for a ~20 section in the middle that drops down into the dirt


3. On the final slope there's a ~200' section of snow with a good boot track



Looking down the MR Final 400, looks like the upper section is still covered with hard snow/ice.


Have fun & hike safe

We summitted on 26th yesterday , Some improvement in the traverse area than what is shown by Graham's post.

Appreciate all the guidance I recieved from this forum. And here is my small token contribution

Bottomline: Be careful while navigating through Cables, Traverse, West side slope before the summit. Carrying microspikes will be of immense help as the conditions change in the PM (while coming down) and all the three areas get slushy and very slippery.

Good luck to y'all who are planning to hike this week. I am pretty confident this will all melt away in next couple of weeks.

Did you hike it in one day? Curious what the temps were like mid-day and overnight. Streams running full?

Yes we hiked in one day (Started at 2:15 and ended around midnight as we took it easy with several breaks). It was perfect weather all along with no winds, no need to have jackets or layered clothing. While descending in the evening around 8, it was slighly chilly at Trail camp area, after that it was all along in 50s through the Trail head. Should be very nice in the upcoming days before its gets too warm.

Hi Folks,

I called the Ranger Station yesterday and they said "it's very nice to have traction up on top"

Can anyone that's been up there in the last day or two comment on the status of the snow near the top?

Do hikers need micro spikes? Is it pretty clear to just hike all the way up and down?


We are headed up July 5

Thanks in advance!

Here are a few photos of conditions on passes South of Bishop Pass:
(For anyone heading to Whitney from there.)

Bishop Pass: I was tired and the weather was very threatening, so no photos...there were a few snowfields on the East Side (trivial) and if I made any steps on snow on the West (I think I cut one Switchback), I'd be surprised...BTW, more than a decade since I'd been on this pass and the views are Mind-Blowing...



Mather Pass: despite the photo, this was the most complicated of the passes I crossed...lots of boulder-hopping to avoid the snow...on unstable rock...



Pinchot Pass: don't really remember much...I think I may have done a bit of rock-hopping to get around snow...



Glenn Pass: No Problem...a couple of snowfields on the North Side...a Trench on the upper snowfield makes it relatively safe...

There's a young woman who prectically disappered in the Trench...there were Bear tracks in the snow on the bottom (small) snowfield...


In my opinion, the Creek/Stream Crossings are still the Crux of the Hike...


BTW2, let me know if I've got any of these passes wrong...I'm beat to heck by the 20+ miles I did yesterday, including multiple hours in Thunder Storms on the way down (snow up high...then grauple...then torrential rain)...riding down from the TH in still stormy weather...looking up at Onion Valley and deciding I'd ride the bike home instead of riding back into the storm to retrieve my truck...

I just wanted to post here a huge thank you to Doug for his help and kindness when my motorcycle broke down up at the portal campground. I was riding up from LA to Sacramento and stopped in at the store for one of those amazing cheeseburgers and got stuck. Goodness knows how long I would have been stuck without Doug's help, so thank you man. Made it back to Sac the next day (in case it happens to anyone else, the bike started just fine once I got down to town so maybe the altitude?)

And just a note for all the first timers browsing this thread for info and guidance: the opportunity to climb Whitney is an incredible experience not to be missed. I did it June 2023, and that was me following all these posts and reports for updates on conditions. Follow the advice on here, come prepared for the conditions and the mountain, try to do a little training and acclimate. It's a long, hard, tiring day (or two days) but you can do it and it will be amazing.

For July 5th here's what to expect. Apologies for any missing details.

Snow Field Traverse (Approx. 45–50 steps total)

Step 1–5: Approach and Assess
From bare trail edge, stop and visually inspect the snow field ahead.
You’ll see a single-track footpath kicked into the snow, angling slightly up to the right.
Face forward, align your hips and shoulders perpendicular to the slope.
Insert trekking poles or ice axe into snow. Tap snow for firmness.
Take a breath. Commit.

Step 6–15: Enter the Snow
Begin by stepping left foot first into the compacted snow path.
Keep body slightly leaning into the mountain (right).
Do not look down—instead, keep your eyes focused 10 feet ahead.
Keep knees slightly bent, arms out, trekking poles lightly in snow.
Step length: 2 feet each (short and deliberate).
You will pass two embedded rocks near Step 8 and Step 13 on your right.

