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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.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Solo hiked Weds 09/20/2023 – Very thankful for perfect weather!!! 2 AM – 2:30 PM strenuous but easier than expected day hike on a beautiful trail with awesome views for the entire way. After an hour on the summit, I took the west snow route down from the summit and scrambled back to Trail Crest for some extra fun (really to look at a possible west chute climb this winter). Much thanks to everyone on All Trails for their great reporting/tips including the Whitney Portal road detour/trail conditions. Really recommend camping/hiking the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes Trail 2 days before summiting as the perfect acclimation setup. It’s an out and back hike from 10,000 to 11,000 ft. (lakes), after which you can camp for a night at the 10,000 foot trailhead for $6 before going to Whitney Portal for a rest/prep day. This nails the accepted “climb high/sleep low” protocol spot on, especially the elevation numbers. If you are fit and do the acclimation work, you don’t need to bother with Diamox and/or Dexamethasone regimens unless you are prone to AMS. 600 mg of ibuprofen before going up will help most with mild headaches at higher elevations (consult your physician). I packed a full 3.5 L water bladder up but you could take less as the water sources everyone talks about are still ample. You must eat/drink on the trail before the push up Trail Crest to avoid burnout and false positive AMS symptoms. Didn’t book a spot to camp at WP, just paid the $20 to use the trailhead backpacker’s camp for the nights before/after. Conversed with a lot of very friendly, nice people on the way down which made it a great sharing experience and truly awesome day on a trail I last set boots on 40 years ago (when I was knee high to a grasshopper). Logged 21 miles/6351 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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