Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board October 2, 2007 Trip Report: Langley and Whitney

A much delayed trip report.
First, thanks to everyone on the Whitney Portal site. I have been checking out postings on this site, and asking questions for over a year now. I have been amazed at the amount of information and the willingness to share. You all really helped me plan a successful summit trip up Whitney!
I started planning this trip last year after I summited Langley in July 2006. I decided then and there I would do Whitney. I had originally planned a two day climb last October. Since I live in Mississippi, I have to plan pretty far in advance. Well, last October I bought my tickets and planned my itinerary of a couple of days in LA, then Lone Pine, the Portal and then a day hike. Well, the day before I left MS, it snowed, and Kurt posted his "winter conditions" post, which, with all the other warnings about the danger of the switchbacks in snowy and wintery conditions, made me reconsider and not do the climb. I still feel this was the correct decision. It permitted me to get in better shape, and to do some more planning.
So, I decided on another attempt, this time in September 2007. Initially I had planned on a solo one or two day ascent. But, a buddy of mine found out what I had planned and came along. We picked a new date of early October instead of the middle of September date I already had reservations for, and would you not believe it - the week before we flew out it snowed! Up came the warning postings again. Well, this time I was ready. Snow gear, including crampons and ice ax.
Our plan was to hike in from Horseshoe Meadow, do Langley, go down the Miter Basin, and come around the back of Whitney on the John Muir trail and out via the Portal.
We flew into LAX on Friday, 9/28, drove to Lone Pine, picked up our permits, and made arrangements for "Dave" (he was really cool, got his name and number from the Rangers) to drive us from our parked truck at the Portal to HSM. But, the Rangers told us there were 3 feet of snow on the Western Side. Hmm, we thought, that could be a pain. We decided to instead drive ourselves to HSM in case we had to come back out the same way. If we made it around, we'd worry about getting back to HSM from the Portal later.
We spent Friday night at HSM Meadows. Started in on Saturday. It pretty quickly became apparent the altitude was affecting my buddy pretty bad. Our five day around the back with long day hikes quickly became unrealistic. No problems. We could do two nights acclimatizing by the Cottonwood Lakes, do Langely, and then drive around to the Portal and do Whitney.
Weather was great. Hiked to Lake #3. Camped under clear starry filled skies. Got up at dawn and hiked up up Old Army Pass. Snow and wind, but clear and beautiful.
Made it up to the pass. I went alone up toward the Langley from the top of the pass while my buddy waited half way from the pass and the beginning of the final climb. I turned back after about 45 minutes. Winds were pretty bad and I realized I would not make it to the summit and back in time for us to make it back to camp by Lake #3, break camp, hike out, and drive around to Lone Pine in order to change our permits to the Main Whitney Trail before they closed.
So I did not make it up Langely this year. But, all worked as planned. Made it out to Lone Pine. Dinner at the Pizza Place. Stayed in Lone Pine. Got new permits first thing Monday morning. Ok, the Rangers do not open at 6 am, or at 7 am - I know because I was there waiting. I was not about to not get a permit for Whitney and have to wait another year!
Drove up to the Portal Monday morning. Hiked in to Outpost Camp. Man, must have hit it just right. It was simply spectacular. Cool and fall colors. (Sorry - don't know how to post photos here, otherwise I would.)
Got to Outpost Camp. Two guys in a tent next to us began to cut down branches. I was pretty upset, checked with two other tents. We all agreed it was wrong, but when they stoppped at two branches, I let it go. Turns out the cutters were a father son German team who caught up with me on the trail the next morning. The son had been making walking poles for them.
Left Outpost Camp at 4:00 am on Tuesday 10/2. My buddy stayed in camp. Walked alone in the dark to Mirror Lake, where I lost the trail. The two Germans caught up with me, equally lost. Eventually I figured out by using my compass and looking at the map where the trail had to be (i.e. bushwack SE until we found the trail). It worked and we made it to Trail Camp in pretty good time. The folks there were still in their tents. I think we got there just around dusk.
Once we started up the switch backs, and once we reached the snow and ice, I put on my crampons and slowed down. The two Germans quickly left me and powered on ahead, which was fine with me. I really wanted the solitude and mental challenge of a solo climb anyway.
A couple of people that we had met hiking in to Outpost Camp told us they had turned around right after the cables due to snow and ice and the exposed sections there. I plowed ahead very carefully with my crampons on. Never felt I needed to turn around. This was confirmed when Rick (posted his TR here earlier) wearing strap on type crampons passed me by right below Trail Crest (if I remember correctly), and when one dude reached Trail Crest in tennis shoes (yes tennis shoes) while I was resting there. As I began on the back side, and found the conditions there worse than on the switch backs, I called back to Tennis Shoes and strongly suggested he turn around, which he did. More power to him for having made it up to Trail Crest, and for having the sense to turn around.
I was now alone on the back side. At one point, I guess where one can finally see the summit, I almost turned around. I was tired, and it was further than I had thought, and I was getting close to my turn around time. But, I gave it one last push, and made it. I was the fourth person on the summit. The two Germans and Rick were there (I think). I had set 11:30 as my turn around time and I made it.
I was off the summit by noon and began back. While still on the back side I met two parties of young college or just out of college folks. I thought they were a little late and really not prepared. (I am sure I was wrong in both respects.) In return, I know they turned to each other after I had passed and asked - "What is that old man doing in the mountain alone?"
Well, this old man made it down to Outpost Camp by 6:00 pm, and in one piece. The only negative side of the whole day was that I severely underestimated the amount of water I needed. I ran out of my two liters by Trail Crest on my way down. I ate snow going down the switch backs. Still, I was pretty thirsty by the time I got to Trail Crest. So I asked if anyone could spare some water, just a mouthful if nothing else. Two people I met on the trail said no! I was shocked. One guy at Trail Crest did offer to lend me his Steri Pen to sterilize some water - I do appreciate that. I was too tired, however, and kept pushing on. In retrospect a stupid decision.
Regardless, as I came to the first stream after Trail Crest, and was about to bury my head in the cold water and drink, a third hiker gave me a brand new 1.5 liter bottle of water. Never got your name. But thank you. You restored my belief in humanity!
Anyway, got to Outpost Camp by six pm. Broke camp, switched from my light summit pack to my 40+ backpack, and hiked out with my buddy in the dark to the Portal. For some reason that hike seemed a lot longer going out than it did coming in. Reached the portal late, around 10 pm, had a late night breakfast at the 24 hour diner, slept in Lone Pine for the night, only to get up at 3:00 am in order to make it to LAX for the morning and fly back South.
Meant to post photos, but do not know how to do so.
Hope this TR was not too long.
Really do appreciate all the help I got from the folks on this Board in preparing.
Next? I am hoping to take a winter hiking class or two through SMI, and then why not Rainer or Kilamanjaro.
Hans