Step 16–30: Traverse Mid-Section (Most Exposed)
Snow here is harder and slicker. Microspikes should be engaged.
Do not stop here—maintain slow, steady motion.
Look straight ahead, NOT down.
If needed, drive right pole up and into slope at chest height.
Turn your head slightly right every few steps to maintain awareness of the upper slope.
Three rocks protrude from the upper edge of the trail here at ~Step 18, 23, and 28.
Place right foot carefully into each step impression.
Avoid the soft outer edge of the snow path (cliff side).

Step 31–40: Gradual Curve Right to Exit
Path curves slightly to the right (west northwest) as it rejoins rock.
Turn your shoulders slightly to follow this curve without twisting your hips.
You’ll see a prominent granite boulder ahead (the "exit rock").
Two final steps pass a narrow rock island where you can tap poles for stability.
At Step 39–40, place your left foot on flat granite ledge.

Step 41–45: Complete Exit
Fully off snow. Turn body to face trail again.
Take 5 steps on granite to the flattest rest area.
Look back at the snow field and mentally mark your route.

Rock Count Summary:
Total visible rocks along snow path: 5–6 small to medium embedded in upper edge.
1 larger boulder at exit, often used as a marker or resting point.

Directional Summary:
General Trail Direction: West/Northwest
Body Position: Perpendicular to slope, leaning slightly left (into slope)
Head Turns:
Slight right every 5–6 steps to maintain awareness.
No full turns—avoid disorientation or slipping.
Eyes: Focus 10 feet ahead on snow path.

Gear Tips:
Microspikes: Required. Crampons if snow is icy and early morning.
Ice Axe: Strongly advised in early season or if snow is hard.
Poles: Use dual trekking poles for balance. Adjustable preferred.
Gloves: Insulated but flexible.
Helmet: Optional but advisable during freeze-thaw cycles (in case of falling, best protection).

Final Advice:
Time of Day Matters: Cross early morning = icy but firm; late day = slushy and unstable.
If you fall: Attempt self-arrest immediately. Otherwise, slide risk could be severe.
Stay safe, and remember: The summit is only halfway! Be prepared to turn back.

Like, could you be more explicit?

Enjoyed breakfast at the Whitney Portal Store this morning. Many visitors at the Portal. No parking spots left in any of the lots.

During the previous two days (July 3-4) hiked from Horseshoe Meadows (Cottonwood Lakes TH) to Whitney Portal via New Army Pass, Miter Basin, Crabtree Pass, Mt Whitney, down Main Trail.

CURRENT CONDITIONS:

New Army Pass- Walked a few steps in snow without significant runout below.

Descent to Upper Soldier Lake: Use trail (seen on some older maps) becoming increasingly well defined. It pays to stay on this trail for the long downhill sandy slog. No Bighorn sheep seen, though they are typically in this area just above the lake.

Miter Basin- As usual, the scenery did not disappoint. Many mosquitos at the outlet and inlet of Sky Blue Lake.

Crabtree Pass: Able to descend the steep north side without snow travel.

Upper Crabtree Lake- To navigate around lake to outlet needed to cross steep snow field running into lake. Timing passage important.

Ascent of Sand Hill to Discovery Pinnacle- Hard work, but increasingly good views to the south as one ascends.

Traverse of snow field below Mt Whitney summit "plateau." Stay in the trench, no traction devices needed.

Traverse of snow just below Trail Crest- hardly exists now. Non issue.

Cables- walked entirely on dry (currently) flat rocks adjacent to Cables.

Too slow now to finish in time to see the Fireworks in Independence, but feel vey lucky to still enjoy time on the Mountain.

Jim

Hey Thanks for the cross-country update, one of the jewels of the area challenging but with cross-country experience doable also can exit from Crabtree pass to the PCT to avoid the sand hill.
Many years ago on dark night we missed Arc pass and headed into the void finding you know that mountain called Hitchcock then we knew where we were and home was just down hill....
Caught up on the orders and came out to say Hi but you had left ,sorry to miss the chat time.

.

Hi Doug,

Yesterday morning, I immediately realized you and Doug were very busy and focused. The Whitney Portal Store was mobbed by hungry people ordering food and fed hikers wanting info on the Mountain hike and conditions. One individual even wanted to know if his hiking parter from the previous day had come down yet! Bet you have heard that question a few times during nearly 40 years at the Store.

