Mt. Whitney Trip Planning, September 6-8 2014

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Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.
– Ed Viesturs

Itinerary

A rough outline for our Mt. Whitney Dayhike, scheduled for September 8th. More details to come…

Sept 6 (Saturday)

Early AM
- Drive to Onion Valley Campground (4 hrs, 225 miles)
Afternoon
- Acclimation hike
  - Hike towards Kearsarge Pass
    - POIs
      - Little Pothole Lake Overlook
        
        2.7 miles RT || 1000′ climbing
      - Gilbert Lake
        
        4.0 miles RT || 1355′ climbing
      - Flower Lake
        
        4.5 miles RT || 1525′ climbing
      - Heart Lake
        
        6.0 miles RT || 2085′ climbing
        
        I recommend that Whitney first-timers turn around here. Exertion should be minimal in the days leading up to the hike. The trail gets steeper at this point.
      - Big Pothole Lake Overlook
        
        7.2 miles RT || 26755′ climbing
      - Kearsarge Pass
        
        8.0 miles RT || 3015′ climbing || 11760 peak elevation
PM
- Camp @ Onion Valley Campground (9,600 ft)

Sept 7 (Sunday)

AM
- Sleep in (last night of good sleep before Mt. Whitney)
- Last minute shopping for supplies (Lone Pine)
14:00
- Early hotel check-in (Dow Villa or Best Western?)
- Go to bed early

Sept 8 (Monday)

02:00
- Wake up
03:00 – 03:30
- Start hiking
  - Mt. Whitney, via Main Trail || Distance: 21 mi || Duration: 14-16 hrs, including breaks || Elevation Change: ±6100+′ || Difficulty: Very Strenuous
17:00 – 18:00
- Finish hike (assumes 9 hr ascent, 6 hr descent)
19:00
- Drive home

Gear

Clothing

You should carry sufficient clothes to spend a night out on the trail – up to an elevation of 14505 ft. At a minimum, bring thermal tops and bottoms, a fleece hat, and a waterproof, wind-resistant jacket. Adding a fleece top and a pair of polypropylene gloves will greatly increase comfort if a problem occurs, yet weigh less than a pound.
(Source: One Best Hike: Mt. Whitney, by Elizabeth Wenk)

Here is the forecast for the Whitney area: NOAA.

It’s hard to tell others what to bring for clothing, as it has a lot to do with personal preferences.The first time we hiked Whitney (8.22.11- pics here), I wore a tank top for the first couple of hours. Others in my group were wearing jackets and kept them on for the entire hike. We also met people on the trail wearing winter hats and gloves. When I started my second trip up Whitney(9.22.12), it was warm at the portal (70°). A few hours into the hike, I was wearing every stitch of clothing that I brought with me (including gloves and winter hat) and I was still cold. It was 30° and windy ( I’d guess 20 mph winds) at 12000 ft. It felt like it was in the teens or single digits.This is what I plan to wear/carry for the Whitney portion of the trip. You will also want hiking clothes for the acclimation hike Saturday, unless you decide to hang out at camp.

Baseball cap (sun protection)
Winter Hat (beanie)
Columbia Watertight Jacket (waterproof outershell)
GoLite Demaree 800 Fill Down Jacket (insulation layer, probably won’t be used)
Champion Double Dry Competitor Compression Long Sleeve (instead of thermal top)
Columbia Men’s Sweat Threat Crew Tee (wicking T-Shirt)
New Balance 100% Polyester Lined Pants & New Balance 100% Polyester Training Shorts (worn under pants for hike)
(2) Pairs Thorlo Hiking Socks
(2) Pairs REI Sock Liners
(1) Pair Light Gloves (Mechanix or Outdoor Designs Stretchon Glove)

First Aid/Emergency Kit
I will carry a large first-aid kit for the group. Each individual should carry the following:

Navigation
I will print out a index card sized map for everyone
Sun Protection
You don’t want to forget sunscreen, chapstick and sunglasses for this hike
Headlamp or Flashlight
The first 3-4 hours of this hike will be in the dark
Emergency Shelter
I prefer an SOL Emergency Bivvy over a space blanket, but either will work
Poncho
If large enough, can also be used as a pack cover. Not necessary if your jacket is waterproof
Emergency water purification (tablets or iodine)
In case you get separated from the group (not likely)
Toilet Paper
Small first-aid kit for personal use.
Items may include:

Diamox (may prevent AMS)
aspirin (may delay onset of AMS)
ibuprofen (may relieve symptoms of AMS or other conditions)
Benadryll
small bandages & antibacterial ointment

Food

Everyone will be responsible for bringing their own food. Here is what I’m thinking:

Sept 6
	Breakfast:	bring something to eat in the car or we will stop for fast-food on the drive
	Lunch:	Subway sandwiches picked up in Lone Pine
	Dinner:	Cook @ Camp. I will probably bring Ramen

Sept 7
	Breakfast:	Cook @ Camp. I will probably bring instant hot cereal
	Lunch:	Pizza Factory in Lone Pine
	Dinner:	Since we are going to bed early, this may be combined with lunch

Sept 8
	Breakfast:	Quick/small breakfast @ hotel, plan on to continue eating on the trail.
	Lunch:	Will be eaten on the trail.
	Dinner:	Fast-food after we finish the hike

Based on that info, hikers will be responsible for 1 dinner & 1 breakfast to be prepared at camp, as well as breakfast & lunch for the day of the hike.All food and toiletries will need to be stored in a bear lockers while we are at Onion Valley Campground. Remember that things like chapstick, sunscreen and toothpaste all smell like food to bears.

Water

Cutting down on pack weight goes a long way towards having an enjoyable and successful hike. Since there is plenty of water available along most of the trail, minimizing how much water we carry is an easy way to reduce pack weight. My recommendation is to bring a hydration bladder and two 1 liter water bottles, such as plastic gatorade bottles.Here’s my plan:
Filtering water is a pain, but worth the weight savings. We will plan our longer breaks around the water stops.

We will stop every 1.5 – 2 hrs for the first 6 miles of the hike, only refilling the bottles.
At Trail Camp, we will fill the bladders and bottles.
Once at Trail Crest, we will cache some/all of the bottles to reduce weight carried to the summit.
Pick up the bottles on the descent. Refill at Trail Camp if necessary.

Being well hydrated can reduce the occurrence of altitude sickness. On my last Whitney hike, I drank 1+ liter between each each water stop. I plan on doing the same again.

I will carry a water filter. If someone else has one that they can bring, it will help cut down on the time we have to spend filtering.

Trip Costs

JP, JM, MJ:	$85 ea*
	$25 campsite & permits $35 hotel $25 gas (450 miles ÷ 18 mpg x $4.15/gal ÷ 4 people)* can be reduced to $60 if we take a car instead of my SUV and we stay at the Whitney Hostel

GM & VM:	$32 total (permits only)