Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board acclimatizing - easy ways to reach 12K or higher?

Heading up Sat morning for an eagerly awaited Mt. Whitney day hike on Monday.

We are still considering the best way to acclimatize, in addition to spending Sat and Sun nights at the Whitney Portal campground. We didn't want to do *too much* hiking over the weekend, esp. on Sunday, so we have as much energy for Mon as possible, but want to do some hiking and maybe drive to a high spot too.

On Sat, we were thinking about hiking at Horseshoe Meadows, maybe 5-6 miles. I saw there are a few trails. Which one(s) attain the highest elevation in the shortest distance? Are there other short hikes nearby that would get us higher in shorter distance? Probably will have 3-4 hours at most on Sat for a hike (excluding drive times).

On Sun, we were debating driving up to Big Pine - the Bristlecone Ancient Pine / White Mountain area. Is that a reasonable plan for the day, or is a very long drive? It looks to be ~85 miles. Also, what trail or walk would you recommend that gets us at a high elevation in short distance?

I was really hoping we could spend some time at 12K or higher over the weekend before beginning our hike on Monday, but I don't think my group is up for a really long hike to do so.

Suggestions are much appreciated. We are very excited - looking like pretty good weather and trail conditions. Now if only I don't fall in my driveway and break my leg or have some other sort of freak accident...

Laura

p.s. One of us was wondering if we'd "undo" our acclimatizing by driving into Lone Pine for dinner one or both nights and then returning back up to the campsite. How much of an issue is that? Thanks!

Bristlecone Pine is a great hike at 10k. Driving to the gate White Mountain is quite a "bumpy" drive especially for low-clearance vehicles. Besides, it is quite a drive from WP or Lone Pine.

HSM is a great choice. You can spend your whole Saturday up there. I would avoid any long, strenuous hikes prior to Monday.

Eating in Lone Pine will not have an effect on your acclimatizing. Now, what you eat could affect how you sleep the night before your big hike!

We cannot wait to see pictures of your name and the rest of your party in the summit register!!!

Have fun.

Thanks! It wasn't so much what we'd eat in Lone Pine that I was thinking of (though valid point - no spicy burritos! ) but rather whether a few hours at a lower elevation would undo our "work" to acclimatize.

How long a drive timewise is the drive to White Mountain from WP?

Yes, no spicy burritos! But a Portal Burger and Fries just might be the food for yah!

I am "guessing" from Lone Pine 3 to 4 hour drive. There is 18 miles of dirt road from Schulman Grove to the Barcroft Gate. Bristlecone Pine Forest.

If you don't want to hassel with the dirt road past the schulman grove, you could drive to Independence on Sat and hike out of Onion Valley. Its about 4 miles to Kearsarge Pass which gets you to about 11.7. From there you could easily head up the slope toward Mt. Gould and get over 12k. The trailhead is about 9k so its not that bad of a hike.

Ive done Mt Gould car to car in about 4 hours, but was moving pretty fast.

From Horseshoe Meadows you could scramble over Trail Pass and up Trail Peak. Its about 2.5 miles each way I think, class 2, and gets you to about 11.5.

Its about 3.5 miles to Cottonwood Pass which is about 11k. From there you could head up toward Cirque Peak which is about 12.9 but then you are looking at close to a 14 mile round trip..i think.. all off the top of my head.

Another option is to take a 90 mile drive from Lone Pine to Rock Creek. Mosquito flat trailhead is 10.5k. A short hike to Ruby lake(beautiful) puts you at 11k. Or go further towards Mono Pass at just over 12k. I think its about 4ish miles to the pass, but it may have snow still.

Also out of Rock Creek is a gorgeous hike through little lakes valley to Gem Lakes. About 7 miles RT and gets you a little over 11k. Its an easy hike, my 5 yo did it all on her own (but then again she did white mtn on her own too).

Have fun!!

