07-22-2022
Inyo National Forest, California
Where here it is... the hike of all hikes. I really wanted this to be my #100 but this hike/marathon turned out to be a spontaneous trip when two day hike permits opened up last minute. I previously trained for this hike in 2019 by hiking all Six Pack of Peaks in one summer and reaching the peak of my conditioning with White Mountain Peak (14,262 ft. elevation). I planned to continue training into 2020 with permits already reserved and purchased for April, but we all know what happened then. Looking back at this, hiking Mt. Whitney cold turkey (especially sitting at Bay Area elevation for the past 2 years) was probably not the best idea. But I hated myself enough and knew I'm pretty good at sufferfesting things. I packed a bunch of Asian bakery breads and my hiking essentials and drove up to the Portal. After napping for two hours, I started the long trek at 4:00 AM.
This trail really isn't for beginners. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit that I lost the trail coming down under the evening glow and my headlamp. I remember a hiker passing me on the way back to the parking lot just below the 99 Switchbacks. Despite having summited hours earlier, I caught up to her a few miles before the Portal and learned she had been lost for hours before finally relocating the trail. If it weren't for my Gaia GPS App where I pre-routed the entire trip, I too would have probably wandered dangerously for hours looking for certain landmarks/lakes to reestablish my location. I think we both got lost because the trail after the first trail camp blends into granite rocks before paving its way back into dirt. I also ran out of water coming back down the 99 Switchbacks and was thankful I brought my water filter to filter at one of many water sources by the camps. This elevation saps you dry and I credit my continuous hydration for being able to hike this relatively unaffected by the elevation. Don't sleep on those electrolyte/energy gummy chews too!
Overall, this hike took me an embarrassing 16 hours to do. Hiking this cold turkey prompted me to take too many breaks on the final stretch of the hike from the 99 Switchbacks to the summit and back. I hope to come back and climb Mt. Whitney via one of its technical routes such as the East Buttress. Seeing how out of shape I am at the time of this post, that's highly unlikely. Maybe I'm too old? Lazy? Broken? All of the above.
Do not forget to reserve your permits! Permits are not required until you hit the Whitney Zone. There are different day trip permits and overnight camping permits for both the Mt. Whitney Trail and North Fork of Lone Pine Creek.
Distance: 21.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 6,663 ft.
Final Elevation: 14,505 ft.
Directions to Whitney Portal and the start of the trail: Use the following coordinates in Google Maps to route to the Whitney Portal parking lot and the start of the trail.
Parking lot, trailhead, and the famous Mt. Whitney Portal.
Hitting the trail!
WOW. Sunrise and first views of neighboring peaks under the alpine glow.
Outpost Camp (first of two campsites along the Whitney trail).
Continuing on through the Trail Side Meadow...
Passing Consultation Lake
Second trail camp just below the famous 99 Switchbacks.
Starting up the 99 Switchbacks! This wasn't as bad as most people make it out to be. It is what follows after that really sucks!
Reached the Trail Crest where the Mt. Whitney Trail meets the JMT. This felt like a false summit to me after reaching the top of the 99 Switchbacks. I swear the 1.9 miles sign is a lie.. it felt like an eternity to the summit. This final stretch is also a roller coaster of elevation gains and losses. Reaching the summit meant I still had to hike elevation gain on the return trip back to the Portal where I lost a lot of time and daylight due to my many rest stops.
Backpackers stowing their backpacks for a summit push before continuing on the JMT.
ALMOST THERE.
Made it!! Highest point in the 48 states and it was SO WORTH IT.
#59.
Chris's Difficulty Scale - 10/10
Chris's Difficulty Scale - 10/10
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