Mount Whitney Galleries

Mt. Whitney MR->MT Loop - April 11, 2009 : Mike, Laura, Tom, Jim and I headed up the Mountaineer's Route after what we thought had been a relatively minor storm. It tured out that about a foot of snow had fallen at the upper elevations, making for drifts to waist deep. This was one trip where being a light-weight paid off, as Mike and I were able to blaze a trail (it was still really, really hard work) from Iceberg Lake to The Notch. Conditions on the Final 400 scared me to the point that I was willing to call it a day, but then Superman David, from Las Vegas, showed up and just started "thrashing" his way to the summit. Of couse, we followed! (You could tell that David was a master on rock and probably had loads of mixed climbing experience. It was fun to watch!) The trip down the Main Trail side of the mountain was pure hell! It was one heck of a relief to see that there were tracks leading away from the base of the slope below Trail Crest, as we spent the better part of the night heading back to the Portal. Unoffical Stats: Up: 10:15 (Last week at a "no sweat day" pace it was a minute over six hours. I finished the round trip in forty minutes more than this.) RT: 17:30 (Edit 07/15/09: This climb was my "unofficial" 50th ascent of Mt. Whitney! Unofficial because I know I've done more, but can't confirm them.) There are 108 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney MR->MT Loop - April 11, 2009

Mike, Laura, Tom, Jim and I headed up the Mountaineer's Route after wh ...

Updated: Apr 13, 2009 9:41am PST

Mt. Whitney MR->MT Loop - April 4, 2009 : A mostly fun day on the mountain. (Cold and windy though.) Up: 6:01 RT: 10:55 There are 256 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney MR->MT Loop - April 4, 2009

A mostly fun day on the mountain. (Cold and windy though.) Up: 6:01 ...

Updated: Apr 07, 2009 9:40pm PST

Mt. Whitney Day Climb - March 28, 2009 : Mike Mellin and I headed up the Main Trail side of the mountain, intending on giving Mt. Marsh (via The Couloir) a go. By the time we were under Candlelight (I had asked Mike if he would prefer to head up it.), I was beginning to feel like it would be way too much work getting up The Couloir (postholing expected). By the time we reached Trial Camp, both of us felt it would be easier to head up to Whitney. Little did I know that I'd be doing 1200' of trail breaking anyway, as all the tracks from the previous week were wiped out by blown snow. It was a wonderful day, most of it with just one layer on. Car-to-car time was a little less than 13 hours. There are 186 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Day Climb - March 28, 2009

Mike Mellin and I headed up the Main Trail side of the mountain, inten ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2009 11:41am PST

Main Trail Snowshoe - March 15, 2009 :

Main Trail Snowshoe - March 15, 2009

Updated: Mar 22, 2009 7:09pm PST

Wotans Throne - March 20, 2009 : The weekend was supposed to be an attempt at the Northeast Couloir on Mt. Langley, but when Len and Bill couldn't make it up, I decided on a solo jaunt up the Main Trail side of the Whiteny Zone. There are 149 photos in the gallery.

Wotans Throne - March 20, 2009

The weekend was supposed to be an attempt at the Northeast Couloir on ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2009 11:53pm PST

Whitney Portal - February 7, 2009 :

Whitney Portal - February 7, 2009

Updated: Feb 10, 2009 8:30pm PST

Outpost Camp - January 10, 2009 : Ski Resort Laziness has set in again this winter... I couldn't get myself out of the bag until well after 06:00, and then headed down to Lone Pine for breakfast before finally heading back up for a hike up the Main Trail. I made it to Outpost Camp for lunch and then had a leisurely stroll down past Lone Pine Lake and back down Whitney Portal Road. There are 107 photos in the gallery.

Outpost Camp - January 10, 2009

Ski Resort Laziness has set in again this winter... I couldn't get mys ...

Updated: Jan 12, 2009 8:39pm PST

Whitney Portal - Christmas Eve, 2008 :

Whitney Portal - Christmas Eve, 2008

Updated: Dec 24, 2008 7:12pm PST

Mt. Whitney Mountaineer's Route - December 6-7, 2008 : A December To Remember, Version IV. There are 181 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Mountaineer's Route - December 6-7, 2008

A December To Remember, Version IV. There are 181 photos in the gal ...

Updated: Dec 09, 2008 6:20am PST

Whitney Portal - November 28-30, 2008 :

Whitney Portal - November 28-30, 2008

Updated: Dec 01, 2008 5:35am PST

Girl Scout Lake - November 11, 2008 :

Girl Scout Lake - November 11, 2008

Updated: Nov 18, 2008 9:42pm PST

Mt. Whitney - November 8, 2008 :

Mt. Whitney - November 8, 2008

Updated: Nov 16, 2008 5:13pm PST

LBSL With Wulfgang - Oct 31 - Nov 1, 2008 : There are 38 photos in the gallery.

LBSL With Wulfgang - Oct 31 - Nov 1, 2008

There are 38 photos in the gallery.

Updated: Nov 01, 2008 3:14pm PST

Mt. Whitney - October 26, 2008 :

Mt. Whitney - October 26, 2008

Updated: Oct 28, 2008 7:29pm PST

Whitney Portal - October 17-18, 2008 :

Whitney Portal - October 17-18, 2008

Updated: Oct 19, 2008 11:50am PST

Mt. Irvine - October 17, 2008 :

Mt. Irvine - October 17, 2008

Updated: Oct 19, 2008 11:26am PST

Horseshoe Meadows To Whitney Portal Day Hike - October 11, 2008 : Storms hit on Friday and Saturday night, making for near epic conditions on the trail. There are 55 photos in the gallery.

Horseshoe Meadows To Whitney Portal Day Hike - October 11, 2008

Storms hit on Friday and Saturday night, making for near epic conditio ...

