Mt. Whitney - California

Mount Whitney, CA - September 15-17, 2005
Elevation 14,496 feet. Tallest Mountain in Lower 48 US States

Whitney Trip Intro | Gear List | Itinerary |

Photo Gallery | Slide Show

The Story:
September 14th, 2005 - We arrived in Long Beach Airport, and drove just over 3 hours to Lone Pine. Our goal was to pick up our hiking permits at the Ranger Station in downtown Lone Pine, and then pickup some last minute food supplies for dinner. At 7pm we were up at Whitney Portal (8,000 feet above sea level) and found our camp spot (#44). It is beneficial to camp up at the Portal for a night, as to allow your body some extra time up at altitude, especially for people who live year round at sea level. Reserveusa.com is where you can sign up for a camp spot, it's very affordable - ours was $25 a night for six people. The Camp grounds were very well kept, and we had a wonderful feast of tortellini and super market cooked chicken. Bear boxes are located in many locations near the camp grounds, with plenty of room for everything. September 15th 2005 - 6:00 am we woke and boiled some water for a warm oatmeal breakfast, with fresh bananas. There is plenty of parking up at the portal for cars, and we started on the Whitney trail at 9:30am, right on schedule. At the trail head we measured our packs (Jeff 65 lbs, Eric 56 lbs, John 45 lbs, Jenny 41 lbs.) The trail is extremely well taken care of all of the way to the summit, so it's one foot in front of the other. We made sure we wore long sleeve shirts, light pants, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. For the next 6 hours or so you will be in the Californian sun and will burn quickly if you don't care for yourself. At noon we reached Lone Pine Lake and had some lunch while admiring the view. By 3:30 we made it up to Trail Camp (12,000 feet above sea level), and were very happy to put our packs down and pitch our tents. The sun sets at around 5pm behind the peaks, so at that time it's time to put some layers on to stay warm. It stays light our for a few more hours, but the temperature drops considerably (from 50, to the 40's and 30's). At night in mid-September the temperatures drop in the 20's, and water left outside will freeze overnight - so bring it in to your tent if you want to keep it in liquid form. September 16th 2005 - 8:30am After breakfast we headed up the infamous 97 switchbacks up to Trail Crest (13,600 feet). The switchbacks are very well maintained and actually an easy climb - just get a rhythm and take it slowly, don't rush up the mountain the altitude will punish you. By 10:30 am we made it to Trail Crest and enjoyed the views, you can look down and see Trail Camp and the tiny little tents down below. For about 2 hours you traverse behind the peaks and up the back side of Whitney, at 12:30pm we summited and celebrated! The way down went very quickly and we made incredible time compared with going up. There are a few places where you have to watch your footing, and be careful not to slip. In parts over the trail edge, it drops a few hundred feet. We made it back to Trail Camp at 3:45pm and were happy to take our boots off and get some apples, Salami & Cheese in our stomachs. September 17th 2005 - 9:00 am we packed up and left Trail Camp, and headed down to the Portal. We arrived at the Portal just after 12:15pm - so just over 3 hours down. What a great Climb! Great job Jenny, Jeff and Dad! If you have any questions about this climb, please feel free to send an email. Would be happy to help you! Click the Contact link at the bottom of this page. I hope people find this useful if you plan to climb Mt. Whitney, it's very helpful to know temperatures and have the proper equipment for your hike.