The drive was grueling, but the hike was incredible. Driving up from San Jose to San Francisco, and then over through Yosemite, the route to US-395 was not fast. It took over 8 hours to get to Whitney with stops included. We arrived at around 10PM the night before the hike. The next morning we woke at 355AM, left the trailhead by around 445AM. I finished by around 445PM making the day about 12 hours round trip for 22 miles, at an average of 1.8mph for the trip. Elevation gain was around 6,000 feet. The trail is easy, although this time of year is was well snowed in above Consultation Lake. Most were climbing with crampons and "micro-spikes" which are a clever adaptation of car chains to people's shoes.
If we had waited another week, this whole trip would not have required any special passes. As it was, there was $17/person dayhike charges, as well as the cost to pass through Yosemite on the way there. So total outlay was $75 before gas and car mileage.
People were great, and everyone was out to help each other, keep an eye out for those that needed help and generally encourage everyone to make the long 22 mi trek up and back. Smart hikers split the hike into two days, camping up at Outpost camp near consultation lake and settling after the first major leg. We were tight on time which led to the decision to make the summit bid in a single grueling day. We paced out well in the early morning darkness, clearing the first couple of lakes by 8AM. By around 11AM I had reached the summit but didn't linger for long due to the possibility of changing conditions.
My hiking strategy was simple: go light on belongings and equipment and reach the summit rapidly and descend carefully and deliberately. Despite the snow, I found this strategy fast and effective. Most of the snow was hard packed, but there were several sections with 2 foot drifts, mostly blown over tracks and powder over "crunchy" snow. Many remarked on my decision to forgo the bulky crampons and poles on the snow. My rationale was that the snow ledge was a very shallow incline in most places, and that overall the Whitney trail approach was to trade vertical progress for horizontal distance to make the slope easier to manage, and that sneakers were the most efficient and light weight footwear to facilitate a climb. Furthermore, the trail was narrow and I wasn't convinced that the poles helped much on the ascent. Descending however, I found those with Poles and the ability to take the load from their legs to be much faster and nimble that I managed to be.
I ate much less than planned and was able to avoid pit stops and the obligatory pack your poop requirement. I took many "That's It" bars along, a bag of Turkey Jerky and a map that my girlfriend picked up at REI for me.
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| Summit - 14.5k feet |
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| Trail Crest @ 13k feet |
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| Summit Panorama |
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| After snowy switchbacks above Consultation Lake - Close to the trail crest |
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| Consultation Lake Panorama |
Checklist:
-> Permit
-> Headlamp
-> E blanket
-> Sunscreen & Hat
-> Food and some water/purification tablets
-> Map
-> Warm Clothing- Ski Jacket OK in Oct.
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