Updated: Oct 14, 2008 5:31pm PST

Whitney Portal / Lone Pine Lake - October 12, 2008 :

Whitney Portal / Lone Pine Lake - October 12, 2008

Updated: Oct 12, 2008 9:42pm PST

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - October 5, 2008 :

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - October 5, 2008

Updated: Oct 07, 2008 9:36pm PST

Doug's Ranger Death March Reenactment - September 27, 2008 : There are 124 photos in the gallery.

Doug's Ranger Death March Reenactment - September 27, 2008

There are 124 photos in the gallery.

Updated: Sep 28, 2008 6:11pm PST

Mt. Morgenson - September 19-21, 2008 : Another trip into the Wallace Creek drainage. Write up at: http://tinyurl.com/4z72aw There are 356 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Morgenson - September 19-21, 2008

Another trip into the Wallace Creek drainage. Write up at: http://t ...

Updated: Sep 26, 2008 11:19am PST

Meysan Lake Trail - August 31, 2008 : Forecast was for high winds all day. I headed up the Meysan Lake Trail and spent a few hours waiting to see if the winds would drop. They didn't. It was interesting watching the winds creating white caps on the lake. There are 26 photos in the gallery.

Meysan Lake Trail - August 31, 2008

Forecast was for high winds all day. I headed up the Meysan Lake Trail ...

Updated: Sep 01, 2008 6:19pm PST

Mt. Whitney Main Trail With Matthew - July 27, 2008 :

Mt. Whitney Main Trail With Matthew - July 27, 2008

Updated: Jul 27, 2008 8:41pm PST

Wotans Throne - July 20, 2008 :

Wotans Throne - July 20, 2008

Updated: Jul 21, 2008 1:05pm PST

Onion Valley To Whitney Portal - July (18-) 19, 2008 :

Onion Valley To Whitney Portal - July (18-) 19, 2008

Updated: Jul 21, 2008 11:27am PST

National Recreation Trail / LBSL - July 13, 2008 :

National Recreation Trail / LBSL - July 13, 2008

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 8:47pm PST

Wallace Creek / Peak 12,800+ / Mt. Young - July 5-6, 2008 :

Wallace Creek / Peak 12,800+ / Mt. Young - July 5-6, 2008

Updated: Jul 08, 2008 8:30pm PST

Independence Day 2008 :

Independence Day 2008

Updated: Jul 07, 2008 9:56pm PST

LeConte Plateau Attempt / Candlelight - June 29, 2008 :

LeConte Plateau Attempt / Candlelight - June 29, 2008

Updated: Jul 01, 2008 7:11pm PST

Mt. Whitney Double Attempt - June 27, 2008 : Headed up to Whitney Portal on Thursday afternoon with the intent of getting an idea of how to pull off the Whitney Double (back-to-back ascents up the Main Trail). There are 15 photos in the album.

Mt. Whitney Double Attempt - June 27, 2008

Headed up to Whitney Portal on Thursday afternoon with the intent of g ...

Updated: Jun 27, 2008 6:53pm PST

LBSL Day Climb - March 30, 2008 :

LBSL Day Climb - March 30, 2008

Updated: Mar 31, 2008 9:14pm PST

UBSL Day Climb - Feb 16, 2008 :

UBSL Day Climb - Feb 16, 2008

Updated: Feb 20, 2008 6:33am PST

Whitney Portal Road - February 10, 2008 : I went for another workout up Whitney Portal Road. There are 29 photos in the gallery.

Whitney Portal Road - February 10, 2008

I went for another workout up Whitney Portal Road. There are 29 pho ...

Updated: Feb 10, 2008 10:07pm PST

Whitney Portal Road - Feb 03 2008 : Skinned up to the Portal, did a loop around the pond and skied back down to Lone Pine Campground. There are 38 photos in the gallery.

Whitney Portal Road - Feb 03 2008

Skinned up to the Portal, did a loop around the pond and skied back do ...

Updated: Feb 03, 2008 5:07pm PST

Lone Pine Campground To North Fork Junction - Jan 25, 2008 : Skiing up from Lone Pine Campground turn-off to the North Fork junction.

Lone Pine Campground To North Fork Junction - Jan 25, 2008

Skiing up from Lone Pine Campground turn-off to the North Fork junctio ...

Updated: Jan 26, 2008 12:35am PST

Upper Boy Scout Lake Day Climb - January 19, 2008 :

Upper Boy Scout Lake Day Climb - January 19, 2008

Updated: Jan 21, 2008 10:23pm PST

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - January 1, 2008 : I've been up in the Whitney area a number of times during the holidays, but had never been on the summit on New Year's Day. There are 82 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - January 1, 2008

I've been up in the Whitney area a number of times during the holidays ...

Updated: Jan 02, 2008 8:58pm PST

Meysan Lake Trail - October 13, 2007 :

Meysan Lake Trail - October 13, 2007

Updated: Dec 12, 2007 9:30pm PST

Main Trail Overnight - December 1-2, 2007 :

Main Trail Overnight - December 1-2, 2007

Updated: Dec 08, 2007 8:04pm PST

Lower Boy Scout Lake Warm-up Climb - 11/30/07 :

Lower Boy Scout Lake Warm-up Climb - 11/30/07

Updated: Dec 08, 2007 7:13pm PST

Mountaineer's Route - Main Trail Loop - November 3, 2007 : Headed up for an attempt for month 15 in a row. Mike Mellin and I started up the Mountaineer's Route at around 6:00am. We made good time up to Iceberg Lake, but new, soft snow made progress up the couloir slow. At the Notch, I slipped and dislocated my 5th finger on my left hand. Since I couldn't climb with my injured hand, I asked Mike to lead across the Traverse. This was a first for both fo us (I had descended by this route before). Descent via the MR was out of the question, so we ended up doing a loop by way of the Main Trail. Total time was about 12:15. There are 20 photos in the gallery.

