How to Prepare for and Summit Mount Whitney (& Wag Bags) - AdventureArchives
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Date: 2022-04-30
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Comments and reviews: 9
Sherry
Did this hike in August 2005 at age 57 with my wife at age 51. Did it as a day hike starting at 3: 30 AM from Whitney Portal, and returning at 7: 30 PM after spending an hour at the summit. Our conditioning consisted of mostly high elevation hikes of approximately 8 to 10 miles per hike. No snow to contend with, and trail was well marked. Made sure we had plenty of water (3 liter Camelback, along with 3-4 extra bottles of water for me, my wife had 1. 5 liter Camelback. We returned with almost half our water remaining. Sunscreen and lip balm is essential. Food was our regular sandwiches, veggies and cookies along with trail mix. No potty issues, no wag bags needed, and no altitude sickness. Most of this video is for travel in snow conditions, with a plan to stay overnight. Most of this gear is not needed for a long day hike with no snow. Yes we were very tired. Yes we were glad we did it. A day hike is very doable if you are in good shape, have done some hiking at elevation or otherwise trained for constant uphill hiking at elevation. Sunrise on the trail should not be missed; spectacular!
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Did this hike in August 2005 at age 57 with my wife at age 51. Did it as a day hike starting at 3: 30 AM from Whitney Portal, and returning at 7: 30 PM after spending an hour at the summit. Our conditioning consisted of mostly high elevation hikes of approximately 8 to 10 miles per hike. No snow to contend with, and trail was well marked. Made sure we had plenty of water (3 liter Camelback, along with 3-4 extra bottles of water for me, my wife had 1. 5 liter Camelback. We returned with almost half our water remaining. Sunscreen and lip balm is essential. Food was our regular sandwiches, veggies and cookies along with trail mix. No potty issues, no wag bags needed, and no altitude sickness. Most of this video is for travel in snow conditions, with a plan to stay overnight. Most of this gear is not needed for a long day hike with no snow. Yes we were very tired. Yes we were glad we did it. A day hike is very doable if you are in good shape, have done some hiking at elevation or otherwise trained for constant uphill hiking at elevation. Sunrise on the trail should not be missed; spectacular!
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Brian
I climbed this twice in 1970, once with a friend and next with a troop of cub scouts. We camped at timberline to acclimate and made the summit the second day. This was in August which was the safest month I was told. We never saw any lakes so the trail must have changed since we went. There was only one trail from the parking lot to the summit. We made our descent after signing the book at the top and marveling at the horizontal icicles. We also climbed White Mountain just across highway 395 from Whitney. There was a road all the way to the top and a high altitude testing station at that summit staffed with college kids who would always offer climbers some tea, food and a place to sleep if you needed. They would say that White was taller than Whitney but apparently Whitney was more popular or political so his mountain got the honor.
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I climbed this twice in 1970, once with a friend and next with a troop of cub scouts. We camped at timberline to acclimate and made the summit the second day. This was in August which was the safest month I was told. We never saw any lakes so the trail must have changed since we went. There was only one trail from the parking lot to the summit. We made our descent after signing the book at the top and marveling at the horizontal icicles. We also climbed White Mountain just across highway 395 from Whitney. There was a road all the way to the top and a high altitude testing station at that summit staffed with college kids who would always offer climbers some tea, food and a place to sleep if you needed. They would say that White was taller than Whitney but apparently Whitney was more popular or political so his mountain got the honor.
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Dirk
I hiked up and down Whitney several times in my 20's in a day. Nothing more than slight headache, course I was still in Marine Corps, best shape of my life. 40 years later might do it again. Apparently I was very lucky, no preparation, permits, lottery, and the weather was excellent. This time I would slow way down ( naturally) spend several days. I have got most of my light weight equipment and an going to start ordering light HAM Radio for Morse code. At dawn, should be able to get into Asia as long as I don't get electrocuted. I am thinking maybe bamboo poles for hiking, light weight hopefully durable enough to last a few days and double as an antenna mast. Just downloaded Mt Whitney app appears to be excellent for offline use. Would consider mountaineering route if with group, definitely not solo for me.
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I hiked up and down Whitney several times in my 20's in a day. Nothing more than slight headache, course I was still in Marine Corps, best shape of my life. 40 years later might do it again. Apparently I was very lucky, no preparation, permits, lottery, and the weather was excellent. This time I would slow way down ( naturally) spend several days. I have got most of my light weight equipment and an going to start ordering light HAM Radio for Morse code. At dawn, should be able to get into Asia as long as I don't get electrocuted. I am thinking maybe bamboo poles for hiking, light weight hopefully durable enough to last a few days and double as an antenna mast. Just downloaded Mt Whitney app appears to be excellent for offline use. Would consider mountaineering route if with group, definitely not solo for me.
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Mike
Thanks for this video! Just really started getting into hiking again and now especially backpacking. Preparing to do Mt. Whitney next summer 2023 in June with my friend! Getting ready for that snowy trail in June, gotta get those microspikes ready. Already getting stuff ready and preparing for that. Acclimating to 8, 000 for the first night, then heading up to trail camp and spending a night. Then summiting the next day and coming back down to stay another night at trail camp! Then go all the way back down. Pretty excited and decided to make sure to get used to the altitude by staying the 3 nights instead of doing it in one day. Why not enjoy the time you're there! This video definitely helped and I've got a lot of planning done. I'll be 17 doing it really excited even though its still more than a year away.
