Have you ever walked 22.4 miles and ascended 6,130 feet in a single day? Well, if you depart the Whitney Portal parking lot and hike to the peak of Mount Whitney and back to your car in a single day, that's exactly what you will have done. Leaving 8,365' Whitney Portal by flashlight at 4:30 A.M., reaching the 14,495' (some say 14,494') high Mount Whitney peak around noon, and then racing back down over extremely rough terrain to your waiting car - that's what a few friends and I did a few years ago (9/29/84).
Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States / the contiguous 48 states, has always drawn hearty hikers to its summit, but the sane make the trek in two or three days. My group was wholly comprised of marathon runners, undaunted by the altitude (yes, I got a whopper of a headache for my troubles), and well conditioned for the attempt. Not all of us succeeded, though I believe at least ten of seventeen did.
We stashed our flashlights in some rocks once we had broken through the tree line; we reached Outpost Camp (about 10,300') 3.5 miles in, hit the solar toilets, then pressed on into the brutally uneven and challenging ascent up a rocky wall. The hike was tough, and one had to remind himself or herself to stop and enjoy the wondrous views.
Consultation Lake, if I recall correctly - above 11,750' elevation.
Soon we reached Trail Camp at 12,000' elevation and 6.0 miles in, an inhospitable place set below the 100 switchbacks, a winding climb on narrow trails with granite walls to one side and 500' drops to the other. We paused to marvel at the imposing wall we were about to ascend. A tricky crossing over an ice covered stretch of trail nearly ended my attempt - I am terribly afraid of edges and I only succeeded through the blessed intervention of two rock climbers who used rope tackle to help me across. They also met me there hours later or I would have frozen to death on the "up" side of the ice on my way down. The Saddle above heralded my successful climb up the 1,000 switchbacks. Intersection with the John Muir Trail came a half mile farther. The panoramas atop the Discovery Pinnacle and all the way to the top of Whitney were inspirational.
Whitney Saddle - Discovery Pinnacle - about 13,775' elevation - it's all about breathing from here on. John B. and I take a break.
Once atop the Saddle, 8.2 miles into the hike, the trek turned into a battle of lungs vs. thinning air. I did amazingly well - I seem to endure altitude effects better than some. Once heading north towards the summit, we could look west over 13,177' Mount Young and 13,184' Mount Hitchcock. We witnessed a magical event - snow falling against the east facing mountain range across from us. We were well above the cloud and watched as the range was literally painted white.
Mount Whitney doesn't have the spire-like, jutting presence one might expect. I refer to it as an "ugly thumb of boulders." The acme is in the center of the photo, to the right of the largest snow field. The reward, though, is that there is an unobstructed 360 degree panorama from atop the mountain, atop the world.
There's a stone cabin atop the summit - it's saved a few lives in its day, though it's also a prime lightning target. I understand that there are toilet facilities atop the peak now.
This plaque apparently, erroneously indicates 14,496.811' elevation, but I understand that 14,495' is correct (again, some say it's 14,494')..
Once we reached the summit, we were greeted by spectacular views - west over the Great Western Divide and east over Death Valley - from the summit of Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states (14,495' above sea level) you can also see the lowest, Badwater, Death Valley at 282' below sea level.
The most debilitating part of the trip was the severe beating delivered to the knees, ankles and even hip joints by our hasty descent over rough terrain. I awoke the next day nearly unable to stand or walk, but that passed in a day or two. When I did the hike the next year - in three days (backpacked to Outpost Camp on day one; day hiked to the top and back to Camp the second day; backpacked out on day three), I suffered little consequence.
Enter Whitney out of Lone Pine on Hwy. 395, south of Bishop and north of Mojave, California. Contact the Mt. Whitney Ranger District, INYO National Forest. PO Box 8, Lone Pine, CA 93545; call (760) 873-2483. Accessible season is mid-July to early October for reaching the top; lower elevations may be accessible from May 1 through Nov. 1. Permits are required, even for day hikes. Only 60 backpackers and 115 day hikers are allowed on the trail each day - you MUST have a permit. A lottery system has since been installed, so apply early. Applications are accepted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28/29 each year, as of 2003.
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