Hiking to the exceed of Mt. Whitney is a major accomplishment for whatever hiker as well as doing it inwards 1 hateful solar daytime is fifty-fifty that to a greater extent than impressive. Mt. Whitney is the highest summit inwards the contiguous U.S. as well as has an elevation of 14,508 feet. The summit of
Mt. Whitney offers tremendous 360 grade panoramic views every bit far every bit the optic tin regard on clear days. One of the reasons for the amazing views is because Mt. Whitney is located exclusively 84.6 miles west-northwest of the lowest betoken inwards North America, at Badwater inwards Death Valley National Park, which is 282 feet below bounding main level. This past times June, I went alongside 2 buddies from work, Bryan as well as Dustin, to hike Mt. Whitney inwards 1 day. The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney, inwards 1 day, was difficult, but extremely rewarding.
Directions to Trailhead: To acquire to the Mt. Whitney Portal, to hike to the Summit of Mt. Whitney, from the Orange County area, accept the 91 thruway to the xv freeway. Head due north on the xv thruway going towards Barstow. Merge onto U.S. 395 North as well as follow it all the agency to Lone Pine, California. Once inwards Lone Pine, California, brand a left plow onto the Whitney Portal Road as well as follow the Whitney Portal Road all the agency to the Trailhead to hike to Mt. Whitney. The ball green locomote fourth dimension from Orange County to Lone Pine alongside no traffic is about iv hours.
Places to Stay: If yous are hiking or climbing to the summit of Mt. Whitney, yous are going to probable demand a house to remain earlier your hike. There are 2 chain hotels inwards Lone Pine (The town closest to Mt. Whitney), a
Best Western as well as a
Comfort Inn. The outset fourth dimension I hiked to the summit of Mt. Whitney my grouping stayed at the Best Western our outset black earlier heading to our campsite at the Whitney Portal. This fourth dimension nosotros did non remain inwards Lone Pine as well as camped at the Whitney Portal the black earlier our hike.
Campsites at the Portal: We stayed at the Whitney Portal Campground, which was a corking house to army camp piece attempting to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney. There are 44 campsites at the
Whitney Portal Campground. The facilities were good maintained as well as the scenery was majestic, considering yous lead hold a mount flow running through the Whitney Portal campground. I would recommend staying hither the hateful solar daytime earlier yous hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney every bit good every bit subsequently your hike to Mt. Whitney. The elevation of the campground volition tending yous acquire to a greater extent than accustomed to the height of the mountain, additionally, the toll for staying at the campground is really reasonable.
Description of Trail: The Mt. Whitney hiking trail is a heavily traveled trail as well as is good marked. The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney is 22 miles roundtrip alongside nearly 6,100 vertical feet of elevation gain. In reality hiking from your campsite at the Whitney Portal Campground to the trail makes the hike to a greater extent than similar 23 miles roundtrip alongside 6,600 vertical feet of elevation gain. This is a really strenuous hike to 14,508 feet. You laid about your hike at the trailhead nigh the Whitney Portal Store as well as go for around 3.5 miles to Outpost Camp which sits at an elevation of 10,365 feet. During this department of the hike, to the summit of Mt. Whitney, yous lead hold a couplet of river crossings as well as are rewarded alongside a beautiful meadow correct earlier Outpost Camp. Outpost Camp is an overnight pick for those looking to practise Mt. Whitney inwards to a greater extent than than 1 day.
Going from Outpost Camp, yous locomote around 2.5 miles farther to Trail Camp which sits at an elevation of 12,093 feet. Trail Camp is located simply below the 97 - 99 switchbacks. Trail Camp is some other overnight pick for those looking to hike Mt. Whitney inwards to a greater extent than than 1 day. Trail Camp is 1 of the finally areas where yous tin filter H2O earlier making your force for the summit of Mt. Whitney, thence if yous demand H2O this is the house to filter it.
