I just got back and read the report from Friday the 29th. So, I thought I'd the highlights from my trip the day before - which truly shows how things change day to day.
Wednesday 5/27 - My wife and I pulled into Lone Pine around 2 PM and headed over to pick up our permit. We then decided to drive up to the Portal to see the lay of the land since we'd be starting our DAYHIKE the next morning at 3 AM.
After a quick walk around the trailhead and store we headed back into Lone Pine for a quick carbo dinner. We hit the sack at 7:30 PM
2:15 AM - With bags already packed, 3L bladders already full we did a final check and headed out to the Portal.
3:00 AM on the nose we took took our first steps onto the trail. I was glad we drove up the day before because the Portal is dark at 3 AM and you'd be hard pressed to even find the trail head (despite the large wooden arch) in the pitch darkness. Temp at 3 was about 47 degrees.
We really felt good at the start of the hike. The trail is very well blazed, soft and sandy, with what we consider a very easy grade. We moved slowly and steadily up to Lone Pine Lake. By about 4 Am you could already see light poking up behind Lone Pine. And by 5 AM we were able to turn off our lamps.
Just after entering the "Whitney Zone" we saw a lone tent, then proceeded up more switchbacks and trail to Mirror Lake. Again the trail was very easily with only a couple patches of snow to cross - just enough to get the soles of your boots wet. While the trail remained easy, we proceeded slow and steady as we've read multiple times on this board and elsewhere to not burn out early.
As the early morning progressed, more and more of the regions beauty came into view. We were the only ones out there at that point and it really made what sounds like a crowded hike very enjoyable.
Walking slowly we made it to trail camp at about 9 AM. First thing was to poke a little hole into the melting ice to refill our 3L bladders. Again, with no acclimation time, we tried to give ourselves the best chance at success by moving slowly and drinking plenty. By Trail Crest, we had both downed 3L of water.
Next the push up the switchbacks. Our original plan was to scope out the Chute as we have done plenty of snow chutes in the past and in our opinion can at times be a bit easier on the legs even though it's a lot steeper.
Though judging by the smoothness of the trail so far (we're used to lots of rocks and roots) and the lack of snow on the switchbacks, we decided on that route.
The first section was no problem. Then we hit the cables. On that day the cables section was covered in snow higher than the actual cables - though there was a clear boot path. The path SEEMED clear so we decided not to get out the crampons or axes. Things started out fine, but right at the last 5 or 6 feet a pretty sketchy maneuver was shaping up. There's a large rock overhang there where melting snow is dripping onto the trail making it extremely slushy. My first step caused the whole boot trail to slide making the passage very narrow and exposed. To make things even more interesting, because of the dripping water, ice and slush it was nearly impossible to grip. I hung tight to the wall and made a quick step. My wife was right behind me so she was going to have to make the same move. If we could have seen this from the start we probably would have put on our crampons. Unfortunately, the path was too narrow to do it midway. My wife did manage to get out her ice axe, but it barely stuck as she swung it into the slush.
After catching our breath, the adrenaline rush helped us push through the rest of the switchbacks.
On the way up we were passed by one solo hiker going up. He said he started at 5 AM and seemed to b e moving quickly and with little trouble. We then passed by another solo hiker coming down. He told us that the trail from Trail Crest to the Summit was fine.
We continued on. The rest of the switchbacks were fine until the last long one - which was again a narrow foot path over the exposed snow slope. We opted not to crampon up and just made the pass slowly (I think this is where the other poster fell).
We made it to Trail Crest around 12. All of a sudden a massive snow squall moved in. It only lasted about 10 minutes, but there were near white out conditions. We push forward. Weather went from bright sun, to rolling clouds, to snow flurries all the way to the top. The thing I remember most about this section was how long it felt - a lot longer than I expected. The trail itself was mostly snow free, but there are more than a few narrow sections where those with a fear of heights will be tested. When we finally made to the Summit cone, the hike was pretty straight forward. We hit the summit just after 2 and the sun was out. We stayed for about a half hour, but knowing how long we had to go, we figured we should get a move on.
The trip down to Trail Crest went quickly (we move a lot faster down hill, obviously). While we were hiking, my wife indicated that she was NOT going back down the switchbacks. She suggested we glissade. Taking a mental picture on the way up, we decided to enter the chute on the left side (facing down) between two rock out croppings. While the top is very steep. Once you pass the rock, you shoot out into the middle of the slope. Overall it seemed the best way to go.
So, we inched our way down the upper chute. It was a little nerve racking as it is very steep. We sort of sit stepped, but one we passed the rock. I was able to glissade the entire section in about 3 minutes (would be a great place to ski.) My wife's glissade was a bit slower, but taking this route easily cut 1-2 hours off our hike out.
The rest of the hike was more of a march. It was already past 4, so we knew we'd be heading out near dark. Side note - we passed tons of hikers at Trail Camp and Mirror Lake. Even though we didn't, we were glad we hiked on a Thursday as it was so much quieter.
It started to get dark as we exited the Whitney Zone and just like our walk in - it was completely dark from Lone Pine Lake out.
We finally hit the trail head at about 10:30. A full 19.5 hours after we began, but I must say, we still felt good all things considered.
Keys to victory:
Walk slowly. The beginning of the hike is easy so you're tempted to walk faster. Don't, you need the energy for above Trail Camp and the hike out
Drink Plenty. We drank about 5L - 6L each.
Caffeinated Goo Chews. Not sure what they are actually called, but they taste like gummy bears and are a combination of caffeine and gatorade. Tasty and definitely helped give extra energy.
The next day we went to Badwater in Death Valley - hitting the highest and lowest points in less than 24 hours. Fun!