Mountaineer's Route - Main Trail Loop - November 3, 2007

Headed up for an attempt for month 15 in a row. Mike Mellin and I s ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2007 1:22pm PST

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - October 20, 2007 : Mike Mellin and I headed up the Main Trail on a very windy day. There are 27 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Main Trail - October 20, 2007

Mike Mellin and I headed up the Main Trail on a very windy day. The ...

Updated: Oct 21, 2007 10:09am PST

Alabama Hills Rock Climbing - September 22-23, 2007 : Tina Tretina took a bunch of photos of me while doing my first two days of climbing in over 20 years. There are 45 photos in the gallery.

Alabama Hills Rock Climbing - September 22-23, 2007

Tina Tretina took a bunch of photos of me while doing my first two day ...

Updated: Sep 27, 2007 10:08pm PST

Around Lone Pine - September 20-23, 2007 : I headed up to the Lone Pine area for a few days of fun. It was supposed to include some long walks in the backcountry, but the weather didn't cooperate, so the trip turned out to be one short walk up to Lower Boy Scout Lake (I had been hoping that the clouds would part for some dramatic photos of Whitney.) and a couple of days of climbing in the Alabama Hills. (This was the first time I'd had rock shoes on in over twenty years.) There are 182 photos in the gallery.

Around Lone Pine - September 20-23, 2007

I headed up to the Lone Pine area for a few days of fun. It was sup ...

Updated: Sep 25, 2007 9:44am PST

Russell/Whitney/Muir - September 15, 2007 : Mike and I spent 17 hours getting this done! It's been on the list for a really long time. I've completed parts of it at least two other times, but called it quits short of reaching the summit of all three. There are 82 photos in the gallery.

Russell/Whitney/Muir - September 15, 2007

Mike and I spent 17 hours getting this done! It's been on the list ...

Updated: Sep 17, 2007 11:05am PST

Cleaver Col - Wallace Creek - Tom Sakai Col - September 7-9, 2007 : I headed up to Lower Boy Scout Lake on Friday afternoon. Mike Mellin met me on Saturday morning for a climb up over the Cleaver Col. After crossing the pass to Tulainyo Lake, we dropped gear and headed up The Cleaver. After descending, we humped our gear to the west side of the lake and then headed up Tunnabora Peak. It had fantastic views! We then headed down the Wallace Creek drainage. Since I wanted to find the trail that older maps show, we headed all the way over to Wallace Lake after descending the easy route that leads down to Wales Lake. It took us until almost 9:00pm to reach Crabtree Meadows, where we camped for the night. In the morning, we decided we'd head up the Artic Lake drainage. When we stopped for a rest near the top of the drainage, we decided we'd cross the Tom Sakai Col. We did a lot of scree skiing on the way down to Upper Boy Scout Lake. The rest of the trip down the North Fork drainage went really smoothly. There are 186 photos in the gallery.

Cleaver Col - Wallace Creek - Tom Sakai Col - September 7-9, 2007

I headed up to Lower Boy Scout Lake on Friday afternoon. Mike Mellin m ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2007 6:05pm PST

Cleaver Col - Wallace Creek - Arctic Lakes - August 3-5, 2007 :

Cleaver Col - Wallace Creek - Arctic Lakes - August 3-5, 2007

Updated: Aug 07, 2007 10:23pm PST

Mt. Whitney - July 12-14, 2007 : The original plan was to head up to do a Friday the Thirteenth ascent of Mt. Whitney. But just like this past April, the altitude got the best of me and I wasn't able to continue on. Unlike in April, I couldn't even muster the will to head up Thor Peak, which was only a few hundred feet above me. I did return to finish off the Whitney climb though. Details follow: After a Burger Plate at the Whitney Portal Store, I headed up the North Fork mid-afternoon. I camped at Girl Scout Lake after heading up the "ramp" that I climbed a month earlier. This time around, there was quite a bit of bushwhacking due to a "growth spurt." I found a gorgeous campsite with views of the lake and down to the Owens Valley. I woke up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache and queasy stomach. Even with several Ibuprofen, the symptoms didn't go away by morning. I sat around wondering whether I was even going to make it down when I remembered that I had some Cliff Shot Bloks in my pack. After consuming a couple of packs of these, I started to feel human again, so I walked around and snapped photos for a while. Watching the lake go from "glass" to "blown out" made things very interesting. When the lake turned into a mirror, the Sierra Crest would pop out. Spectacular! I was starting to wish I still had my Verizon phone service, since I wanted to call Tina T and tell her that I planned to stay up on the mountain for another day. Since I couldn't contact her, I headed down to the Portal and a few hours later, drove down to the Pizza Factory for dinner. When my phone finally switched from Roaming to T-Mobile, I checked voice mail and found that Ms. Flakeypooh (a term of endearment meant for someone who changes her mind more than anyone else I've ever known) had changed plans again. (See, no exclamation point that would signal annoyance.) I was actually quite happy to hear it, since it gave me the opportunity to head back up the North Fork. Since it was getting late, I just headed back up to the Portal, rather than pull another permit. I was on my way again a little before 6:30pm. I made UBSL just prior to losing light (actually just below, at the site near the trees along the path). Sleep was much better than the night before and when sunrise came, it wasn't much of a struggle to get out of the bag. I started up at around 5:45am and was standing on the summit less than three hours later! Considering how poorly I had felt the day before, I was jazzed! I spent a little over half-an-hour on the summit. I offered pizza to my fellow summiteers, but no one took my up on it. Quite a few were really surprised to see me pull out over half of a Pizza Factory Hawaiian pizza. When asked, I stated that Shot Bloks and Pizza were my "food" of choice for climbing Mt. Whitney. Someone misunderstood me and asked "What kind of shots are you doing?" I'm not MooseTracks, so there weren't any real shots. I cruised back down to the Portal and while contemplating another Burger Plate at the Store, I decided I'd rather head home and see my wife. (Sorry I left you hanging Tina.) The drive home reminded me why I've been spending much more time on the bike than climbing over the past month-and-a-half. It's just tedious when there's no snow up in the Sierra! There are 119 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney - July 12-14, 2007

The original plan was to head up to do a Friday the Thirteenth ascent ...