From this betoken on, it is around v miles to the summit of Mt. Whitney as well as around 2.5 - 3 miles to Trail Crest. Trail Crest is at an height of 13,600 feet. Once yous laissez passer trail crest yous acquire your outset glimpse of
Sequoia National Park, which is located on the backside of Mt. Whitney. Once yous hike past times trail crest, the Mt. Whitney hiking trail becomes extremely rugged as well as rocky, fifty-fifty to a greater extent than thence than before. The Mt. Whitney hiking trail is clearly marked, but it is strenuous making your finally force to the summit of Mt. Whitney. This department of the hiking trail is a trivial deceptive because yous tin regard the summit of Mt. Whitney almost the whole time. Just recollect to maintain inwards hear the summit of Mt. Whitney appears closer than it actually is. The height of this department of the hiking trail makes it 1 of the to a greater extent than hard sections of the hike.
You must lead hold a wilderness permit to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney using the Mt. Whitney Trail. The Mt. Whitney lottery organisation starts inwards Feb of each year. After the lottery drawing has already been completed, yous tin banking concern lucifer inwards alongside the woods service every bit oftentimes every bit yous similar to regard if whatever cancellations lead hold been made on a item day. Follow this
link to the Inyo National Forest website larn to a greater extent than nearly the Mt. Whitney lottery organisation as well as how to apply for your permit to hike to the exceed of Mt. Whitney. The permit organisation is straightaway electronic as well as is all done through the website. Our grouping listed every bit many available days every bit nosotros could that nosotros were available to practise the hike. Additionally, nosotros selected that nosotros were available for both overnight as well as hateful solar daytime trips as well as were fortunate to acquire selected. I lead hold straightaway done this hike twice as well as lead hold had my permit checked past times rangers both times, thence brand certain yous follow the rules as well as acquire a permit earlier your hike.
Further Thoughts: The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney was beautiful the whole way. Our grouping had perfect weather, which was unseasonably warm for the mountain. The temperatures were inwards the mid to upper 60s virtually the whole agency upward the mount as well as when nosotros summited nosotros were wearing shorts as well as a curt sleeve shirt, which was black as well as hateful solar daytime compared to the finally fourth dimension I was on Mt. Whitney inwards 2010 when at that topographic point was a lot of snow. We exclusively saw small-scale patches of snowfall 1 time nosotros were inwards a higher house 12,500 feet. There was a slight adventure of thunderstorms on the hateful solar daytime of our hike as well as our grouping got rained on briefly, but fortunately no thunderstorms developed to disrupt our hiking plans.
If yous are thinking nearly hiking to the summit of Mt. Whitney, or if yous lead hold your permits, brand certain to educate yourself earlier yous seek out to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney. Become knowledgeable nearly the trail conditions as well as weather condition conditions when yous are scheduled to hold upward on the mountain. When nosotros went, nosotros knew nosotros would probable run into warmer weather condition as well as express snow. The Whitney Portal Store, click
Here, has links to weather condition data for Mt. Whitney as well as a bulletin board that is total of data nearly the hiking trail conditions on Mt. Whitney. During the summertime time, brand certain to lookout out for summertime thunderstorms piece on your hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney. Thunderstorms, or other unsafe weather condition conditions, tin develop really chop-chop inwards this mountainous environment. The Whitney Portal Store fifty-fifty has a painting exhibit of a tornado touching downwards nigh the summit of Mt. Whitney. If the weather condition looks actually unsafe or bad, it is e'er best to go down, the mount volition e'er hold upward at that topographic point for a climb at a dissimilar time. Bottom-line is from the summit of Mt. Whitney yous acquire 360 grade panoramic views that are absolutely amazing!
If yous are doing the hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney inwards 1 day, similar our grouping did, I would recommend waking upward really early. We woke upward at 2:30am as well as thence drove upward to trailhead as well as were hiking past times 3:00am - 3:30am. We did non summit Mt. Whitney until nearly 1:45pm as well as nosotros were off the mount at 7:00pm. This is a hike that yous must develop for or else don't fifty-fifty intend nearly attempting to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney inwards 1 day. The grooming is a necessity, peculiarly coming from Southern California, because the air is really sparse at 14,508 feet. The high height of the mount is a major ingredient inwards keeping people from reaching the exceed as well as yous must hold upward inwards the status to hike for long periods of time.