So yesterday Becky pinch hit for you and Doug and we had a delightful conversation. Congratulations to Cayden on his 21st Birthday! Now that Mya is behind the wheel, I am sure she will drive defensively, as I saw many drivers misbehaving on the roads over the long Holiday weekend.

I will be back more times at the Portal this Summer and look forward to dropping by the Store. My daughter, son in law, and I are doing the Onion Valley to Mt Whitney classic hike in mid August. They have alerted me that they will coming to the Store with Norman Clyde appetites.

Best Wishes to the Thompsons.

Jim

Predictive specificity requested (as always) and delivered. (Although now, none of that info pertains, as the weather and conditions are but fickle mistresses...)

Separately, I sent you an email.

Army / New Army Passes Loop - 07.08.2025
=====================================

I decided I'd rather get up early and watch the Tour de France (3+ weeks) than head for Stage 4 (Bishop To Mammoth) of my JMT Section Hiking...I'll get back to it (assuming I can get permits) after the racing ends...

I don't want to lose my acclimatization, so I'll be doing a few of these "head up" hikes...

So, here's my take on the passes:
-Want to stay on trail? Head over Cottonwood Pass...
-Don't mind a short bit (I'd call it 30'.) of (don't want to call it scrambling...I never used my hands...Poles for balance...) harder Class 2? Head over New Army Pass. (My guess is 2 weeks...the upper 2 Switchbacks still need to melt out for it to be a Walk-Up...
-Don't mind extended exposure on Off-Trail-Scree...Tricky (?) route-finding...and a few steps on snow? Then you'd be fine on Army Pass...


Here are some photos:


Army Pass.



Sorry I didn't get a better photo of The Chute I came up, but it was steep and I was only willing to get so close...



You will need gear if you want to follow the "Trail" across the snow...This is where Army Pass would normally top out...



Remaining snow covering the last 2 Switchbacks on New Army Pass.



Some people (and a Dog) down-climbing New Army Pass...it is mostly dry rock and dirt...



Looking back up...




BTW: if you see this Ugly Old Man, don't tell him he won't be able to do something...



I had a guy (who appeared to be on Meth, or Coke...) today tell me I wouldn't be able to do Army Pass without gear...
Last week, I stopped to give another Old Geezer a description of the North Side of Mather Pass (he asked)...when I told him I wanted to exit Biship Pass the next day, he told me I probably wouldn't be able to do it...

In both cases, the Doubters were wrong...

BTW2: I do like to talk...it's a natural trait of Old People...Just hold the advice...unless I ask...The Real Cool Encounter of the Day was meeting a Young Couple who climbed Langley by NAP and returned via Army...I asked a few simple questions and received To-The-Point answers that had me keep going up...

Hi everyone- just posting a quick trail status. I went up on July 8th.

====================================
(1) WIND
====================================
We had 20 mph winds forecasted that day, which made the ridge line and summit more challenging. As I passed through one of the windows, a weird gust of wind blew my hood off and my hat straight off my head. The hat landed on a pile of rocks just beyond the window and wasn't safe to retrieve. My face got sunburned on the descent! Most other hikers seemed unbothered, but my body shifted slightly in the wind on the ridge line with occasional strong gusts of wind. 20 mph winds is the max that I personally feel comfortable with on this trail.

====================================
(2) CABLES
====================================
The cables had two sections of ice/snow. I passed through the lower section in trail runners with no problem:

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n8J_oHnWUZkrI8SkEUwoKP8ldeuwJh99/view?usp=drive_link[/img]

The middle section was clear:

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rtqxjMBSNQtdjNKFxzk7EBA9QWDsaC5K/view?usp=sharing[/img]

The upper section still has a big block of ice/snow:

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F1mp_MkzMRJXCQ4GtKR11W5b2qGk6auS/view?usp=sharing[/img]

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cXfc1k7hN9k05Vg9Slm8oNO5_Rac5TuN/view?usp=sharing[/img]

Most people chose to walk on the snowy path on the inside of the block. No one around me chose to walk on the dry rocks on the outside of the block. I couldn't tell if those rocks on the outside were stable or not and didn't want to be surprised, so I also chose to walk on the inside. The boot pack was good but I used micro spikes to be safe and felt much more comfortable. Leading up the cables, this snowy section had a slanted "exit ramp" to get back onto the dry rocks. The exit ramp at around 11am was a totally solid, slick block of ice. I had to be careful here, especially while carrying my heavy pack and poles.