Updated: Jul 16, 2007 2:30am PST

Mt. Whitney - June 8-9, 2007 : An overnight loop up the Mountaineer's Route and down the Main Trai. There are 92 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney - June 8-9, 2007

An overnight loop up the Mountaineer's Route and down the Main Trai. ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2007 2:16pm PST

Mountaineer's Route Day Climb - May 12, 2007 : Another one-day ascent of the Mountaineer's Route. There are 84 photos in the gallery.

Mountaineer's Route Day Climb - May 12, 2007

Another one-day ascent of the Mountaineer's Route. There are 84 ph ...

Updated: May 13, 2007 4:54pm PST

Whitney Portal - 05/06/07 : At least I got a good, close look at the mountain on this unique numbers date. There are 8 photos in the gallery.

Whitney Portal - 05/06/07

At least I got a good, close look at the mountain on this unique numbe ...

Updated: May 06, 2007 4:09pm PST

Whitney Portal Road - April 29, 2007 : Wandering along Whitney Portal Road before heading home. There are 18 photos in the gallery.

Whitney Portal Road - April 29, 2007

Wandering along Whitney Portal Road before heading home. There are ...

Updated: Apr 30, 2007 5:13pm PST

Mountaineer's Route - Main Trail Loop - April 28, 2007 : Chris came out from NC to make another attempt on the Mountaineer's Route. Mike and Tom joined us for a start up at 4:15am. Rick Graham caught up with us a little above Lower Boy Scout Lake. We were on the summit just before 1:00pm. Several in the party wanted to head down the Main Trail, so that's what we did. We were back at the Portal at about 7:15pm, making for a 15 hour day. There are 82 photos in the gallery.

Mountaineer's Route - Main Trail Loop - April 28, 2007

Chris came out from NC to make another attempt on the Mountaineer's Ro ...

Updated: Apr 30, 2007 4:22pm PST

Around the Portal & Up to Lone Pine Lake - 04/14/07 :

Around the Portal & Up to Lone Pine Lake - 04/14/07

Updated: Apr 22, 2007 10:17pm PST

Whitney Portal Road - April 15, 2007 :

Whitney Portal Road - April 15, 2007

Updated: Apr 15, 2007 8:24pm PST

Mountaineer's Route Day Climb - March 30, 2007 : Another gorgeous day in the mountains. There are 73 photos in the gallery.

Mountaineer's Route Day Climb - March 30, 2007

Another gorgeous day in the mountains. There are 73 photos in the g ...

Updated: Mar 31, 2007 11:19am PST

Doug's Tour - February 16, 2007 : Doug Thompson invited HikerLaura on a tour of the arches in the Alabama Hills. It ended up being much more than that. There are 32 photos in the gallery.

Doug's Tour - February 16, 2007

Doug Thompson invited HikerLaura on a tour of the arches in the Alabam ...

Updated: Feb 18, 2007 5:58pm PST

North Fork Day Hike - February 4, 2007 : I knew if I didn't get out and do some hiking, my legs would lock up and be sore for days, so I headed up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek hoping to run into Len Lochmiller. I made it as far as the pine that marks the start of the Ebersbacher Ledges before turning around. (Just didn't feel "right.") After returning to the car for a little while, I headed down the road to do some routine maintenance. (Kicking rocks off of the road isn't quite as fun as kicking pine cones.) There are 52 photos in the gallery.

North Fork Day Hike - February 4, 2007

I knew if I didn't get out and do some hiking, my legs would lock up a ...

Updated: Feb 07, 2007 6:04pm PST

Full Moon / Groundhog Day - February 1-2, 2007 : This was supposed to be a moonlight ascent, with great views of sunrise from near the summit. It didn't happen that way due to the difficult snow conditions. Nearly eighteen hours to the summit and over twenty-six for the round trip. Not a day hike, but another Whitney Epic. Fun stuff! There are 12 photos in the gallery.

Full Moon / Groundhog Day - February 1-2, 2007

This was supposed to be a moonlight ascent, with great views of sunris ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2007 5:51pm PST

Mt. Whitney Day Hike - January 27, 2007 : Rick Kent and I headed up the Main Trail. There are 80 photos in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Day Hike - January 27, 2007

Rick Kent and I headed up the Main Trail. There are 80 photos in th ...

Updated: Jan 28, 2007 7:01pm PST

Trail Camp Day Hike - January 26, 2007 : After several aborted attempts to get to the summit of Whitney in January, I hooked up with Rick Kent for a one-day attempt on the 27th. Since I hadn't been above 10K in quite a while, I figured I needed to get in some acclimitization. I pulled a permit stating that I planned on heading up to Outpost Camp, but since the conditions were so favorable, I continued on to Trail Camp. There are 79 photos in the gallery.

Trail Camp Day Hike - January 26, 2007

After several aborted attempts to get to the summit of Whitney in Janu ...

Updated: Jan 28, 2007 2:25pm PST

WOW! - Women On Whitney - January 12-13,2007 : Artic air pushed down into Southern California while we spent a cold night at Lone Pine Lake. I thought these hearty souls deserved an album to themselves. There are 31 photos in the gallery.

WOW! - Women On Whitney - January 12-13,2007

Artic air pushed down into Southern California while we spent a cold n ...

Updated: Jan 14, 2007 9:25am PST

Overnight - January 12-13, 2007 : As an afterthought, here are the rest of the photos from our two-day adventure. There are 9 photos in the gallery.

Overnight - January 12-13, 2007

As an afterthought, here are the rest of the photos from our two-day a ...

