Route Climbed: East Face via Shaky Leg Variation, III, 5.7 Date Climbed: July 24, 2003
Followed our ascent of the E. Buttress with an ascent of the E. Face via the Shaky Leg variation - felt more like 5.8. Great route, but I never want to do the Tower Traverse again!
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: july 17th, 2003
Pretty easy trail for the highest peak in the continental U.S. Great view from the summit. The trail is really well taken care of and not steep at all. Next time i'll try the Mountaineers Route.
Route Climbed: Main Whitney Trail Date Climbed: July 13, 2003
Great hike that I've been looking forward to for over a year. Camped in the walk-in campground at the trailhead (8300 ft). Awoke at 4am. Broke camp, ate breakfast, and made final preparations. On trail with hiking buddy Dan at 5:05am.
Even though the trail was long (11 miles), it had to have been the nicest and easiest trail I've ever hiked to a 14er. Never got winded because it never got steep, even on the 97 switchbacks -- and yes, there are 97 of them because I counted!
The trail is beautiful, especially the flowing mountain streams, waterfalls, and lakes (Lone Pine Lake, Mirror Lake, and Consultation Lake to name a few). It was exhilirating to reach trailcrest and get the first peek (no pun intended!) across Sequoia National Park.
On top by 11:40am. Not bad to be up the trail and on top in 6 hrs, 35 min. Spent two hours on top because it was a perfect day: sunny, 60s, no clouds, and virtually no wind. Great place to eat lunch and take a nap. A glider buzzed the peak while I was on top. Cool.
While basking in my accomplishment of bagging this great peak, I was humbled to see a climber come up and over the east face.
On the way back down the trail, I attempted to bag Mt. Muir (14,012) to make it a double-14er day. I never could find the correct way up to Muir. I got within 50' of the peak (I think) before I decided not to risk it. Oh well. I'll leave Mt. Muir for another day.
The hike down was long, but the gradual descent is easy on the knees and feet. Back at the car at 6:30pm. Eleven and a half hours of hiking. 22-miles. 6200' of elevation gain. 14,497.61 peak. What a day!
Next time, I'll have to attempt the Mountaineering Route. That sounds like fun.
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: July 30, 2002
It's been a while, But I do remember being there (ha, ha!). It was a beautiful weekend with lots of people wandering around the trail. I was with two other close friends - Davis and Dan. We camped at Outpost Camp, and started our summit attempt around 7:00 a.m. from camp. Since this route is basically just a walk up, I decided to use my trail shoes instead of boots - good idea until the decent took its toll on the bottom of my feet. We made the summit in around 4.5 hours, and spent a good 45-60 minute rest on top. The only negative was the haze from nearby fires, which blurred our view of the Owens Valley and into the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. But overall, it was rewarding....but I think the Mountaineer's Route will be my next choice to avoid the crowds and for a more satisfying climb.
Route Climbed: Mt. Whitney Trail Date Climbed: August 7, 2002
A very long and scenic day hike. The McNalley Fire burning to the south obscured views in most directions. Marmots now live at the summit -- surviving off of tourist handouts.
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: May 17, 2003
Started from Whitney Portal with three other climbers. Snow level was between lower and Upper Boy Scout Lakes. The weather was very warm and partial cloudy. You needed snowshoes. I did not bring them which I regret. What a work-out!
By mid-morning I was sinking up to my waist. Very bad snow conditions. After summiting, the hard work just began. By Iceberg Lake I was sinking to my chest in some spots. My friends turn around because of this.
Smart!
After reaching Whitney Portal alright, I had to treat my friends to dinner for making them wait why I summit by myself.
Route Climbed: Main Whitney Trail Date Climbed: June 14, 2003
First time. Summitted with engineer_charley after spending the night at Whitney Portal and Trail Camp. Great weather. Long, hard hike, with tired feet afterwards.
Time: Portal to Trail Camp - 8 hrs. Trail Camp to Summit - 5 hrs. Summit to Trail Camp - 4 hrs. Started June 13 at 9:15 am, finished June 15 about 2:30 pm.