Laura: Well, it will not get you to 12K, but for a work-out, you can hike the four miles from the lower family campsites at Whitney Portal to Meysan Lake. Meysan Lake is at about 11,600 feet, and you gain 3,600 feet in the four miles to get there. I will be spending two nights at Meysan Lake later this month as my final preparation for my dayhike of Whitney on the 30th. While at Meysan Lake, I plan on dayhiking Mt Mallory and Mt Irvine, both over 13,700 feet. Good luck in your training, and in doing Whitney. Whitney Mike

White monutains/Bristlecone Pine Forest area is about two-three hours drive, but pretty scenic once you turn off Hwy 168 at Westgard Pass - lots of viewpoints along the road and nice walks among the bristleocne trees. Schluman Grove is at the end of the asphalt (about 9,500ft), and Patriarch Grove is another 10 miles along a graded dirt road (10,000 ft?). IF you drive up the hill beyond Patriarch Grove there's a small peak off to the west of the road (Limestone Peak) thats about a 30 minute hike away. And just beyond that peak is Sheep Mountain (11,500ft).

Onion Valley - instead of Kearsage Pass, hike SOUTH from the parking lot and you'll get to Robinson Lake in about 1 hour. Turn east at the lake, scramble up the slope, and you'll summit Independence Peak (11,700ft)

As a day hiker, I'd skip Horseshoe Meadow and head to the Whites and base at Grandview.

First day would be White Mtn....or if you want to take it easy, Mt. Barcroft from the observatory at the top of the first climb. The following day would be a Schulman Grove but only as far as feet wanted to travel. There is a lot interesting stuff to be discovered here, if you are the least bit curious.

If you opt for Horseshoe, there isn't a quick easy way to 12K'. Quick and relative easy end somewhere around 11,600' at either the top of Trail Peak or climb out beyond Chicken Spring Lake.

If you have some route finding skills and don't mind a bit light class 3, there is Trailmaster Peak at 12,300', which you can access from Cottonwood Pass. Trailmaster is not on the maps but is the high point overlooking Chicken Spring Lake.

Laura:

I don't know why your point is to get to 12K or higher, except maybe to see how you feel when you get there. Hanging out for a few days over 10K should be ideal, and not overstressing your body while there in order to save energy for the big hike is imperative.

That being said, I think your idea of hanging at HM is a great idea. Trails abound throughout the area, it's GORGEOUS, and a lot of fun loops are to be had. Check out HM -> Trail Pass -> PCT north -> Cottonwood Pass -> HM; Cottonwood Pass and around to NAP; Muir Lake; all of the Cottonwood Lakes. Stretch the legs, don't kill them.

Every area there offers something different: views south into the Sierra, tapering towards Kern Canyon; west towards the GReat WEstern Divide; lake basins and cirques; pines, snags, flowers, scree. Take your pick.

Most of all, just kick it and enjoy your time there, or wherever you decide.

-Laura

Thanks for all the tips-- very helpful!

Re: the 12K goal, I had read that some people really feel altitude effects at 12K and higher, so it seemed like the higher we could be, the better. If that's not the case, then fine by me to stick to 10K and 11K points. We've done Mt Baldy several times as well as San Gorgonio, so I know I'm fine with elevations at least at high as 11,500.

Laura

Laura C: If you and members of your party recently did these 10k hikes in SOCAL with the last month or two, all of you should not have any problem. You got the endurance and acclimatization down pat. That is half the battle the way I see it.

Just pace yourselves, drink, nibble, when you head up the SBs and to Trail Crest and onward to the summit.

All of us look forward to the summit pictures!

Have fun.

You should be fine from a "conditioning" standpoint. Nonetheless, your "pace" may start slowing when you reach the 97 switchbacks, and they begin at 12,000 feet. That is usually the point where I have started slowing in the past.

Laura C,

I am one of those who walled out the first couple of times I got to that elevation. My feeling is it is just a case of not knowing what to expect when hiking at those elevations for the first couple of times. This is something that doesn't me at all these days.

What I have found useful in developing a good pace is a heart rate monitor. If I keep my pace in the 70 to 80% of max range, I can go all day; however, if I go above that for any length of time I'm done for.

Good luck