Just looked at the Mt. Whitney web cam at 16:45 today - is that smoke obscuring the view of Whitney from Lone Pine? My 72 old lungs would not like breathing that in while going up the Whitney trail. Pretty clear further south in Ridgecrest.
Strange smoke/ dust/or whatever some mornings and evenings , nothing up here in the Portal. Update on the mountaineers route last 400 very icy , some going down the main trail to avoid the ice, easy walkoff would be a death wish!!!!! Blue ice and light dg covering the ice.
Our group has a day pass for this coming Saturday 9/30/23. We are concerned by the weather forecast and are not sure if we should even travel and give it a go. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
We should be in the que for a system ,that said we know from all the years forecast are very seldom correct for snow, wind and temps are close but we sit in a void for radar coverage so moisture is from models and are good for a few days out at most. We watch the sky and always a wind event will bring the new system in , today is dead calm and warming trend Thursday/Friday will give us some hint if the systemmis moving in also I watch the sun/moon for a ring and often that tells us a moisture system is moving in.
Watch the webcam for clouds building Thursday afternoon Friday morning .
For those interested, I just posted a Trip Report for a hike on the Main Trail on October 11. It is posted under the topic Mt Whitney Conditions which was started by Angela.
Went down the 99 switchbacks today. Easy with crampons (not microspikes labeled on Temu as crampons) 3 large snowfields at the top, big drift on cables (I cut a big step shelf), mixed snowed in switchback corners (passable on rock), then a big snow band near the bottom where it begins rock from Trail camp then several switchbacks are under snow entirely but then they're exposed again (not steep section safe snow to cross up to clear switchbacks). Overall I'd say apart from the above mentioned sections, the trail is 70/30 clear/snow. Those sections are easy with crampons and possible with spikes and trekking poles, but only if experienced and it wouldn't be very pleasant IMO (and not safe if you're not experienced traversing that sort of snow with just spikes and poles).
Historical note: When I hiked Mt Whitney (with my Dad) as a boy, there were no Cables at all. After the Cables were eventually installed, they were usually removed each year during the Winter Season. Beginning about 20 years ago, they remain standing the entire year.
Here is the cable section and the section at the long top switchback before trail crest that will turn back many that haven't experienced snow travel . Notice the exposure and the run out if you were to fall , climbers that winter travel these conditions are just another day in the mountains. For hikers without gear and training trailcamp may be the turn around point , starting up the switchbacks across the snowfield on the lower section and then the travers above the cable area will be daunting at the least.
The transition from the slope to the switchback for most is still in the future and the slope will become a rock and snow scramble during the transition. not all snow and rocks showing at the run out if you slip.
We should start getting reports of "A " or "B" we started up but.... then turned around on either course.
This is another great vide by John JDS for current trail conditions for night and day hike with a new way to enjoy the famous pancake on the Mt. Whitney trail.
Thanks for posting John's recent Current Conditions video. This adventure reminds me of Crazy Jack's one day double ascents. Remarkably, I believe Jack was still doing them in his 60s, as well the Mt Whitney day hike starting and finishing in Lone Pine.
At 59:03 of the video, John shows some pretty yellow flowers at Trail Camp (el 12,000') and asks if anyone knows their name. I believe they are ALPINE GOLD which seems like an appropriate name.
Hiked the Main Trail yesterday June 26. Got a conditions update the day before from Doug Sr at the Store. He said the only issue was the final 10 yards at the Cables, with good boots or more casual shoes with spikes being adequate for safe passage (most of which is protected by an established tunnel). That is exactly how it turned out. Most of the snow on the trail seen in John's June 17 video has vanished. Water levels in the creeks are dropping. It was quite windy and a bit chilly yesterday. Glad I took a good jacket. The many hours of sunlight now are greatly appreciated.
Hiked the Main Trail yesterday (Monday July 27). In addition to all the hikers, at the Portal and in Town, a large crowd was ramping up for the Badwater to Whitney 135 which started in the evening. The parking lots at the Portal were full and cars were parked far down the road. The weather was superb. On the Main Trail the following were observed:
Since the fairly recent rains, the situation has normalized. There is no longer unusual amounts of water on the trail and all creek crossings are now easy.
All remnants of snow just above Mirror Lake are gone and the trail is easy to follow there.
There is no snow or ice at the Cables.
There is no Summit snow field.
Looking down the Final 400 on the Mountaineers Route, on sees snow in the middle on the upper half.
No mosquitos were encountered.
At the end of the hike a fine double cheeseburger and chat with Doug Jr were enjoyed.
Jim
PS: On a sad note, a long time Whitney Portal resident bear was recently euthanized by Fish and Game. Essentially, her life was ended because too many people inconsiderately left food out for her to eat. As visitors to her home, we should have displayed better manners.
And I'll repeat a comment I made several years ago...CDFW should make the whole canyon off-limits to Bear Hunting since so many people attract so many bears into the area...(a lot of states ban Baiting for Hunting) BTW, I recently read a realease from CDFW that they bear hunting quota has been increased...wonder if the Bear Problems (especially prevalent in Mammoth and Tahoe) are part of that reasoning???
And I'll repeat a comment I made several years ago...CDFW should make the whole canyon off-limits to Bear Hunting since so many people attract so many bears into the area...(a lot of states ban Baiting for Hunting)
Maybe they could open a season on people who feed bears. If that's too harsh, maybe we could just use packs of dogs to chase people who feed bears or shoot rubber bullets at people who feed bears.
Might want to check this site..... it seems to be pretty accurate for a number of peaks....https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Whitney/forecasts/4418
Warmer than we expected 8/8 - 8/11 at Outpost, Trail Camp and Summit. Dodged the rain by about 5 minutes on 8/11 summit day luckily making it back to tent just in time. Clouds that day were forming well before 9am.
A pack of coyotes (annoyingly) made their presence known late at night on 8/10 at Trail Camp, the howling echoed throughout the canyon and was a big conversation topic amongst hikers were staying at the camp. Have never seen them up that high, and we also saw far fewer marmots than before. The older big ones are no longer there, a young one came up to our tent and touched my wife on the shoulder while we were resting with the tent door open. Wife jumped about ten feet, marmot about twenty. Poor thing, hopefully it won't become a future coyote snack.
Water running down several switchbacks around #10 to 20.
Bring rain gear (duh). Every single day up there we watched as those beautiful blue skies transitioned quickly.
