Trip Report: Climbing Mt. Whitney, Inyo National Forest — CA
Trip Date: August 25–27, 2017
Trip Details
For our second backpacking trip ever, we decided it would be a good idea to enter the lottery for Mt. Whitney and leave it up to fate. Fate’s name is Caren and she won the lottery for our group! Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48s at a whopping 14,505 ft and our very first 14er.
The trail is well maintained and marked. In the summer months after the snow has melted, no technical skills are required for the climb though altitude sickness and summer thunderstorms are still hazards. This is not the trail for you if you are looking for solitude! There are people climbing at pretty much all times of day. If you’re looking for a helpful guide, I found this one to be very thorough: https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hikes-around-mt-whitney/mt-whitney-hike/.
Permit: Whether you decide to day hike or backpack this trail, permits are required via lottery. Apply during the window at Recreation.gov. This typically occurs around Jan-March. In 2022, the lottery window opened February 1 and closed March 15. Other options include trying for unclaimed permits or via walk-up.
Parking: Lot by trailhead with bathroom, trash cans, and general store (that has burgers and beer!).
Trail: Mt. Whitney Trail
Trail length: 20.9 miles (out and back)
Elevation Change: 6,646 ft
Our Plan: 3 days, 2 nights
- Hike to Consolation Lake and Stay Overnight
- Summit and hike back to Camp
- Hike out and drive home
Here’s a short video I made of the trip:
Other Things To Note:
- Bear Canisters are required for food storage from bears, sneaky little marmots and other critters
- WAG bags are required for waste and need to be packed out
- One of the hazards of Mt. Whitney Trail is altitude sickness (AMS). I took Diamox as a preventative measure and made plans to turn back if I developed symptoms.
- In the summer months, afternoon thunderstorms could be a danger for anyone above the tree line. Time your summit so that you are off by early afternoon and keep an eye out and turn around if you see signs of dark clouds, thunder/hail/rain, static electricity in the hair or fingertips, and/or hissing in the air.
Training
In preparation for this trip, we went on training hikes every weekend on trails up to 15 miles, 3000+ ft elevation, and with at least 20 lbs of weight in our packs. During the week, I ran at least 3 miles every day. I was the fittest I’ve ever been by the time our trip date rolled around.
Day 1: August 25, 2017
Liz and Phann took turns driving through the night from the Bay so we could arrive by morning and start right away. Not the optimal choice to start without acclimating or sleeping the night before, but we were short on time because of work. We banked on our youth to push us through!
We arrived around 7–8AM. After obtaining our permit from the Whitney Portal store and using a real bathroom for the last time, we began the trek. At the start of the trail, there is a scale to weigh your pack. I chose not to know and hike in ignorance but Caren took a peek and hers came in at a whopping 45 lbs!
Our goal today was to make it to Consultation Lake and camp for the night, about 5 miles from the trailhead and an almost 4,000 ft climb.
The trail took us through pine forests eventually emerging out from the tree line into rocky terrain.
We were fortunate to find Consultation Lake unoccupied when we arrived and staked our claim. By the end of the night, another group joined us and that pretty much brought the campground to capacity.
Despite it being the peak of summer, it was COLD at night at higher elevation. I had a 30F degree sleeping bag paired with a liner and was barely comfortable enough to sleep.
In the middle of the night, nature called. Being forced awake by my bowels, it felt like such a bothersome task to venture out into the cold and rustle with my WAG bag in the darkness. All of that melted away as soon as my eyes adjusted and I looked up to a sea of twinkling stars. Five years later writing this trip report, I still remember vividly how awestruck I felt that night going to the bathroom.
The rest of the night was uneventful, though sleep was difficult with the cold, the discomfort of adjusting to elevation, and the constant noise of shuffling hikers making their way to the summit.
Day 2: August 26, 2017
We woke up early enough to summit and return by the afternoon to avoid any potential run ins with afternoon thunderstorms.Converting our packs to daypacks, we left the remainder of our gear at camp to lighten the load for the summit.
After a short walk, we made our way through Trail Camp, the last campsite before the start of the 97?99?100? switchbacks towards the summit. There was no privacy to be had here, so I was glad to have found a base camp where we did at the much quieter Consultation Lake. Think of the lake as the library and Trail Camp as the fraternity house on campus.
At the start of the switchbacks, a lively group in front of me were singing 99 bottles of beer on the walls and reiterated the jig each time we progressed up a switchback. I was glad to have the indirect company and noise to drown out my heavy breathing and general physical laboring.
Once the switchbacks were completed, a full 2 miles of zig-zagging upwards, we arrived at Trail Crest and had lunch before making our final stretch to the summit.
The trail becomes rocky from this point on and sheer drops on all sides of the trail are quite startling!
After a slow-going ascent, the hut came into view and I knew I finally made it to the summit! Caren was there already and lounging about like the climb up here was but a leisurely stroll. We waited for Liz and Phann to arrive and signed the register together.
On the way down, we all went at our own separate paces. With not even half a mile left back to Consultation Lake, I became confused and lost. I started to panic and spun around and around trying to figure out where I needed to go. I made myself stop and sit so I could regulate my breathing back to normal and think clearly. After a couple of minutes, I looked around and saw a woman sitting on a rock face further down and the route became clear to me again. I used this person as my north star and found my way back on track. When I reached her, I told her how she helped me get back onto the trail and thanked her profusely!
I joined Caren back at Consultation Lake. I took off my socks for the first time that day and wow, it was rank! I probably should have let them breathe throughout the day.
Hours later, Liz and Phann made their way back down holding a Ziploc bag of vomit. Liz had thrown up on the way down and holding fast to their LPT principles, they made sure to contain it so it could be brought back down the mountain and disposed of. Respect!
Day 3: August 27, 2017
With the summit behind us, the next big goal was to make our way back down. It was an uneventful descent, but the excitement we had after we rounded the last corner and saw our car in the distance was palpable! Liz zipped her way down the mountain, feeling much more herself after yesterday’s events.
Our first peak “bagged”, we were happy to finish and get back to our car to begin our drive home!
Hope this was helpful, happy trails!
❤ Em
