I had a long report typed up, but lost it when my computer updated. So here's a short one, happy to answer questions.
After a few years of trying, I finally pulled a permit for Whitney. I did not get an overnight, so we had 24 hours to complete the round trip. We went up last week on tuesday the 13th.
We originally had planned to start at 4a, but after re-checking the weather report, there were storms potentially forming in the afternoon. With that knowledge, we pushed our start time back to 1a. I got about an hour of sleep (only got about 4 the night before due to an early flight out of austin). We got to the trailhead and started hiking about 1:30. We were in the dark for about the first half the the ascent and were mostly up the 99 switchbacks when the sun started coming up. I'd really psyched myself up for how difficult the 99 switchbacks would be, but honestly they weren't that bad. Yes, they kept going and going, but the grade wasn't bad and, other than a few sections, they weren't very technical. Most of the switchbacks were short, so they went quickly on the way up. I found the next section that took us into Sequoia Kings NP to be the most challenging. At that point we were well over 13K feet and the footing was very uneven, hiking over rocks with some occasional dirt. The views in this section were phenomenal though. By the time we hit the final push to the summit, I was ready to be done. We got to the top and had about 180 degrees of visibility. After about 15 mins or so, clouds started to roll in. We ate, had a summit beer and then started heading down in case storms started building. The 99 switchbacks on the way down felt like they'd never end. Then we hit trail camp, which meant about 6 miles to go and we were already over the hike. Yes, it was gorgeous, but we were all exhausted from lack for sleep and likely from the thin air. It was a long slog down the mountain back to the trailhead, which felt like it took forever. We did get hit with light rain several times as we descended, but no storms. Ultimately, we were on the mountain for about 14 hours, with about 10.5 of that actual hiking time. The other 3.5 were stops for food, rest, water filtering etc. Since there were four of us, we stayed mostly together and took more breaks than my wife and I would likely have if it'd just been the two of us. If you ever get the chance, I'd highly recommend making the hike up. Overall it was pretty amazing. It was definitely the most difficult single day hike I've ever done. Total distance was 22 miles with over 6K feet of climbing and then add in the elevation component.
The decision to start at 1a proved to be very smart. With a few miles to go, I looked up and it looked like there was a lot of rain coming down up at elevation. We also talked to a gentlemen who's friend was 48 hours overdue from his summit attempt (was eventually found safe a couple days later near trail camp). SAR went out about the time we were coming off the mountain and they had to turn back due to the storms. The lack of sleep sucked, but we definitely timed it right.
I'm sure I left out a million things, but here's some pictures:
This is actually from the day after the hike, but that's whitney, framed by the Mobius Arch just outside Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills
One of the waterfalls on the way up, maybe 3 miles in. Heard it on the way up, but this is a picture on the way down
Can't remember the name of this lake, but its below trail camp. We only saw it on the way down since we went up in the dark
One of the lakes near Trail Camp, just over 12K feet
This is the wall the 99 switchbacks goes up, about 2 miles and 1800ft.
Looking down at Trail Camp while descending the 99 switchbacks
My wife looking back down the 99 switchbacks around sunrise
Looking down into Sequoia Kings NP, about 2 miles from the summit
Trail to/from the summit somewhere after the junction with the JMT
The spires
Looking at the eventual summit, beyond the spires
Another shot of the summit from a distance
My sister-in-law and her husband making the final push
Wife and I on the summit
Summit beer
After a few years of trying, I finally pulled a permit for Whitney. I did not get an overnight, so we had 24 hours to complete the round trip. We went up last week on tuesday the 13th.
We originally had planned to start at 4a, but after re-checking the weather report, there were storms potentially forming in the afternoon. With that knowledge, we pushed our start time back to 1a. I got about an hour of sleep (only got about 4 the night before due to an early flight out of austin). We got to the trailhead and started hiking about 1:30. We were in the dark for about the first half the the ascent and were mostly up the 99 switchbacks when the sun started coming up. I'd really psyched myself up for how difficult the 99 switchbacks would be, but honestly they weren't that bad. Yes, they kept going and going, but the grade wasn't bad and, other than a few sections, they weren't very technical. Most of the switchbacks were short, so they went quickly on the way up. I found the next section that took us into Sequoia Kings NP to be the most challenging. At that point we were well over 13K feet and the footing was very uneven, hiking over rocks with some occasional dirt. The views in this section were phenomenal though. By the time we hit the final push to the summit, I was ready to be done. We got to the top and had about 180 degrees of visibility. After about 15 mins or so, clouds started to roll in. We ate, had a summit beer and then started heading down in case storms started building. The 99 switchbacks on the way down felt like they'd never end. Then we hit trail camp, which meant about 6 miles to go and we were already over the hike. Yes, it was gorgeous, but we were all exhausted from lack for sleep and likely from the thin air. It was a long slog down the mountain back to the trailhead, which felt like it took forever. We did get hit with light rain several times as we descended, but no storms. Ultimately, we were on the mountain for about 14 hours, with about 10.5 of that actual hiking time. The other 3.5 were stops for food, rest, water filtering etc. Since there were four of us, we stayed mostly together and took more breaks than my wife and I would likely have if it'd just been the two of us. If you ever get the chance, I'd highly recommend making the hike up. Overall it was pretty amazing. It was definitely the most difficult single day hike I've ever done. Total distance was 22 miles with over 6K feet of climbing and then add in the elevation component.
The decision to start at 1a proved to be very smart. With a few miles to go, I looked up and it looked like there was a lot of rain coming down up at elevation. We also talked to a gentlemen who's friend was 48 hours overdue from his summit attempt (was eventually found safe a couple days later near trail camp). SAR went out about the time we were coming off the mountain and they had to turn back due to the storms. The lack of sleep sucked, but we definitely timed it right.
I'm sure I left out a million things, but here's some pictures:
This is actually from the day after the hike, but that's whitney, framed by the Mobius Arch just outside Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills
One of the waterfalls on the way up, maybe 3 miles in. Heard it on the way up, but this is a picture on the way down
Can't remember the name of this lake, but its below trail camp. We only saw it on the way down since we went up in the dark
One of the lakes near Trail Camp, just over 12K feet
This is the wall the 99 switchbacks goes up, about 2 miles and 1800ft.
Looking down at Trail Camp while descending the 99 switchbacks
My wife looking back down the 99 switchbacks around sunrise
Looking down into Sequoia Kings NP, about 2 miles from the summit
Trail to/from the summit somewhere after the junction with the JMT
The spires
Looking at the eventual summit, beyond the spires
Another shot of the summit from a distance
My sister-in-law and her husband making the final push
Wife and I on the summit
Summit beer
