I have a bunch of questions about this route up Whitney specifically in winter looking to pick someones brain whos done it at least once.

Well booking my sates based on the information received so going to need a little more info than that.

Dates

The last couple winters, it's been little different than a typical summer ascent, except more cold, even late into the season.

I'm not even sure what a "normal" winter is supposed to mean anymore. We haven't gotten one in California in too long.

If I had to decide so early on, I'd try to go later in the "winter," but it's very much a gamble this far out.

You need 3 days (at least) for this trip given normal snow. First night go to upper boy scout lake-you don't want to lug all your winter crap to iceburg. Hit the trail on day 2 by 5 am for the summit, then back to UBL. Head out on day 3. This is how I did it. Oh yeah, if there is no snow at UBL, don't keep ANY food in your tent. A marmot destroyed mine.

I day-hiked it last January, but that wasn’t a normal snow year. I was able to drive fairly close to the portal. It took 12:40 from where I parked to the summit and back. There is a trip report at http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/34913#Post34913.

You don’t mention whether you have climbed the Mountaineers’ Route. If you haven’t, you should do it at least once before you try it in winter. A summer trip and another trip with a moderate amount of snow (November, or May?) would be good preparation.

Every winter, we get a few long periods of nice weather. Going towards the end of one of these periods can make a huge difference. A warm, sunny day after 10 days of nice weather to consolidate the snow really helps. You don’t want to be there during or right after a big storm that leaves several feet of avalanche-prone snow. Pick your dates carefully, and reschedule if conditions aren’t right.

For many years, the County has placed a “ROAD CLOSED” sign across the road during snow season. They have usually looked the other way when people drove around the sign to access Mt. Whitney. However, quite a few idiots have gotten stuck in the last few years, blocking the road for weeks or months. Last spring, they installed a gate across the road, making it impossible to drive the last few miles to Whitney Portal. I heard that climbers had asked the County to reconsider the locked gate, but I don’t know what came of that. You will want to know the status of the gate before you go.

Good luck.

ChristopherFranklin wrote:I have a bunch of questions about this route up Whitney specifically in winter looking to pick someones brain whos done it at least once.

What are the questions?

I had a failed attempt on the M.R 2 years ago, we climbed mid May in a storm conditions were brutal temp never got above 14 and visability was about 20ft. We turned back at about 13,700. My gear was fine for that weather should I expect colder in March with good weather? What kind of temps can I expect in good weather and bad in March? Also I've heard when the snow builds up you can make it through the willows avoiding the E ledges is this safe?

It is safe if there is good snow. The willows are (for the most part) covered and you just ascend the slope.

When there is enough snow, everybody bypasses the E ledges on the left. You will usually find a packed trail to follow.

We all know that winter weather can be brutal, and it will always be cold at night. However, it can also be nice in the middle of the day. I’m a real pussy about being cold, but I’ve been on the Whitney summit in January wearing light gloves and a baseball cap. I’ve been comfortable on the summit of Shasta in February with no hat or gloves. And I once skied off the summit of White Mountain Peak in February wearing no jacket and just long johns on my legs. The weather forecast if far more important than picking the “right” month to go.

I'm planning on March because I need as much time as possible to train (recovering from knee surgery) keeping the whole month open and going when the forecast is good.

Yes when I went in winter we just followed the foot track through the snow bypassing the ledges. No issue no danger.

Keep up to date on the weather and conditions. During big snow years, March can have a lot of unsettled snow, even from wind loading. there were 90 mile gusts when we were there. I have personally seen a team take a big slide on the main chute.