Updated: Jan 14, 2007 9:21am PST

North Fork Dayhike - January 7, 2007 : I wanted to see what the conditions were like up the North Fork, thinking that I might be able to make Lower and Upper Boy Scout Lakes. There were tracks beyond my highpoint of a couple of days earlier, but the amount of bushwhacking made the climb rediculous, so I turned around after a hundred feet, or so, of gain. There are 49 photos in the gallery.

North Fork Dayhike - January 7, 2007

I wanted to see what the conditions were like up the North Fork, think ...

Updated: Jan 08, 2007 8:15pm PST

Summit Attempt - January 6, 2007 : Plans for a trip up the Mountaineer's Route fell through due to lack of snow coverage in the North Fork drainage. Revised plans for a night on the summit via the Main Trail didn't work out due to the high winds of the day before creating drifts to waist deep. We made it up to Mirror Lake and realized that the summit in one day was just not possible. There are 32 photos in the gallery.

Summit Attempt - January 6, 2007

Plans for a trip up the Mountaineer's Route fell through due to lack o ...

Updated: Jan 08, 2007 5:41pm PST

North Fork / Outpost Camp Dayhike - January 5, 2007 : A High Wind Warning was in effect. The streamers coming off of the Sierra crest made for an interesting sight. I wanted to see what the route up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek looked like. It turned out that the blowing snow made an ascent of the Ebersbacher Ledges dangerous, but it wasn't enough to allow a direct ascent up the drainage. I headed back down and hiked/climbed up to Outpost Camp. There are 50 photos in the gallery.

North Fork / Outpost Camp Dayhike - January 5, 2007

A High Wind Warning was in effect. The streamers coming off of the Sie ...

Updated: Jan 07, 2007 7:15pm PST

Outpost Camp Dayhike - September 14, 2006 :

Outpost Camp Dayhike - September 14, 2006

Updated: Nov 28, 2006 7:47pm PST

Mountaineer's Route - November 17-19, 2006 :

Mountaineer's Route - November 17-19, 2006

Updated: Nov 20, 2006 8:44pm PST

North Fork Hike/Climb To The Blue Ice - 11/11/06 : This was going to be another summit attempt up the Main Trail. Unfortunately, the predicted high winds were blowing hard, even down at the Portal, when the alarm went off at 4:00am. The waving pine trees were quite a sight. By the time I headed up the North Fork and negotiated the lower part of the Rockwell Shortcut, it was starting to snow. I turned around at the first section of class 3. While heading down, I ran into a group of climbers working on the start of the thin crack problem behing the tree that marks the start of the Rockwell Shortcut. I watched them for a while and had a short conversation. As I was getting ready to head down, one of them asked if I was Richard. It turned out that this was Miguel Forjan, who I knew about from Rick Kent's report of the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak and the skinny dipping incident at Tulainyo Lake during SC2006. We talked for a little while longer and as they were heading up the trail, I decided I'd tag along to watch them do some ice climbing up at the Blue Ice above Lower Boy Scout Lake. The highlight of the day was "discovering" the Tunnel Route at the top of the boulder field above LBSL. The slabs definitely required crampons, (which I didn't carry because I was just out for a walk) so I went in search of an alternate route. I found a "cave" that got me out of the snow and wind, and also had an opening at the uphill end. I dumped my gear and discovered that I could climb thru and get to easy terrain that would get me up to the Blue Ice. I spent an hour, or so, watching the group climb the ice. It seemed like lots of fun. As I was heading down, the weather started to break and there were some blue skis. I ran across a few other hikers as I approached the Portal. My comment to them was that we had the Sierra throw everything that it possibly could at us today (fierce wind, varying levels of snow and bright blue skis). There are 46 photos in the gallery.

North Fork Hike/Climb To The Blue Ice - 11/11/06

This was going to be another summit attempt up the Main Trail. Unfortu ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2006 8:04pm PST

Main Trail Hike/Climb Up Past The Cables - 11/10/06 : A weak attempt to get to keep my string of consecutive months at the top of Mt. Whitney going. Weak, because I didn't get out of bed when the alarm went off a 4:00am and instead, slept in until nearly 7:00am. Since I didn't think I had much of a chance of making the summit, (and I've never actually taken my axe off of my pack on the Main Trail, other than to glissade) I left my ice axe behind to save a little weight. I made Trail Camp in a little over three hours, took a break and headed up the switchbacks. The conditions were hardpacked snow, but it was manageable without crampons. I climbed up past the cables and discovered a drift of really hardpacked snow covering the trail above. I straddled the top post of the cable section to put on my crampons, since I thought I wanted to give it a go, figuring that I could use my trekking poles as tools. When I attempted to remove the rubber caps protecting the tips, I was unable to because they were frozen on. I knew that I could warm them up in a few minutes and spin them off, but in the back of my mind I was looking for an excuse to bail out and this served just that purpose. I was already after 11:00am and the summit would have been attained no earlier than about 2:00pm. This just sounded too late to me considering the conditions. It was a fun hike back down to the Portal. Mirror Lake and Lone Pine Lake were both plates of glass. There are 28 photos in the gallery.

Main Trail Hike/Climb Up Past The Cables - 11/10/06

A weak attempt to get to keep my string of consecutive months at the t ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2006 5:53pm PST

Main Trail / North Fork Hike - 10/19/06 : After seeing the fairly deep snow conditions I saw on the Bishop Pass Trail the day before, I wanted to see what had happened to the Whitney area. I hiked up to Bighorn Park, back down to the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek junction and up just past the start of the Rockwell Shortcut. There are 56 photos in the gallery.