Great TR, Hans! Good work on the trip, and many good decisions made along the way!

Congrats Hans, sounds like a great trip.

For posting photos, try going to Flickr.com.

Thanks for the trip report. I read it all. Seemed like an interesting challenging trip that you handled well.

For posting pictures, under "Feature Topics" in the upper left hand corner of this webpage there is "Message posting tips". There you will find this link, Adding picture images .


Regarding the water, when did you first realize you wouldn't have enough and did you consider rationing it so that you would have enough to wet your mouth occasionally until you got to the next water?

My feeling about getting help from strangers in a situation where my survival is not threatened is: If they help, that's nice of them. If they don't, it wouldn't be fair to hold it against them because I didn't adequately prepare for my comfort.

Great TR. Sounds like you made all the right decisions except water. I am surprized that anyone would deny someone even a mouth full of water. Bob K may be correct that you failed to plan that part correctly but I personally don't think that there is any excuse to deny someone a little bit of water.After all my experience in the mountains is that it is a community. So far it hasn't become calloused and jaded like the rest of the world , I hope.I am going to hope that that was just an isolated act of uncaring selfishness and atypical of whom you normally encounter in the Sierras.
Great job and congratulations on a successful summit.

Am I the only one on this board that thinks it is outrageous that someone asked for water and was told no? I am surprized that there has been no remarks on this subject other than Bob K's and mine.

There's not enough info for me to have an opinion on the water issue. Did Hans have a filter? If so, there's no mention of him using it. There was snow/ice available, and while not as satisfying as liquid, it does help. And, one person did offer a Steripen which Hans turned down. And we have no way of knowing how much water the two people who turned Hans down had on hand - maybe they were very low themselves.

Anyway, there's not enough info here for me to form any opinions/judgments. Perhaps others feel the same way.

I regret having mentioned this whole thing about water. The whole trip was such a great experience, the last thing I wanted was to inject any type of negativity into it.
Having said that, I agree with all. I should have been better prepared. I brought two liters in a bladder with me. Next time I will bring more, and I will will bring some in a bottle. Because I carried the bladder in the back of my summit pack, I did not realize I was running out until it was too late. If I remember correctly, it was after the summit on the backside that I realized I was out of water. I sat on the ground at Trail Crest and dripped the last few drops into my mouth. In terms of the steripen, I should have carried one. Left it at Outpost Camp. A dumb mistake. In terms of the two hikers who turned me down. It was clear to them I was not dying. For one thing the stream coming from Trail Camp was close by. So for them it clearly did not seem to be an emergency. Also, looking from their point of view, they likely did not realize how close they were to Trail Camp, so they likely had not idea of how much water they needed for the rest of the day. So while I admid I was surprised at the time, in retrospect, I fully understand their decision. Having said all this, all of these things would not have mattered to me if the table was reversed. If someone on the trail asked me for water, I would simply assume that that person needed water, and I would give him or her water. Period. Again, however, I hate for this to be what I will be remembered for on this Board. I had a great trip, I am grateful for all the advice I got from people on this Board and what I learned from those more experienced than me. And, I am grateful for the mistake I made. Next time I will be even better prepared.
Hans