We saw a nice campsite about halfway up the ridge above Mirror Lake in the Bristlecone Pine trees. Another two nice sites on top of that ridge near the last tree at the tree line. But we stayed at Trail Camp both nights. Wish we had another night to spent at Outpost Camp in the trees (Trail Camp is above the treeline).
Thanks Gabriela for being our support crew at Trail Camp! Thanks also to Jonathan (USFS), who rescued an item that fell off our packs near Trail Camp and happened to run into us at Outpost Camp as we were heading down!
Route Climbed: Mt. Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 14 Jun 03
First time. Overnighted at Trail Camp Friday & Saturday. Beautiful weather, comfortable nights. Full moon lit the huge walls. Trail is mostly clear of snow, though there were a few tricky spots--leave the crampons at home. Cables still down in the switchbacks, one toilet open at each of Outpost and Trail Camps. Water everywhere except above switchbacks--3.5 liters was plenty for me. Tired and headachy enough on top that I forgot to look over the east edge--probably a good thing! One look at the climb up Muir and this trailwalker said no thanks. Met some fascinatingly in-shape people flying up and down the trail--one couple had no packs, and we saw them on Saturday and Sunday! We took 3 days, but would like to have spent 4--lots of pretty places to stay between Outpost and Trail Camp. Portal Store's shower and burgers not to be missed. Yum!
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 2 November 2002
This was my 2nd ascent of Mt. Whitney, and I did it just to prove to myself that the first time I made it up in August wasn't a fluke. The valuable lesson I learned on this trip was that hiking out in the dark is for the birds. When I made it to the top I had it all to myself. I was tempted to move into the hut and call it home!
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 18 August 2002
My first ascent to the top of the lower 48. Started just after midnight and was pretty much freezing and falling asleep by dawn at Trail Camp. Somehow managed to stay awake long enough to make it to the top. Valuable lessons learned, such as get some sleep beforehand and wear layers of Capaline.
Route Climbed: Mountaineers Route Date Climbed: May, 11,2003
Perfect Weather, not a cloud in the sky as far as we could see. Snow was nice and firm. Climbed with Kris.
Peak Freak - May 1, 2003 4:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2009
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: April 19, 2003
2003: Met up with Daniel & Kris to do the Mountaineer's Route. Weather was perfect. Snow conditions were great. Did not need snowshoes. Will post details in the trip report section.
2009: Went back and did the East Face with Kurt & Andy Aug 10, 2009
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: July 6, 2002
Strenuous with some tricky route finding but well worth it! Accompanied by my brother and my very good friend We set out from the Portal at 5:30 a.m. and summited by 3:00 p.m., stopping on the way up to make camp at Iceberg Lake. When we arrived back at our camp we realized that had we not been carrying tents, sleeping bags, stoves, and a two day supply of food we could have done it as a single day hike. Even with the excellent descriptions in the books available, the navigation is challenging in some portions.
tbnelson - Jul 25, 2003 5:30 pm
Route Climbed: East Face via Shaky Leg Variation, III, 5.7 Date Climbed: July 24, 2003Followed our ascent of the E. Buttress with an ascent of the E. Face via the Shaky Leg variation - felt more like 5.8. Great route, but I never want to do the Tower Traverse again!
tbnelson - Jul 25, 2003 5:19 pm
Route Climbed: East Buttress, III, 5.7 Date Climbed: July 23, 2003Summited via the E. Buttress in about 5 1/2 hours. Great climbing.
gazelle - Jul 23, 2003 12:52 am
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: july 17th, 2003Pretty easy trail for the highest peak in the continental U.S. Great view from the summit. The trail is really well taken care of and not steep at all. Next time i'll try the Mountaineers Route.
brandon - Jul 22, 2003 1:29 pm
Route Climbed: JMT Date Climbed: July Something, 20031:00 am summit, full moon, no one around. A fitting end to an 11 days JMT solo trip.
43moon - Jul 18, 2003 5:30 pm
Route Climbed: Main Whitney Trail Date Climbed: July 14, 2003Left trail camp at about 3:45am and summited at about 8:30am. Spent almost 2 hours in mostly wind-free conditions. Enjoyed the amazing view.
