Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Fall 2011 Conditions on the Main Whitney Trail

In light of the current snow conditions and temperatures on the Main Whitney Trail and the storms in the forecast I'm posting this topic. Comments and conditions updates are welcomed and encouraged on this thread.


For those of you interested in trying to climb Mt. Whitney this fall you should be aware of current conditions, and more importantly how to interpret those conditions to help you decide how to make decisions with safety in mind.

Snow is now present on Mt. Whitney and it will not melt away until late spring or early next summer. You can count on negotiating a snow covered trail from somewhere above Mirror Lake. From the cables until Trail Crest there are hazardous areas where a slip can turn into a fall that can lead to an injury or fatality. This section is part of what most of us refer to as the “97 Switchbacks”. When the area receives more storms you can count on snow lower and higher on the route.

Given these conditions there are certain things to keep in mind if you decide to attempt climbing Mt. Whitney via the Main Trail. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start:

(1) Recognize that your ascent will take longer than it would if the trail was dry. Plan extra time into your itinerary to account for this.

(2a) Realize that current conditions require climbers to have learned and practiced several mountaineering skills which include self arrest with an ice axe (this is how you would attempt to stop yourself in the event of a slip on the hard snow and ice), how to walk with crampons on, and how to efficiently climb up and down snow covered slopes.

(2b) This means that ski poles are no substitute for an ice axe. Ski poles are great aids in walking. Ascending a route they are like a portable hand rail. On a descent they help reduce some of the jarring to hiker’s knees. They will do nothing to help stop a person in case of a fall. Yes, some ski poles are made with self arrest grips. This is no substitute for an ice axe.

(3a) The slope between Trail Camp and Trail Crest is north facing. This means it loses sun exposure early in the day. You can be on this slope during a warm sunny day and find the snow comfortable to walk on, but once the sun leaves this slope the snow will become firm, hard, and slick. It will stay that way until the sun hits it again, which might be the next day, or it might take several days if clouds obscure direct rays from the sun. Even with direct sun exposure the conditions could still be firm, hard, and slick.

(3b) Be prepared to climb on firm, hard, and slick snow. If you find yourself on this slope after 2:30 PM (when the sun begins leaving this area) you need to be prepared to negotiate increasingly firm, hard, and slick snow conditions.

(4a) Sliding down the snow on your butt (commonly called “glissading” among the mountaineering community) from Trail Crest is not a safe option. It doesn’t matter if you see tracks from people who have previously done it. Among those who contributed to glissade tracks in previous seasons include several people who lost their lives from the decision to glissade there.

(4b) People have tried glissading here for years. Understand that this slope is subtly angled in such a way that it can pull an unsuspecting mountaineer slowly to the left, which can make you slam into the rocks at a high rate of speed. There have been many injuries and fatalities due to people glissading here.

(4c) If you decide to glissade anywhere on any mountain remove your crampons. Glissading with crampons is never an option. You run a high chance of injuring an ankle, a leg, or worse. It is poor mountaineering technique to glissade while wearing crampons anywhere at any time.

(5a) Remember that the summit should not be your primary goal. Your first goal is to get back to the parking lot safely. If you can stay within a good margin of safety then the summit should be your second goal. This means that just because somebody else decided to ascend in questionable conditions it should not determine what you decide to do. You need to make your decisions based on your known skills and the ability of your group.

Climbing up a mountain is optional, descending is mandatory.

Does anyone know current conditions on Mountaineer's Route?

thanks
Julius

Julius: MT conditions can be found on this thread Link to Mountaineers Route conditions Hope you have a great time!


Main Trail conditions in a backward form:

Conditions were pretty sweet after Trail Crest too. Snow was powdery mostly unconsolidated with a 1/2 inch styrofoam crust beginning to form. Thin single track with a bit of crumbling wrapped around the Westside slog. Easy route finding up to hut. No ice as of yet.

Coming down the switchbacks we encountered more fluffy break-away snow. Steps were finally solid at about the 1/2 way down point. Bottom 1/3 nice and firm. Great trail all the way down, ice reforming on the trail slightly after Outpost and significantly after Lone Pine Lake. Off trail time - 7pm.

Heading up Friday, October 14th, with the gal from Toshiba...
Hope the weather stays clear.
Anyone else going?
Any updates on the current trail conditions this week?

Going up Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Maybe we'll see you on Friday!
Regarding conditions, the consensus between ranger station and adventure shops is messy conditions. Still quite a bit of snow but weather has been melting some of it causing slushy snow and water on the trail at certain points of the day while freezing and icing up at others. They are recommending at least some sort of traction such as crampons or micro spikes.

OK> Thanks!
Hopefully we'll see you!
Have a safe trip!

Here are a few photos from 11/26/11:


Entering the Wilderness.
Snow was continuous (on the Old Trail) from just about the Portal, but there were sections, up higher, where wind/sun cleared the trail.



