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Mount Whitney 14,495 ft 4420 m
Sierra Nevada, California
View of Mount Whitney from town of Lone Pine
Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous United States but it is not a difficult ascent by the normal route. The trail starts from Whitney Portal at Lone Pine in Owens Valley, California. The ascent is merely a long walk (22 miles/35 km round trip) with no technical difficulty, but with the added challenge of altitude. Elevation gain is about 6200 feet (1890 m). Assuming you are fit, by doing a few other ascents in the area first you should be able to acclimatize enough to ascend "The Big One" in one long day with a light pack (preferable). Expect big crowds and more than a few out of shape people en route. After mid-October there is no quota on day trips and this simplifies matters immensely. Current mountain conditions and permit information are available at the Ranger's office in Lone Pine or at http://www.r5.pswfs.gov/inyo/vvc/mtwhtny/index.htm
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Lone Pine Lake. I began my ascent by headlamp from
Whitney Portal parking lot at 5 a.m. October 22 after sleeping in my van in the parking
lot. Breakfast was a banana and a bloody dry old bagel from the over-hyped Sheepherder
Bakery in Bishop. Because black bears at The Portal will trash a vehicle if they see
or smell anything that might be edible, I had left all my extra stuff at a cheap motel in
Lone Pine where I'd stay upon returning that evening. On the trail, the first notable
landmark is Lone Pine Lake at 2.5 miles (4km), shown here. Pretty, eh? It's a pleasant day
hike to it even if you're not climbing Whitney. No permit required either.
Near Mirror Lake I was
treated to a beautiful sunrise on Mount Whitney, then I continued on reaching Trail Camp
(6.5 mi/10.4km) at 8:30 a.m. Trail Camp (elev. 12,040 ft/3670 m) is the most popular
camping spot for a go at the top (permit required). It's 4 miles to the top from there.
The temperature was still well below freezing at this early hour; some folks were just
crawling out of their frosty tents.
© all photos copyright by the author 1999.
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