6/28/2016

Mt. Whitney Hiking 2016 Report (1) ~ Overall

Mt. Whitney Hiking 2016

 
A video to show what the trail looks like!!
   First of all, I would like to share a video I took during the hiking this year.  It was not really easy to get a right video shooting with a head mount.  Since the head kept moving when I walked.  However, it might be a better way to share what the trail looks like.   In the past years, I only tool photos and this was my first time to shoot a video during the hiking.
Approach
   My permit this year was an overnight permit on June 25, that I was allow to hike there on June 25 and 26.  Overall my basic plan was set based on the past experience, which is picking up the permit in the morning on the entrance day.  Then I just hiked up to Trail Camp on the first day.  The second day, I attempted the summit and came back to the trail head.   So I leave very early in the morning on June 25 around 3 am.
   The driving route was I-580 ~ CA-120 / CA-108 / CA-120 ~ US-395 going through Yosemite National Park.  It took about 6 hours.  One big difference was the sunrise was earlier than the past hiking since this was my first time to hike there in June.  I felt like that the driving was much easier than driving in a dark.  Around 5am when I passed Yosemite National Park, the sky was not dark anymore.  It was really fun driving this time to Lone Pine.
   The arrival time at the visitor center was 9 am.  I got the number to get permit which is “39” and when I was arrived, “30” was in processed.  I only waited for 30 minutes to get the permit.  As I checked in advance, I asked a ranger if it would be all right to park my car on the road side at Whitney Portal.   The answer from the ranger was that he did not think I would have a problem to park at hiker’s parking / overflow parking on that day.  It was really true, there was not any space in the hiker’s parking, but I saw many space in the overflow parking lots.   The ranger issue an parking permit at Whitney Portal for 2 days.
   On the way to Whitney Portal, the construction project was really on going.  However, there was no construction work due to a weekend.   There were some sections the road was unpaved.   Overall, it was really smooth approach to the Whitney Portal this time.

Hike on the Day 1, Whitney Portal ~ Trail Camp
   When I was looking for a parking spot, there were a several people at the trail head and they were almost ready to go.   After picking up the permit, I was arrived there around 10am.   I left the parking lot at 10:09am, the temperature was already around 85 degrees F (28 degrees C).    There were a several places to cross a stream.  The water was more than my past experience, but they were not big problems to across.   I might need to put a few steps on a rock in a stream.  However, it was not deep and I did not get wet.  I think as long as people wear a reasonable water proof boots, it would be all right.   They just need to be careful to jump a stone to the other to avoid slipping.   The main stream of Lone Pine Creek, the amount of water was much more than the past years.
   There were a few parts where had a patch of snow on the trail before Trail Camp.   They were no problem at all, just tiny snow.   Also I only saw one tent at the Outpost Camp.   In the past year, I saw more than that, but probably fewer people were heading to the summit this time.  Along the trail, there were many wild flowers which were different from late summer season.   It was really fun to hike a mountain in different season.   I always found something new or different every time!
   Tents in Trail Camp were also less than the past years.   There was much snow around the camp.  Even in the Trail Camp, it was really hot and I could not stay outside.  I set up my tent in a shade and stayed in the tent until the sun was behind the mountains.  Since I planned to leave the camp site very early in the morning, I tried to sleep earlier.  However, the daylight was much longer than the other season and it was not really dark around 9pm.   So I spent some time to take some photos.
 Trail Camp


Hike on the Day 2, Summit attempt and descending to the trail head
   The second day, I left the camp site at 4 am.  I saw some people had started earlier than myself, lights from head lamp was moving on the middle / top portion of the switch back.   But many people were still in their tents.  I guessed they might wait for sunrise to start.  The switch back was almost snow free until right before the cable section.  Right before the cable section, snow was shown, but it was not a big deal.  Even at the cable section, the snow was melting and people can easily pass inside the cable.   It was much better condition than a picture somebody post a week ago.  After the cable section, there was no snow until right before Trail Crest.   There was some snow where the trail is traversing to Trail Crest.  The first part was no problem, I just need to walk carefully, not to slip there.   It was flat and a trekking pole helped to keep balancing.   Very last section, which was only a several steps down, I was thinking if I need to wear crampons or not.  But it was really short and I can see some hold on the rock and snow.  So that I did not wear the crampons at all.   But it was icy and needs to be careful when people across this section very early in the morning.   In my case, right before this snow section, I saw sunrise and the sky was getting bright.  
   After this part, there were still some sections had very small snow patches, but they were not any problem at all.   I saw much more snow on the Sequoia National Park side.   It was really beautiful moment after a several ten minutes after the sunrise.   I enjoyed the nice view.   At the last traverse to get into the last slope to the summit, there was snow.  When I hiked in August in 2011, there was also snow here.  However, the amount of snow this time was less than 2011.   On the snow there were nice steps and I did not think any problem at all.
 From the last part of the switch back

   On the way to the summit, I saw a several groups came back from the summit.  Some of them were from John Muir Trail, they started really early in the morning.   Some of them told me they started around 2 am!!
   Since I needed to go back to the trail head in the second day and driving back to home, I was rushing to descending from the summit before the trail was getting crowded with day trip hikers.   I was almost no resting for the round trip from the Trail Camp.  Once I got to Trail Camp, I packed my stuff quickly and headed to the trail head right away. 

No comments:

Post a Comment