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Thanks for this video! Just really started getting into hiking again and now especially backpacking. Preparing to do Mt. Whitney next summer 2023 in June with my friend! Getting ready for that snowy trail in June, gotta get those microspikes ready. Already getting stuff ready and preparing for that. Acclimating to 8, 000 for the first night, then heading up to trail camp and spending a night. Then summiting the next day and coming back down to stay another night at trail camp! Then go all the way back down. Pretty excited and decided to make sure to get used to the altitude by staying the 3 nights instead of doing it in one day. Why not enjoy the time you're there! This video definitely helped and I've got a lot of planning done. I'll be 17 doing it really excited even though its still more than a year away.
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Alien
For inexperienced hikers the best time to hike Whitney is late summer/early fall after the snow has melted, and the weather is more stable - ideally September. Anyone in reasonable fitness can day-hike it with some physical preparation - preferably similar hikes at high altitude. On a good day you don't need all that equipment and clothing - just some long pants and a waterproof windbreaker jacket. Take lots of food and a water filter and you're set. Leave the trailhead at 4: 00 am and be back at sun-down around 8pm. 16 hrs. is a decent average round-trip time. You reach the peak at 12: 30 - 1 pm, just before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in, though they are not on a schedule and can appear anytime. Have lots of electrolytes, and don't chug your Gatorade - it will make you sick.
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For inexperienced hikers the best time to hike Whitney is late summer/early fall after the snow has melted, and the weather is more stable - ideally September. Anyone in reasonable fitness can day-hike it with some physical preparation - preferably similar hikes at high altitude. On a good day you don't need all that equipment and clothing - just some long pants and a waterproof windbreaker jacket. Take lots of food and a water filter and you're set. Leave the trailhead at 4: 00 am and be back at sun-down around 8pm. 16 hrs. is a decent average round-trip time. You reach the peak at 12: 30 - 1 pm, just before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in, though they are not on a schedule and can appear anytime. Have lots of electrolytes, and don't chug your Gatorade - it will make you sick.
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Stephen
Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14, 505 feet (4, 421 m. It is located in East-Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, 84. 6 miles (136. 2 km) west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The west slope of the mountain is in Sequoia National Park and the summit is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail which runs 211. 9 mi (341. 0 km) from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The east slope is in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo County.
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Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14, 505 feet (4, 421 m. It is located in East-Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, 84. 6 miles (136. 2 km) west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The west slope of the mountain is in Sequoia National Park and the summit is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail which runs 211. 9 mi (341. 0 km) from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The east slope is in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo County.
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Bankenemy#1
I tried to summit on Halloween but didn't make it. I started at 12: 30am Way too early and I shouldve packed a puffy jacket in my bag because I sweat underneath all of my layers and came close to hypothermia. I did the first 3 miles in 40 min. If I went back I would've started around 3/3: 30. For people in decent shape that's a good starting time unless youre going to walk at 1 mile per hour. Also I underestimated the altitude on this hike. I was taking Diamox in preparation and still got a massive headache. I usually dont get altitude sickness but next time I will be camping at the trail head to acclimate.
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I tried to summit on Halloween but didn't make it. I started at 12: 30am Way too early and I shouldve packed a puffy jacket in my bag because I sweat underneath all of my layers and came close to hypothermia. I did the first 3 miles in 40 min. If I went back I would've started around 3/3: 30. For people in decent shape that's a good starting time unless youre going to walk at 1 mile per hour. Also I underestimated the altitude on this hike. I was taking Diamox in preparation and still got a massive headache. I usually dont get altitude sickness but next time I will be camping at the trail head to acclimate.
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David
I did the hike in one day in early August circa 1978 when I was in my early thirties. I was a regular runner, and, back then, as I recall, I also did a little training going up and down flights of stairs (I'm a flatlander from Louisiana. I arrived in Lone Pine the morning before the hike to pick up a permit at the ranger station. The weather was beautiful. A few sections of the trail still had snow, but nothing along the trail was difficult to traverse. It just took some stamina. By late afternoon, I was back in Lone Pine eating steak at a cafe and ready to hit the sack in my motel room.
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I did the hike in one day in early August circa 1978 when I was in my early thirties. I was a regular runner, and, back then, as I recall, I also did a little training going up and down flights of stairs (I'm a flatlander from Louisiana. I arrived in Lone Pine the morning before the hike to pick up a permit at the ranger station. The weather was beautiful. A few sections of the trail still had snow, but nothing along the trail was difficult to traverse. It just took some stamina. By late afternoon, I was back in Lone Pine eating steak at a cafe and ready to hit the sack in my motel room.
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Dirk
#SLO I did this hiking trail in one day like three times or so 40 years ago. Did not need permits, bear canisters, poop bags etc. Just did it. Course I was pretty healthy in the Marine Corps and everything. I'm wondering if some of the nearby peaks might not be good alternative with less red tape and congestion? Safety is number one, established trail. I would not do Mt. Whitney Mountaineer Route solo don't have the skill set. If get
caught in bad situation can be harder going back down than up.
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#SLO I did this hiking trail in one day like three times or so 40 years ago. Did not need permits, bear canisters, poop bags etc. Just did it. Course I was pretty healthy in the Marine Corps and everything. I'm wondering if some of the nearby peaks might not be good alternative with less red tape and congestion? Safety is number one, established trail. I would not do Mt. Whitney Mountaineer Route solo don't have the skill set. If get
caught in bad situation can be harder going back down than up.
reply
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