====================================
(3) SNOW FIELD JUST BEFORE SUMMIT
====================================
I don't have pics of this part, because my hat had already been blown away and I didn't want to lose anything else. Right before the final rock scramble to the stone hut, the trail goes through a snow field (approx 20 yards long). There is good boot pack and the snow/ice forms a gutter around you, so you are not completely exposed. However, there are two large rocks that you have to climb over in the middle of this section. I am 5'9" and had to really stretch/pull to get over these rocks. Everyone who had micro spikes chose to use them here.

This section also has a blind curve, so if you are going up at the lower end of the section and another hiker is coming down from the upper end, you can't see each other. Try to avoid having to pass another hiker through here- it's very narrow. On my way up, two hikers coming down wanted me to stand on the exposed outside of the trail (on the lip of the snowy gutter) so they could pass on the inside. They thought this made sense since I had micro spikes and they did not, but I declined. That would have been completely unsafe for me if one of them had tripped/slid downhill while passing on the inside. I wound up stopping and leaning into the inside over a rock and had them pass on the outside.

====================================

The final switchback before Trail Crest was clear and just had a little running water through it.

In summary, I strongly recommend micro spikes (especially if you are only wearing trail runners). If there are winds forecasted, make sure to secure your hat and any loose belongings. If winds are forecasted above 20 mph, consider going another day or only going as far as Trail Crest, depending on your personal experience/comfort level. Hope this helps somebody and have a great hike.

Trail Map and Trail Status 7/7/25

My son and I both made it to the top on July 7 @ 2:15 PM.

Trail status: End of Cables has a choice of a 6-inch rock ledge or a 5-foot mound of ice to climb over that kisses the rock wall. There are 20 meters of snow on the trail after mile 10. The path is 2 feet deep and one foot wide, with a large rock to climb over.

Trail Map - Whitney Portal to Mt Whitney
[img]https://matteimers.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/6/8/38689911/mt_whitney_070725.pdf[/img]

Hey Richard, thanks for the photos of army pass, heading out in 10 days for my annual trip and plan on using army pass( been over NAP numerous times) on my way to Langley and miter basin, might bring some micros just in case but don’t mind doing a bit of scrambling if I have to

Mt. Whitney Main Trail Hike - 07.15.2025
===================================

I think we can call it summer on Mt. Whitney...
Here are a couple of photos:


Looking down The Cables...enough of the Ice Block has melted out that it is now a Walk-Up...



The Summit Snowfield has a Trench across it...the only concern (re:danger) would be the potential for Post-Holing in the afternoon...


There were a lot of people up there...had a very enjoyable day hiking with a group out of St. George, Utah...
Of course, the beer, burger and conversations with the WPS Crew are the highlight of any trip up there...
RG is heading up the MR today and said he would post a Conditions Report...


Oh, and a BTW: someone is suing the federal government and BAH regarding Rec.gov...I wasn't really paying attention to the report, so I have no details...

Thanks Richard abd Rick for the company and chats, I did a quick search on the litigation Rec.gov and the Government, found 1 case dropped in 2023

Finished the High Sierra Trail three days ago, July 18. Excellent weather enjoyed, except for a light drizzle and some hail on descent of the Switchbacks.

Photos of Richard P (July 15 hike) and Rick Graham (July 16 hike) provide a great conditions update for Mt Whitney. All I can add is that the trail coming up from Guitar Lake to Trail Crest is now completely free of snow.

All creek crossings on the High Sierra Trail are now easy to walk across. Snow is no longer an issue at the Kaweah Gap.

The Upper Hamilton Lake was very crowded with campers. At the junction with the JMT, the early July starters from Yosemite were met, as they closed in on the Finish Line. For the 19 miles between my campsites at Precipice Lake and Kern Hot Springs, no hikers were encountered.

In the Big Arroyo, there appears no effort to repair the collapsed roof of the historic Patrol Cabin.

Finished the hike with an enjoyable meal and chat with Doug Sr.

Jim

PS: The East Room of the Mt Whitney Summit Shelter is now completely free of ice. Yes, Summer has come.