Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board What would you do?

I have a trip planned from Horseshoe Meadows to Whitney Portal. The current plan is:

Day 1 - HSM to Soldier Lake
Day 2 - Soldier Lake to Crabtree Meadows
Day 3 - Crabtree Meadows to Guitar Lake
Day 4 - Guitar Lake to Summit
Day 5 - Summit to Portal

The trip is scheduled for Labor Day weekend and into that week.

I was really excited at the idea of spending the night at the summit and seeing the sunrise, but now I'm wondering if that will be a good idea or not. Seems like most people go from Guitar Lake to Trail Camp or Lone Pine Lake instead. Is there a particular reason for this? This will be my first Whitney trip, so advice is appreciated.

Everything is related to your groups physical conditioning.

Days one and two can be ambitious for anyone in less than moderate shape. Your day 3 is a "moving rest" day.

You might even out your first 3 days. If you are going over NAP stop at Long Lake, Lower Rock Creek Crossing then on to Guitar Lake. I prefer the climb to Guyot Pass at the start of the day, not the middle.

The reason a lot of folks bypass Trail Camp coming from the west are the crowds of people you find there. We usually exit the day we summit from the Guitar Lake area.

The summit has no water, it can be very cold and windy even on Labor Day weekend, it is exposed to lightning, and many folks don't sleep well at 14,000 feet. That's why most people camp lower.

I've done that particular trip in four days 4 times. I have always made the first day easy by camping at Long Lake or even one of the Cottonwoods. For me, that eases the altitude adjustment curve. The big push is on the last day, Guitar lake or lower and then on to the Summit and Portal when my pack is lighter and I've had 3 days to adjust. In general, I plan all my trips to be easy at first and then progressively harder. That's what works for me.

You can always start early from the Guitar area and catch the sunrise on the summit.

This is the exact backpack trip I did two years ago. As already mentioned, day one from Horseshoe Meadows to Solder Lake will be a long day, about 12.5 miles. But going this route gets New Army Pass out of the way the very first day, while you're still fresh. On day 2, once you get to Lower Rock Creek crossing, the climb up Guyot Pass is tough, but this day is not quite as long as day one, about 10.5 miles. Day 3 is a piece of cake to Guitar Lake. Just be sure to stop off at Timberline Lake on your way up. No camping is allowed here, but it is a pretty lake.

At Guitar Lake, you have to make a big decision for your fourth day itinerary. If you plan on camping at the summit, you'll have to carry enough water to last your group the 1.5 days from when you leave Guitar Lake, the night atop Whitney, then the five miles the next day down to Trail Camp. In my case, since I was by myself when I left Guitar Lake, I was carrying 7 quarts (15+ pounds) of water. The reward is an awesome sunset and sunrise, and knowing that you slept atop the highest place in the lower 48 states. If you sleep outside the cabin, like I did, just be prepared for a cool, windy night.

If on the otherhand, you decide not to spend the night on the summit, you don't need to carry as much water. Then when you reach the junction of the JMT and MMWT, all you need to do is leave your pack, and take only a small daypack with some water, snacks and a jacket to the summit. Then when you return to the junction, it's down to Trail Camp for the night. If you camp there, it can be a bit crowded, but it never bothered me too much.

No matter which way you go (summit or Trail Camp on the fourth night), you'll be rewarded with some cold beers and the awesome Mooseburger with fries when you reach the Portal store at the end of your adventure.

Good luck and enjoy your trip. I sure did, and plan on doing it again soon.

Whitney Mike

It will be just my father and I in the group. I'm young (27) and in excellent shape. He's a little older (56) and in more questionable shape. I may try and switch up our entry date so that we can spend the night at trail camp or lone pine lake instead. Making a short first day may not be a bad idea either. I'll have to think about that. We're planning on spending the night before at the Horseshoe Meadows campground in order to help acclimate. Thanks for all the advice!