Mount Whitney
19.7 mi
Distance
8 hrs 14 min
Time
terrain
6,076 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a moderate/ difficult out and back trail to Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park.
This trail goes by Bighorn Park, Outpost Camp, Mirror Lake, Trail Camp, Discovery Pinnacle, Aiguille du Paquoir, Aiguille Extra, Crooks Peak, Keeler Needle, Aiguille Junior, and Whitney Portal Trailhead.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Solo hiked Mon 10/21/24 – Got a midnight start with a nearly full moon to see the sunrise from the Whitney summit and it did not disappoint. Nibbled carbs all the way up with water but pushed harder going up Trail Crest than I should have to make the sunrise. Hiked up in a softshell and mid weight gloves but the summit was cold enough with a low wind (18°F on pocket thermo not counting wind chill) to add a down jacket and guide gloves. Once the sun was up, things warmed up nicely and the views were spectacular. Climbed Mt Muir’s summit block next which was the most fun of the day with a class 4 route up and a 3 coming down. Discovery Pinnacle was the last climb of the day, climbing the 2 highest pinnacles since the official pinnacle looked lower than its neighbor and there was enough time for both. I headed down a loose talus slope to rejoin the Whitney Trail right below Trail Crest which was the only real bad decision of the day as it took considerable time and effort to prevent the launch of any rocks downward towards the trail. I should have doubled back on the route ascended but what fun would that have been? Made it down to the 98th switchback before a moment of scree skiing, at which point I realized I was a bit tired for the pace and slowed things down a bit – best decision of the day. Conversed with quite a few people on the way down and made it back to the Portal Campground for some food, a fire and then some sleep. Amazing shoulder season weather not to be taken for granted kept things comfortable and provided awesome views for the entire day. It was less than two weeks ago coming down from Thor with snow, rain and wind on this trail. Logged 21.0 miles / 6669 vertical ft with Gaia
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Started on Saturday 1am but didn’t get to the trail camp until 12pm. Totally underestimated altitude sickness and overpacked food.
Camped at trail camp for one night. It was quickly getting cold after 5pm as the shadow of the mountain covered the campground. Sun went down around 6:30pm.
Started Sunday morning around 8am to the summit. Finally got to the top at 2pm and got back down to trail camp around 6pm.
Collected all camping gear and headed down in darkness around 7pm. Got back to trailhead parking lot at 0:30am Monday.
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Public Tracks
Its my Birthday and I'll climb if I want to...
"Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough..." (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
Did something off the charts crazy, on my birthday. An epic California road trip and mountain climb with some hard core trail runner/hikers from WA State. Within a 24-hour span, we went from the lowest spot in North America (280 ft below sea level) to the highest point in the contiguous United States (14,505 ft) - Death Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney.
Day-1 was a photo op in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth where temps have hit the 130s. It was a chilly 111-degrees during our visit.
Day-2 we hiked to the summit of Mount Whitney--Over 21-miles and 6640-feet of elevation gain!
The Mt Whitney high altitude/sickness, 550' of elevation gain per mile and rocky terrain combined to make this one of the toughest physical and mental endurance challenges I've ever taken on. Total time on trail (started with headlamps at 1AM) was nearly 16-hours.
Mount Whitney Route, Jul 15, 2018 11:09:58 PM
Approximately 10.5 miles from Portal, 7,776' gain, 1,960' loss, starts at 8,365'. Vigorous high-altitude hike.
This is a hike of a lifetime. It is difficult due to the altitude and requires conditioning and determination. Should use GPS as some surfaces of the trail are difficult to follow due to massive granite surface area. Know your water sources and use them wisely. Water should be treated. Carry out own waste. The only toilets are near the parking lot at the beginning. Help others on the trail. This hike is no joke. It can be quite dangerous and many hikers have lost their lives on this hike. Enjoy it and don't become a statitistic. Once on the summit, rest, take photos and take leisure hike down. Don't forget to rest occassionally. Going down is quite easy to trip and fall. Especially when you are tired. Try to finish before sunset.
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