395guy - Jul 15, 2003 8:00 pm
Route Climbed: Main Whitney Trail Date Climbed: July 13, 2003Great hike that I've been looking forward to for over a year. Camped in the walk-in campground at the trailhead (8300 ft). Awoke at 4am. Broke camp, ate breakfast, and made final preparations. On trail with hiking buddy Dan at 5:05am.
Even though the trail was long (11 miles), it had to have been the nicest and easiest trail I've ever hiked to a 14er. Never got winded because it never got steep, even on the 97 switchbacks -- and yes, there are 97 of them because I counted!
The trail is beautiful, especially the flowing mountain streams, waterfalls, and lakes (Lone Pine Lake, Mirror Lake, and Consultation Lake to name a few). It was exhilirating to reach trailcrest and get the first peek (no pun intended!) across Sequoia National Park.
On top by 11:40am. Not bad to be up the trail and on top in 6 hrs, 35 min. Spent two hours on top because it was a perfect day: sunny, 60s, no clouds, and virtually no wind. Great place to eat lunch and take a nap. A glider buzzed the peak while I was on top. Cool.
While basking in my accomplishment of bagging this great peak, I was humbled to see a climber come up and over the east face.
On the way back down the trail, I attempted to bag Mt. Muir (14,012) to make it a double-14er day. I never could find the correct way up to Muir. I got within 50' of the peak (I think) before I decided not to risk it. Oh well. I'll leave Mt. Muir for another day.
The hike down was long, but the gradual descent is easy on the knees and feet. Back at the car at 6:30pm. Eleven and a half hours of hiking. 22-miles. 6200' of elevation gain. 14,497.61 peak. What a day!
Next time, I'll have to attempt the Mountaineering Route. That sounds like fun.
Felsberg - Jul 10, 2003 4:26 pm
Route Climbed: Trail Date Climbed: September 2, 2002see here for pics
Vertigo soul - Jul 8, 2003 11:24 am
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: July 30, 2002It's been a while, But I do remember being there (ha, ha!). It was a beautiful weekend with lots of people wandering around the trail. I was with two other close friends - Davis and Dan. We camped at Outpost Camp, and started our summit attempt around 7:00 a.m. from camp. Since this route is basically just a walk up, I decided to use my trail shoes instead of boots - good idea until the decent took its toll on the bottom of my feet. We made the summit in around 4.5 hours, and spent a good 45-60 minute rest on top. The only negative was the haze from nearby fires, which blurred our view of the Owens Valley and into the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. But overall, it was rewarding....but I think the Mountaineer's Route will be my next choice to avoid the crowds and for a more satisfying climb.
sierragator - Jul 6, 2003 10:35 pm
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's route Date Climbed: July 6, 2003Bagged this peak for the fourth time today (it never gets old).
Second time summitting via the MR. Snow was not an issue as it was easily by passed.
big_g - Jun 30, 2003 10:56 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2003
Route Climbed: JMT to Mt Whitney TrailHappy Isles TH to Mt. Whitney = 211 miles. Have not figured out the vertical yet but it was huge. What a hike.
JMT trip report
dkantola - Jun 29, 2003 12:54 am
Route Climbed: Mt. Whitney Trail Date Climbed: August 7, 2002A very long and scenic day hike. The McNalley Fire burning to the south obscured views in most directions. Marmots now live at the summit -- surviving off of tourist handouts.
Guilty - Jun 27, 2003 1:24 am
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: May 17, 2003Started from Whitney Portal with three other climbers. Snow level was between lower and Upper Boy Scout Lakes. The weather was very warm and partial cloudy. You needed snowshoes. I did not bring them which I regret. What a work-out!
By mid-morning I was sinking up to my waist. Very bad snow conditions. After summiting, the hard work just began. By Iceberg Lake I was sinking to my chest in some spots. My friends turn around because of this.
Smart!
After reaching Whitney Portal alright, I had to treat my friends to dinner for making them wait why I summit by myself.