Main Trail / North Fork Hike - 10/19/06

After seeing the fairly deep snow conditions I saw on the Bishop Pass ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2006 4:25pm PST

Iceberg Lake Day Hike - 10/17/06 : I felt like seeing what the conditions were like on the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, so I headed up to Iceberg Lake. The forecast had called for wind and possible snow flurries. The wind never really happened, but I did get the chance to see the weather change from sunny skies to blizzard conditions in the short time I was up there. As usual, when these transitions happen in the Sierra, it makes for some very dramatic photographs. The climb became a real challenge, not due to the weather (I was prepared), but because the soles of both of my boots parted during the climb. Interesting is an apt description of the descent down the North Fork. There are 127 photos in the gallery.

Iceberg Lake Day Hike - 10/17/06

I felt like seeing what the conditions were like on the North Fork of ...

Updated: Nov 08, 2006 7:34pm PST

Around Whitney II - September 26-28, 2006 : This same trip had been a "failure" a week earlier, so I decided to give it another go. Day 1 started with dinner at the Whitney Portal Store. I had been planning on camping at Lower Boy Scout Lake, but as I "powered" up the mountain, I decided I'd rather get past the slabs above LBSL in the evening, rather than dealing with them when they were iced up in the morning. It took about 2 1/2 hours (~7:30pm end time.) to get up Upper Boy Scout Lake. I was really travelling light on this trip and when the snow flurries started up, I was forced to pull the tarp up over me to keep the sleeping bag dry. (There are no photos from Day 1 because I had put a discharged battery in the camera and did not want to waste any daylight fishing for the spare battery in my pack.) I woke up to crystal clear skis on Day 2. Since I was unsure of the route up the Rockwell Variation, I decided to stick to the scree climb up to the Russell / Carillon Saddle. It was also much quicker getting down the "back" side, since I was now experienced with the route. Mt. Morgerson was a fun climb, due to the fact that I had only a vague description of the climb. I headed up what I started calling the Northeast Rib the week before. Some of the climbing reminded me of Tyndall. The views from the top were spectacular. Awesome views of Whitney and Russell that can't be beat! I needed to get to Guitar Lake to make Day 3 tolerable. Day 2 turned out to be one long day, with a sunrise start and a "well after" sunset end (just shy of 12 hours). A quarter moon made it possible to finish the hike without stopping for a headlamp. Day 3 was less painfull than I expected it to be. It took slightly less than three hours to make the summit. I was amazed at the crowds on the summit (small by summer standards, but large for this late in the season). I motored down to the Portal in less than 4 1/2 hours. I had been planning on finishing the trip with another meal at the Portal Store, but decided to head down to Lone Pine for some Pizza Factory food. This was definitely a "highlight" trip. There are 220 photos in the album.

Around Whitney II - September 26-28, 2006

This same trip had been a "failure" a week earlier, so I decided to gi ...

Updated: Nov 07, 2006 7:01pm PST

October 11, 2006 :

October 11, 2006

Updated: Oct 16, 2006 3:02am PST

New Snow - October, 2006 :

New Snow - October, 2006

Updated: Oct 06, 2006 9:36am PST

Around Whitney - September 19-20, 2006 : Ambitious plans for a three-day trip around Mt. Whitney that was supposed to include attempts at Mt. Carillon, Tunnabora Peak, Mt. Morgenson, Mt. Carl Heller (a big maybe), Mt. Young, Mt. Hale and possible Mt. Whitney, Mt. Muir and a few Needles. It turned out that Mt. Carillon was the only peak I climbed on the way up and over the Russell / Carillon Saddle. By the time I figured out an easy route down the north side of the pass, Tunnabora just didn't seem worth the effort. I set up camp for the night at the base of Mt. Morgenson. The wind made the night nearly sleepless, and as usual, I had a headache that took until mid-morning on the second day to subside. I also had managed to misplace my stove, so with no hot food, or drink available, I decided to head for home. The Wallace Creek drainage didn't grab me the way other areas of the Sierra have, although it does give you access to some great peaks. (Edit 04/02/09: I've since been on this route a number of times and consider it spectacular. Having symptoms of AMS probably clouded my judgement this first time thru.) I guess due to the low number of people to the area, the wildlife was abundant. I saw deer at almost every turn of the head. There is a trail down this drainage, but it is very faint in some spots, so much of my travel was cross-country. The rest of the trip was on the JMT and the Mt. Whitney Main Trail. There are 171 photos in the album.

Around Whitney - September 19-20, 2006

Ambitious plans for a three-day trip around Mt. Whitney that was suppo ...

Updated: Sep 23, 2006 5:27pm PST

Onion Valley To Whitney Portal - July 25-27, 2006 :

Onion Valley To Whitney Portal - July 25-27, 2006

Updated: Jul 30, 2006 3:18am PST

Meysan Lake Circumnavigation - July 20, 2006 :

Meysan Lake Circumnavigation - July 20, 2006

Updated: Jul 29, 2006 10:36am PST

Horseshoe Meadows To Whitney Portal - July 18-19, 2006 :

Horseshoe Meadows To Whitney Portal - July 18-19, 2006

Updated: Jul 23, 2006 6:33pm PST

Whitney Portal Walk - July 20, 2006 :

Whitney Portal Walk - July 20, 2006

Updated: Jul 23, 2006 11:14am PST

Day Hike With Bob Rockwell - June 22, 2006 :

Day Hike With Bob Rockwell - June 22, 2006

Updated: Jun 27, 2006 11:17pm PST

Trail Crest Skiing - May 30, 2006 : I was finally going to get in a climb of Mt. Whitney with Bob Rockwell, but he hurt his knee and had to cancel. Since I was already up in the area, and had brougt along my skis, I decided I try for the ski descent from Trail Crest that has been on my list for a while. I made Trail Crest in 4 hours, 44 minutes. I ended up sitting around up there for an hour, or so, waiting for the snow to firm up a little. With one rock crossing at Trail Camp, I was able to ski down to Outpost Camp. The descent took quite a bit less then half-an-hour. This trip is probably one of the highlights of any trip up the Main Trail side of the mountain. There are 67 photos in the gallery.