We did iii major grooming hikes that I would recommend for Orange County as well as Los Angeles hikers if they are going to climb Mt. Whitney. Even alongside the grooming hikes it is necessary to pass a black at the Whitney Portal Campground to acquire acclimatized every bit good every bit to consummate a small-scale grooming hike the hateful solar daytime earlier your summit attempt. If yous are spending multiple days on the mount it is in all probability non every bit crucial to practise every bit many long grooming hikes. Additionally, yous are going to demand a adept backpack, sturdy hiking shoes, a method to filter H2O piece on the trail as well as plenty nutrient to give yous the liberate energy to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney. Make certain to likewise layer your article of apparel depending on the weather condition conditions. If yous are hiking inwards the summer, recollect sections of the trail tin hold upward hot, piece the summit temperatures could hold upward below freezing. Here are some flavour descriptions that are approximate estimates as well as the actual mount conditions may vary considerably. July to Mid-September: Relatively snowfall free. Severe thunderstorms are possible. Mid-September through October: Shorter days as well as cooler weather. If storms occur, they may include wind, mutual frigidness temperatures as well as snow. Patches of H2O ice may shape inwards some locations. Nov through March: Snow accumulates. By March it may hold upward up to several meters deep. Winter mountaineering equipment as well as skills are necessary for condom travel. Apr through June: The snowfall pack is receding. Winter mountaineering equipment as well as skills are necessary for condom travel. The bottom-line is yous demand to pay attending to the Whitney Portal as well as bulletin board for actual trail conditions as well as yous demand to properly develop yourself for this hike.
Food at the Whitney Portal Store: Before yous proceed your hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney, I would propose trying a hamburger or cheeseburger at the Whitney Portal Store every bit they are really good. Also, the morn subsequently your hike, yous powerfulness desire to seek out the breakfast at the Whitney Portal Store. They lead hold a corking breakfast, inwards item the huge pancake they are known for is pretty tasty. If yous gild the pancake brand certain to divide it alongside mortal every bit it is nearly the size of a medium pizza as well as tin serve probably 3 - iv people.
Rating: Elevation Gain: 6,134 ft. (Very Strenuous), Distance: 22 Miles Roundtrip (Very Strenuous). From the campsite surface area it is to a greater extent than like: Elevation Gain: 6,600 ft. (Very Strenuous), Distance: 23 Miles Roundtrip (Very Strenuous).
Time to Complete the Hike to Mt. Whitney inwards One Day: If yous lead hold trained: Expect to accept about 10 hours getting to the summit of Mt. Whitney as well as 8 hours getting downwards off the mountain. If yous are inwards corking shape facial expression to hold upward nearly 2 - iv hours quicker, but brand certain to accept your fourth dimension as well as bask the hike as well as beautiful scenery.
Our Training Schedule for Mt. Whitney: If yous are attempting to summit Mt. Whitney inwards 1 hateful solar daytime hither is what our grouping did to train. Please banking concern annotation our grooming schedule was interrupted past times a massive wildfire that broke out inwards the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Our master innovation was to practise 3 hikes to Mt. San Gorgonio. If yous are spending multiple nights on Mt. Whitney, yous tin alter the schedule past times spending the black on Mt. San Gorgonio.
Three weekends earlier your Mt. Whitney hike: Hike
Mt. San Gorgonio via the Vivian Creek Trail in 1 day.
Two weekends earlier your Mt. Whitney Hike: Hike
Mt. San Gorgonio via the Vivian Creek Trail inwards 1 day.
One weekend earlier your Mt. Whitney Hike: Hike
Mt. Baldy Via the Ski Hut Trail in 1 day.
Day earlier hike: Camp at the Whitney Portal Campground as well as a small-scale grooming hike to explore the trail as well as surface area about the Whitney Portal.
MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON RILEY WILDERNESS PARK
June 2015 (This Post)
