Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Recommended Footwear(trail runners or hiking boots?)

Can anyone tell me what the appropriate footwear is for a mid October attempt? I'm leaning toward hiking boots due to the possibility of snow but I'm not sure.

Depends...dayhike or overnight? If you're carrying a full pack, boots, definitely, both for support and against the possibility of unexpected snow.

If you're dayhiking, watch the weather forecast closely and have both in the car with you, plus the appropriate sox for each, then decide at the trailhead.

Personally, I would prefer boots, especially for the rockier parts of the trail from Trail Crest to the summit. However, lots of folks swear by trail runners, and if their feet are tough enough to handle the abuse in lighter shoes, they will definitely hike faster and lighter with lighter footwear.

I'm with Alan, the upper part of the trail is rough and uneven. I'd go with at least lightweight hikers, everything depends on your loading.

Personally, I like midweight backpacking boots as all around footwear because I find the trail boring and like to go to places most folks haven't traveled. I, also, don't like feeling every pebble in the trail.

Bill

Even though my friends have hiked in their high top running shoes I never do. I am aware that 1 pound on your feet is like 6 pounds on your back. However, day in and day out I usually hike/ backpack with the same mid level high top Backpacking/ hiking shoes. They give good support and they can take anything, on trail or off trail. I agree with what has been said. The upper portion of the trail is rough and rocky and not gentle on the feet.

And since they would hold up to the rigors of your backpack to trail camp, they would work great.

We're spending a night at trail camp so I'll be toting all the necesary gear.

Bdoggy,

All the necessary gear is a nebulas statement. This could mean anywhere from 8 to 50 lbs sans water and food. 3 years ago all the necessary gear for me was about 33 lbs.; now it's 10 to 12 lbs less.

Bill

wbtravis5152 -

I would be very curious to know what a typical pack of 10 to 12 lbs consists of. I have been on the trail for a few years now but I seem to have ramped up a tad with my pack weight. It probably does not help that my Gregory Denali (great pack) starts me off at almost 7 lbs. I do a lot of solo 3 - 5 day stuff so I am always looking to see how others have been able to achieve a lighter load.

Sorry to deviate on the thread, but I fell compelled to stick with a little stouter footware to keep from trashing my already scrawny ankles.

Bdoggy, I've gotta go with midweight over the ankle hiking/backpacking boots myself. Especially if you are draggin a pack up to Trail Camp. Like they say the top is rocky, but it is a semi rocky trail from Outpost Camp to Trail Camp too. Not only do you want protection from that type of trail on your toes and soles, you definitely do not want to roll over an ankle up there either. Coming down is the most difficult and painful portion of the trip on the feet.

whatever your choice, be sure to trim your toenails before you leave.

on the descent from trail camp to outpost, i was flying. halfway down, i started to feel some discomfort in my toes but I just figured it was the downhill pressure from the steepness of the section.

sure enough, the extra-long toenail on my middle toe right foot was shoved back and bruised the soft portion underneath the nail. nothing major but it would not have been an issue if I would just given it a good trim before departure.

I hiked up in June and wore running shoes to Trail Camp and switched to hiking boots there due to snow. My running shoes weigh about a pound, and I think it's worth the carry. It does feel great to switch back into lighter shoes for the downhill from Trail Camp. If there's no snow or rain I think you could easily just use running shoes the whole way if you're used to that.

Joeski

Bdoggy, I have summitted in hiking shoes, tennis shoes and running shoes. All great going up, killers coming down. I was not able to wear hiking shoes for years until I got foot surgery and used the hiking shoes on my last summit.

Coming down was relentlessly long and brutal, my toes hit the toe of the shoe until I am now going to lose both nails on the little toes. Otherwise the shoes are great and I'll just stuff some light cloth in the toes unless someone knows of a better cure.

Try out different kinds and NEVER break in a new pair on this trail!

>>I'll just stuff some light cloth in the toes unless someone knows of a better cure.

That sounds almost like you got blisters because the shoe was too wide... Although earlier you mention that your toes hit the shoe. If the shoe is too tight, here is my trick: A shoe made of leather will strech when wet. So I put a wet rag in my shoe overnight and stuffed it into the toebox. Next morning I stuffed newspaper in, tight enough to stretch the shoe. This procedure can be repeated if the first time it didn't stretch enough. Also, I wrapped athletic tape around my little toe as preemptive strike.

Bill, I'd be happy to send you some information on Ultralight backpacking, but your e-mail address option is not available.

Along the lines of which you talk, my pack is 1-1/2 # this year, a Golite Speed, which is actually an adventure racing pack. Worked fine for 3, 8-day trips. Ran around 20# for those, my weekend trips about 10#.

Point is, you DO have to wear sufficient footwear for the activity you are doing. I have a lot of boots. If I'm on trail, I prefer a pair of low-top boots, if I'm off trail, or go over 30# on trail, or will have severe gain, or especially, loss, I'll go with my high top heavier boots.

I find that for the lighter loads that I use these days, I am able to go with lighter foot options, also.

I hiked the High Sierra Trail(72 miles,which ends on Whitney) this past August in running shoes, no blisters, no bruises, no problems. I carried a 35 pound pack at its heaviest.While four of the five men I was hiking with got blisters and ended the trail with their toes heavily bandaged(they were all wearing hiking boots). If snow were forcast I would probably bring my hiking boots so as to stay warm and dry with a few blisters.