Trail Crest Skiing - May 30, 2006

I was finally going to get in a climb of Mt. Whitney with Bob Rockwell ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2006 1:46pm PST

April 13, 2006 One-Day Ascent : After bailing out on a multi-day climb up the North Fork, I headed up for a try at a one-day ascent of the Mountaineer's Route. It was a little windy at times, but overall, it was a very beautiful day to be on Whitney. There are 173 photos in the gallery.

April 13, 2006 One-Day Ascent

After bailing out on a multi-day climb up the North Fork, I headed up ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2006 9:06am PST

April 11-12, 2006 : I had been planning on spending a few days up at Upper Boy Scout Lake doing some skiing and climbing. I didn't have specific plans, but was thinking in terms of Thor Peak, Mt. Russell, Carillon, etc. The wind chased me off of the mountain on the second day. There are 42 photos in the gallery.

April 11-12, 2006

I had been planning on spending a few days up at Upper Boy Scout Lake ...

Updated: Apr 14, 2006 7:34pm PST

March 15-16, 2006 : I intended to do some Backcountry Skiing but the snow was crud, so I did two days of snowshoeing. On the first day, I made it up beyond Trail Camp to approximately 12,600'. On the second day, I went up to Outpost Camp. On the way down, I stayed high on the slopes above the Whitney Zone area and had interesting views down to Lone Pine Lake. There are 220 photos in the gallery.

March 15-16, 2006

I intended to do some Backcountry Skiing but the snow was crud, so I d ...

Updated: Mar 18, 2006 4:36pm PST

February 22-23, 2006 : We went back up to the Whitney area for a couple of days. I spent the two days doing "day hikes" with the backcountry skis. There are 188 photos in the gallery.

February 22-23, 2006

We went back up to the Whitney area for a couple of days. I spent the ...

Updated: Feb 24, 2006 7:35pm PST

January 4-5, 2006 : Two days of Alpine Touring in the Whitney area. There are 170 photos in the gallery.

January 4-5, 2006

Two days of Alpine Touring in the Whitney area. There are 170 photo ...

Updated: Jan 06, 2006 4:29pm PST

Stuck Car : The car made it out before Spring! Here's a link to the "owners" pictures: http://www.keithjakins.com/qfl.html Here's a link to a discussion on the Whitney Portal Store Message Board: http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004089

Stuck Car

The car made it out before Spring! Here's a link to the "owners" pi ...

Updated: Jan 06, 2006 2:40pm PST

December 15-17, 2005 : I finally got in the December one-day ascent that I needed to complete the cycle of ascents in each month of the year. Photos 1 - 39 are from my December 15 summit attempt. Photos 40 - 124 are from a "rest day" on December 16. Photos 125 - 147 are from our summit climb on December 17. There are 147 photos in the gallery.

December 15-17, 2005

I finally got in the December one-day ascent that I needed to complete ...

Updated: Dec 19, 2005 2:06pm PST

November 30 - December 2, 2005 : The photos in this gallery are from Wednesday and Friday. I had been planning on making an attempt to complete the one-day cycle of summits in each month. The conditions were off by one day. As you'll see in the photos, it would have taken a super-human effort to get anywhere near the summit in the conditions we encountered on Friday. There are 84 photos in the gallery.

November 30 - December 2, 2005

The photos in this gallery are from Wednesday and Friday. I had been p ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2005 3:44pm PST

Cycling To Mt. Whitney : October 21-24, 2005 One of the things related to my obsession with Mt. Whitney has been to cycle to the area and then climb it. Realizing that riding thru more than 150 miles of desert in the summer would be foolhardy, and that Winter and Spring would require carrying more gear, I decided that Fall would be the ideal time to make the attempt. Last year, and this, the Whiney area were hit by early season storms that changed to conditions to "winter like." Not wanting to delay the trip by another year, I decided to "give it a go." Day 1 consisted of riding over Mill Creek Summit (via Angeles Crest Highway and Angeles Forest Highway) to Sierra Highway out to Mojave. Day 2 consisted of riding from Mojave to Lone Pine, gathering some additional supplies in town, riding up to Lone Pine Campground and then hiking up to Whitney Portal. Day 3 was summit day and the ride back down to Lone Pine. Day 4 was perhaps the most interesting day. I had decided to use public transportation to return home. This consisted of bus rides from Lone Pine to Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest to Mojave and Mojave to Lancaster. I connected with MetroLink in Lancaster for a ride to Union Station. Just prior to arriving at the Glendale station (one stop from the end of the line), the train struck a tractor-trailer that was blocking an intersection. After serveral hours of delay, we were put on a bus to complete the trip to Union Station. From there, it was one more local bus ride home (five bus rides and one train ride). There are 25 photos in the gallery.

Cycling To Mt. Whitney

October 21-24, 2005 One of the things related to my obsession with ...

Updated: Oct 25, 2005 10:18am PST

Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail : September 29, 2005 Neither of us had been up to altitude in a long time so we decided to do the NRT, out of Lone Pine Campground, instead of one of the hikes out of the Portal. This was my second time up this trail and it seemed a lot more interesting this time around. You can see some additional photos at http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/gallery/871236 There are 48 photos in the album.

Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail

September 29, 2005 Neither of us had been up to altitude in a long ...

Updated: Sep 30, 2005 11:30pm PST

April 28-30, 2005 : Larry Urish had contacted me about doing a "winter" ascent of Mt. Whitney. We decided to make an attempt over the period between April 28 - May 2. On Thursday, we drove up to Whitney Portal and did a short hike up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek to see how the snow conditions were. Since the most recent weather forecast had called for a possible storm on Sunday, we decided to head up the mountain on Friday with a summit attempt on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, we set up camp a short distance below Iceberg Lake. On Saturday, we headed up to the summit. Larry decided he didn't feel comfortable with the terrain above the Notch, so he turned back there. I continued on to the summit, following behind a group of skiers and snowboarders. Four of these individuals skied off of the summit. It was a "sight to see!" After descending back down to camp. we decided to head home. There are 125 photos in the gallery.

