Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board MR- Ice on the final 400 in summer

I made my first trip up the MR route last week and loved it. There were still a few patches of ice on the rocks in the final 400 from the melting snow field just below the summit, but they were totally avoidable.

Was this a normal amount of ice on the 400 for August even though we've had such a light snow year. Or during more a more normal year, would one expect that crampons will still be necessary on the final 400 even in August??

I would wager that even in a summer with a snowy season that the sides of the notch are relatively sparse with snow enabling a scramble up the sides without crampons and axe.

This is a picture looking up the final 400 feet to the summit. We call that the staircase or the chute above the notch. You can see the snow/ice field up toward the top.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1382217881061435028ZVEjsZ

In most years, by July you can bypass the snowfield altogether, either climbing on the right side or on the left side. I have never seen it gone totally, even late in the summer. At that point, if you are on the remaining hard ice you choose to be there.....but I can't imagine hauling snow gear up there for 100 feet of ice and hard packed snow.