Can anyone give me some information on my possible cross country route i will be taking to Mt whitney , from cottonwood lakes trailhead, up mt langley, through lower soldier lake, sky blue lake, over crabtree pass, and over discovery pinnacle to trailcrest and mt whitney?? Most cross country routes i have seen, go through sky blue, and over crabtree pass, and back through lower crabtree lakes... I am thinking of just going straight over discovery pinnacle..Anyone who may have taken this route, and how rugged is it really??...

yosemiteforlife67 wrote:Anyone who may have taken this route, and how rugged is it really??...

I did it last October, and it's 3rd class if you contour around below McAdie and Marsh. I've heard it's milder (with a terrible sand hill) if you drop down to the lake.

EDIT: a couple of pics here.

Thanks, i am still trying to decide whether to just take the main trail from langley down to lower soldier lake, and just continue over guyot pass, through crabtree meadow and on up to guitar lake and onto trail crest, or take the adventurous route. I am not going to go, until the last week of july, but i appreciate the information on this route so i can decide whether we will take this route, my group numbers 10 so with the class 3 stuff, it might be a little challenging...

It's basically a sand slog (called the "Dreaded Sand Hill" for a reason). If you do a search over at the Whitney Portal Store Message Board I'm sure you could find a number of threads/photos.

yosemiteforlife67 wrote:Thanks, i am still trying to decide whether to just take the main trail from langley down to lower soldier lake, and just continue over guyot pass, through crabtree meadow and on up to guitar lake and onto trail crest, or take the adventurous route. I am not going to go, until the last week of july, but i appreciate the information on this route so i can decide whether we will take this route, my group numbers 10 so with the class 3 stuff, it might be a little challenging...

I have hiked all over the area you are interested in, and my opinion is to stay on the main trail. Although it looks longer on the map, you will find it takes far less time by going over Guyot. Depending on your schedule, I'd recommend to take time for day hikes and explore Miter Basin.

Another option is to hike into Crabtree Lake Basin from Sky Blue, then down to the main trail in Crabtree Meadow. It is more about personal preferences in making this call; if you really prefer tedious cross-country mountaineering, then go for the "straight-line" cross-country route. My efforts always seem to get frustrated with more time and energy spent slogging through the cross-country routes than had I stayed on the main trail, those straight lines are not all that straight! For me, in terms of time spent on the trail, going from point A to point B, I find greater efficiency by using the main trail for the most part, and going off trail to access a lake basin here or there for solitude. Safety is another consideration, and who you plan to take with you. Class 3 routes are deceptively challenging! Chances for potentially serious injury are far greater than looking at a map might suggest. The greater the number in your party, the greater the odds for injury. One serious injury will completely change everything.

While I agree with peninsula's assertion for many cross-country routes, I'd have to respectfully disagree on this particular one. There is a very good use trail up Rock Creek all the way to Sky Blue Lake:



It's also one of the prettier canyons in the area. From the lake to Crab Tree Pass is fairly pleasant class 2. From Crab Tree Pass, one can avoid any class 3 by dropping down to the lake before starting back up. The class 3 seano refers to saves about 500ft of extra descent, so you have an option if your party feels up to it. I've done it both ways and didn't find the contour to save time or effort. Here's what the north side of Crabtree Pass looks like:



From the lake up to Discovery Pinnacle is exactly as Moosetracks describes it - a huge sand/gravel slog, 1,500ft worth. This pic shows about 2/3 of the slog up to Discovery Pinnacle:



That said, it's hugely faster to reach Whitney via this route than going down to Crabtree Lakes/Meadow and back up the JMT. It's less than a mile and 1,500ft to Trail Crest via cross-country, vs. 10 miles and 3,000ft via Crabtree Meadow.

Bob Burd wrote:While I agree with peninsula's assertion for many cross-country routes, I'd have to respectfully disagree on this particular one. There is a very good use trail up Rock Creek all the way to Sky Blue Lake:

That said, it's hugely faster to reach Whitney via this route than going down to Crabtree Lakes/Meadow and back up the JMT. It's less than a mile and 1,500ft to Trail Crest via cross-country, vs. 10 miles and 3,000ft via Crabtree Meadow.

Hey Bob, if only I had you as my guide, I'd take your route in a heartbeat!

Wow , i really appreciate the pictures , explanation and advice on this. I will certainly take this into consideration while making my decision. The "adventure" in me wants to take the cross country route, but i will have to confer with my group to see what we will do. I am just starting my physical training to prepare for the up and downs of the terrain, especially with a full pack.