The Log Crossing.



For those of us in the know... the slabs alternate above LPL



Above Mirror Lake, looking up towards Trail Camp.
Between the time I went up and down, someone had put tracks in on the direct route to Consultation Lake (above Trailside Meadow), but with the soft snow off of the boot track, it couldn't have been any fun (or faster).



From near Trail Camp.



Looking down at The Cables.
There's about 100' above The Cables that is very firm snow. You better know how to use your winter tools.



The back (west) side.
Pretty trivial, especially if you like rock-hopping the side of the trail.
There were drifts to knee deep if you stayed on the trail.


I saw ten people all day long. Only three others made the summit.

A few others had put tracks down the bowl from Trail Crest. I followed. It was really soft and DEEP. I can't see this being a fun climb until it consolidates next Spring.

The photo album: http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/Whats-New-...4349012_cJnWqJC

Richard, thanks for sharing your photos. They are amazing. What kind of camera did you use? I love the sharp quality of the images.

You are welcome.
And thanks for the compliment.
I've been shooting with a Sony NEX-5N lately. Amazing that they got a much bigger sensor in such a small body.

Thanks for the info, Richard. I'm looking into getting another camera for my next trip to Whitney, which will not be until next August. I currently have a Canon SD1200 and it takes good pictures, but nothing near the quality of yours. I am going to see if I can find your camera in a store and check it out in person.

Thanks again.

Richard
What was the temperature on the summit on 11.26.11 if you know? I was thinking of day hiking Mt. Whitney Saturday via the standard route, but Dennis M. predicts 10-20 mph winds and -17 with windchill. Any thoughts based upon your 100 plus ascents?
Thanks

Last week, with NO WIND, it was as good as a summer day. I was on top with only a thin fleece.

DMatt's numbers are conservative compared to NOAA.

Read that signature line that M.C. gave me and you'll know what I have planned...

Look forward to seeing what you are truly capable of... like usual.

How deep and how soft and for how long? I'm getting desperate to find a ski descent.

Looking forward to two miles of trailbreaking!

The steep traverses are back!



This last wind storm blew the door of the Smithsonian Hut off again. It also blew away the register and almost all of the pens.



A little taste of what the traverses are like now.


It was REALLY cold and windy on the mountain yesterday. For a storm that was only supposed to drop a few inches of snow...

- I would consider the terrain on The Switchbacks experts only. The snow was so variable you had to "stay on your toes" the whole way up. Deep unconsolidated... ICE under a dusting of powder... Scary steep, super hard windpack...

- I took the bowl under Trail Crest down again this week. (Brent) Again variable conditions... Knee deep (spindrift) powder that would be heavenly to ski, two inch breakable crust (it was fun watching that stuff go screaming down the slope)... and more hard windpacked...


A few more photos: http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/Whats-New-...5615954_Nk5pVT3

Richard
Fantastic! Congratulations! I am assuming you used crampons and an axe. Did you use snow shoes? Were you able to drive up the road to the trail head? Finally, in the winter do you have to put your food items in a bear box or can you keep them in the trunk of the car?

Thanks

No snowshoes, although I was thinking they would have been nice for short sections of deep snow. (It was way too cold to fiddle with gear though.)

The road is Closed, but...

Don't worry about bears... they are downhill harrasing the residents of the Alabama Hills.

Carry winter tools!!!!!

Hi Great job Richard! I walked around yesterday in the "forest" not on the trail or parking areas and found fresh bear tracks so they are in the area . Watch your trash and gear that would be the bfirst they hit. Watch for falling branches and rock fall everything is loose now and if we get warm weather a lot of things will move > Be safe. Thanks Doug

LOL Richard that's your new favorite word FIDDLE.....We should get Fiddler on the Trail shirts made.....Inside joke sorry this is for the Mexico team....We'll always have fiddle'n Gypsies to laugh about
Yeti

Well, I have to eat my words in regard to two statements I've made in the last few weeks:

- No bears at the Portal at this time of year. As Doug stated - FALSE!

- "I can't see this being a fun climb until it consolidates next Spring." FALSE! Well, it was a GREAT CLIMB on really firm snow. I've never seen Whitney be so kind in December. Ask RK about a few of our December epics with waist deep uncolsolodated snow.

I met a couple of transplanted Canadiens at the Portal Friday morning. One of my SA comments to them was: "One slip up high on the mountain and SAR will be heading up with a body bag." I spent part of the day climbing with Russell (amazingly strong), who did summit with NO GEAR. I wouldn't have dared to try that!

BTW, there is a rumor floating around that I climbed last week with MICROSPIKES, NOT CRAMPONS. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I climbed with an old pair of aluminum BD Neve's. THEY WERE NOT ADEQUATE! I used a pair of new (super sharp) steel crampons this week.

I'll post some photos after they are uploaded. (Although it won't mean much because there's more snow coming this week.)