Go figure.
kk6yb - Jun 23, 2003 9:19 pm
Route Climbed: Main Whitney Trail Date Climbed: June 14, 2003First time. Summitted with engineer_charley after spending the night at Whitney Portal and Trail Camp. Great weather. Long, hard hike, with tired feet afterwards.
Time: Portal to Trail Camp - 8 hrs. Trail Camp to Summit - 5 hrs. Summit to Trail Camp - 4 hrs. Started June 13 at 9:15 am, finished June 15 about 2:30 pm.
We saw a nice campsite about halfway up the ridge above Mirror Lake in the Bristlecone Pine trees. Another two nice sites on top of that ridge near the last tree at the tree line. But we stayed at Trail Camp both nights. Wish we had another night to spent at Outpost Camp in the trees (Trail Camp is above the treeline).
Lots of great pictures from the trip, click here to see them.
Thanks Gabriela for being our support crew at Trail Camp! Thanks also to Jonathan (USFS), who rescued an item that fell off our packs near Trail Camp and happened to run into us at Outpost Camp as we were heading down!
engineer charley - Jun 16, 2003 11:31 am
Route Climbed: Mt. Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 14 Jun 03First time. Overnighted at Trail Camp Friday & Saturday. Beautiful weather, comfortable nights. Full moon lit the huge walls. Trail is mostly clear of snow, though there were a few tricky spots--leave the crampons at home. Cables still down in the switchbacks, one toilet open at each of Outpost and Trail Camps. Water everywhere except above switchbacks--3.5 liters was plenty for me. Tired and headachy enough on top that I forgot to look over the east edge--probably a good thing! One look at the climb up Muir and this trailwalker said no thanks. Met some fascinatingly in-shape people flying up and down the trail--one couple had no packs, and we saw them on Saturday and Sunday! We took 3 days, but would like to have spent 4--lots of pretty places to stay between Outpost and Trail Camp. Portal Store's shower and burgers not to be missed. Yum!
Michael Tolchard - Jun 5, 2003 12:50 am
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 2 November 2002This was my 2nd ascent of Mt. Whitney, and I did it just to prove to myself that the first time I made it up in August wasn't a fluke. The valuable lesson I learned on this trip was that hiking out in the dark is for the birds. When I made it to the top I had it all to myself. I was tempted to move into the hut and call it home!
Michael Tolchard - Jun 3, 2003 11:00 pm
Route Climbed: Whitney Trail Date Climbed: 18 August 2002My first ascent to the top of the lower 48. Started just after midnight and was pretty much freezing and falling asleep by dawn at Trail Camp. Somehow managed to stay awake long enough to make it to the top. Valuable lessons learned, such as get some sleep beforehand and wear layers of Capaline.
tahoeclimber - Jun 1, 2003 6:52 pm
Route Climbed: Mountaineers Route Date Climbed: May, 11,2003Perfect Weather, not a cloud in the sky as far as we could see. Snow was nice and firm. Climbed with Kris.
Peak Freak - May 1, 2003 4:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2009
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: April 19, 20032003: Met up with Daniel & Kris to do the Mountaineer's Route. Weather was perfect. Snow conditions were great. Did not need snowshoes. Will post details in the trip report section.
2009: Went back and did the East Face with Kurt & Andy Aug 10, 2009
dankras - Apr 26, 2003 1:37 am
Route Climbed: mountaineer's route Date Climbed: April 19, 2003One of the most spectacular summit days; perfect snow, cloudless sky - one can't ask for more.
RickF - Mar 10, 2003 10:49 am
Route Climbed: Mountaineer's Route Date Climbed: July 6, 2002Strenuous with some tricky route finding but well worth it! Accompanied by my brother and my very good friend We set out from the Portal at 5:30 a.m. and summited by 3:00 p.m., stopping on the way up to make camp at Iceberg Lake. When we arrived back at our camp we realized that had we not been carrying tents, sleeping bags, stoves, and a two day supply of food we could have done it as a single day hike. Even with the excellent descriptions in the books available, the navigation is challenging in some portions.