April 28-30, 2005

Larry Urish had contacted me about doing a "winter" ascent of Mt. Whit ...

Updated: May 01, 2005 3:26pm PST

April 23rd Day Hike :

April 23rd Day Hike

Updated: Apr 23, 2005 8:48pm PST

Mirror Lake Day Hike :

Mirror Lake Day Hike

Updated: Apr 23, 2005 7:51pm PST

Whitney Portal Road - March 31, 2005 :

Whitney Portal Road - March 31, 2005

Updated: Apr 03, 2005 8:47am PST

January 13-15, 2005 :

January 13-15, 2005

Updated: Jan 15, 2005 10:35pm PST

Matthew's Science Project : December 26-27, 2004. My nephew decided that he wanted his science project to be "The Effect of Altitude on the Human Body." Our original plan was to head up on the 26th, with up to five days for a summit attempt. With continuous storms forecast for the week after Christmas, we decided to head up a day early. The revised plan called for collecting data up to Trail Camp over two days (up to Outpost Camp on the first day and a day-hike up towards Trail Camp on day two). The hiking was more strenuous than anticipated and we only made 2000 feet (from approximately 7700’ to 9700’) of gain the first day. Calls made in the evening confirmed that the second wave of storms was expected to arrive on the 27th (only trace amounts of snow fell during the first storm; winds were almost non-existent), so we decided to head down in the morning. There are 30 photos in the gallery.

Matthew's Science Project

December 26-27, 2004. My nephew decided that he wanted his science ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2004 9:32am PST

Mountaineer's Route - September 5, 2004 :

Mountaineer's Route - September 5, 2004

Updated: Sep 09, 2004 10:20pm PST

Mt. Whitney Trail Centennial Celebration - July 17, 2004 : There are 33 photographs in the gallery.

Mt. Whitney Trail Centennial Celebration - July 17, 2004

There are 33 photographs in the gallery.

Updated: Jul 17, 2004 11:37pm PST

D-Day 2004 : June 6, 2004. I was up in the Sierra for an extended period of time and had been planning on climbing with Bob Rockwell. Bob wasn't available, so I headed up Mt. Whitney via the Mountaineer's Route and descended via the Main Trail. There are 21 pictures in the gallery.

D-Day 2004

June 6, 2004. I was up in the Sierra for an extended period of time an ...

Updated: Jun 19, 2004 4:49pm PST

March 11-14, 2004 :

March 11-14, 2004

Updated: Mar 14, 2004 9:26pm PST

October 25, 2003 : This day-climb, in October 2003, completed the "cycle" for me. I've now climbed Mt. Whitney in each month of the year. You might think it's strange that October would be the "hold-out" month, but on an earlier attempt, in late October, we were nailed by an ealry season storm while attempting a day-climb of the Main Trail. October also seems to be a busy month, so I had few opportunities to attempt the climb. There are 25 photos in the gallery.

October 25, 2003

This day-climb, in October 2003, completed the "cycle" for me. I've no ...

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 11:10pm PST

May 2001 :

May 2001

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 9:48pm PST

April 2001 :

April 2001

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 9:01pm PST

Thanksgiving 2000 :

Thanksgiving 2000

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 8:41pm PST

2000 Independence Day Trip :

2000 Independence Day Trip

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 1:12pm PST

May 2000 :

May 2000

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 12:33pm PST

June 21, 2001 :

June 21, 2001

Updated: Mar 10, 2004 12:25pm PST

January 29, 2004 :

January 29, 2004

Updated: Mar 07, 2004 6:39pm PST

October 29, 2000 : I went up to the Whitney Portal on the final Saturday afternoon in October, 2000 hoping to get in the elusive October ascent. On Sunday morning, the weather wasn't looking very favorable, but I started up the Main Trail anyway. I met up with a soccer coach from San Diego at the overhanging rock just inside the Whitney Zone sign (it makes a great shelter from a storm). He was crazier than I was and wanted to make an attempt at the summit, so we fought our way up to Trail Camp. By this time, it was beyond white-out conditions, but he wanted to try to get to the start of the switchbacks. Not remebering what the compass reading is, I suggested that if we could find the solar toilets, I could head us in the right direction. We wandered around the Trail Camp area for a while before we finally found them. We gave it a go, but didn't succeed in making it much higher than the far side of Trail Camp. There's one photo in this gallery.

October 29, 2000

I went up to the Whitney Portal on the final Saturday afternoon in Oct ...

Updated: Mar 02, 2004 4:50pm PST

February 27 - 29, 2004 : I had the urge to do some snowshoeing, so I headed up to Lone Pine for a couple of days. The weather both days was fantastic! On Saturday, I snowshoed up from the first switchback on the Whitney Portal Road up to Lower Boy Scout Lake, making first tracks in around six hours up and three hours down. On Sunday, I hiked/snowshoed from the turnout at the bottom of the hill up to Whitney Portal. There are 72 photographs in this gallery.

February 27 - 29, 2004

I had the urge to do some snowshoeing, so I headed up to Lone Pine for ...

Updated: Mar 02, 2004 11:47am PST

Sub-Four Attempt Up the Mountaineer's Route : For years, one Mt. Whitney obsession has been a sub-four hour ascent of the mountain. After a few tries on the Main Trail with no success (fastest time, no running, was around 4:20), I decided to follow a suggestion given to me by Bob Rockwell. The are 44 pictures in this gallery.

Sub-Four Attempt Up the Mountaineer's Route

For years, one Mt. Whitney obsession has been a sub-four hour ascent o ...

Updated: Feb 24, 2004 7:53pm PST