Did the 2.5 mile hiking trail at my local state park today in 1 hour, I probably could have done it in 45 minutes if I didn't stop to take pictures. This walk with pack didn't even phase me, barely broke a sweat, so that is good for my confidence however I am by no means going to slack up on my cardio. I had two jackets in my pack, a 2.5lb weight to simulate crampons and ice axe (probably add another 2.5lbs next weekend) 1 XL nalgene bottle with water, 1 regular water bottle and some protein bars.

Some pictures from today, it is a really nice park if you are ever in the area, only $4.

Wal Doxey State Park

All the buildings are this old stone, it was built in the 30's to provide work during the depression.


New boots


Lots of cypress tress, complete with wayward bobbers







Dogwood tree, one of my favorites.


Picnic area is very well maintained.

I've done quite a bit of hiking in the Rocky Mountains, back in the days. Good shoes are very important. I learned that shoes broken while walking flat ground, don't always performs while going up or down steep heels. You will most likely have blisters. Treat blisters before they become a major problem. Stay away from 100% synthetic socks (any clothing, especially underwear). Use cotton/wool foot wraps instead of socks if needed.
High elevation can be an issue if you are not acclimatized to it. Plan on spending several days at high elevation before you begin the hike. BTW, there is the same amount of oxygen at 20,000 ft as at 1,000 ft. It's the low air pressure (a.k.a. Density Altitude) that causes oxygen starvation. Take frequent breaks. Usually it's best to stop and rest for 10 minutes every hour. Do not rest for more than 10 minutes as it will be a lot harder to get going again.
Keep in mind that it can be just as hard to go down as to go up. Don't push it. Try to do some seat-ups to train your upper leg muscles before the hike.

OK OP, I've read the replies so far and I think that you have a shot, but that you appear very under-experienced with outdoor activities. So, success will be an uphill battle. I stand by my first post and all of the advice I gave you there.

Follow-ups on reading your additional posts:

1) Fitness will make or break this, you NEED to have done 15+ mile days with the shoes and weight you plan on taking, and feel great at the end (lower altitude and no psych challenges).

2) Don't know if you got a pack yet or not. Osprey is my favorite for light-casual, something that is 2000-3000 c.i. will have more than enough room for a day trip. Try on the packs and have a knowledgeable person help fit it to your torso (and teach you how).

3) Renting gear? That means you won't know how to use it. Only bring what you know you will be able to use.

4) Ice axe & crampons. Yes, this year the crampons may be very very helpful at the top of the switchbacks. For all of my Sierra and Mexico peak bagging, I used light aluminum universal crampons similar to what an earlier post showed (not YakTrax, real crampons). Properly used, they are great. A few snowbanks on the Whitney trail do not require the front-pointing or rigidity of heavy-duty "mountaineering" boots and crampons. You would be waaay out of your league if these were actually necessary. Ice axe may be moral support, but honestly if you don't know how to use it, it becomes a liability. Familiarize or don't bring.

5) Shoes. During summer, the Whitney trail is best done in running shoes and taking care how you step. I've done it twice in open-toed sandals actually. Stiff, cushioned, not-heavy boots are great. But they better fit and you had better still like them after mile 15. Always have the duct tape, yeah. You will want waterproof footgear given the season and likely snowbanks. Soaked boots suck, socks can be changed.

6) Yes, a snowed-in main trail at Whitney is still a challenge, and may turn you around before the summit if conditions suck. You should be prepared, but not weighed down. Hopefully you and your buddy will know what conditions you are not prepared for.

7) Don't bring a much of heavy misc gear (like I see in some of your pics). Every pound will slow you down.

8) Your layers are not figured out properly yet. You should have: 1) light polypro base layer (top and bottom); 2) water-repellent zip-off pants/shorts; 3) insulating mid-layer (light puffy jacket); 4) waterproof 2-layer hooded shell jacket (most important part!!). A light or medium fleece with a hood is also a nice thing to have, could substitute for the puffy jacket if the forecast is for clear and not cold weather. The combination of these can be used in all shoulder-season situations, manage your layers to stay dry and not overheat. Forget cotton, forget heavy stuff, forget stuff that is not breathable. A soft-shell is not the best option here, this isn't the ski lodge.

9) Other gear - headgear (winter hat), sunglasses, extra socks (swap when wet), insulated gloves (waterproof preferred), headlamp and extra battery, basic first-aid. Water purification style up to you, but make it light, easy to use, and rapid to use.

I'll leave you some photos for motivation, all low-snow seasons. You need to research photos and tales of the trail during heavy snow years on SummitPost and the Whitney Portal forums.

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Figuring out layers can be difficult if you don't have a way to see how things work in the climate you expect to use them in. To make things more difficult, not everyone is the same. I'm warm in temps in which probably 95% of people would be freezing, and if I was to follow a general guideline I'd probably end up with heatstroke in below freezing temps.



The temp here was maybe -5F, I'm wearing a silkweight polypro base layer, lightweight merino wool shirt & pants, and a pair of uninsulated waterproof breathable ski pants. That's sweat from starting out at a lower altitude where the temp might have been 10-15 degrees warmer. As we approached the treeline I stopped sweating as much and the polypro & wool were able to do their jobs and get the moisture away from my skin, where it froze on the outside of my shirt and then sublimated. I was a little chilly but knew not sweating was more important. This was actually taken just below the treeline, we'd stopped so I could adjust my layers for the high winds and resulting deep subzero wind chills we'd have in another 50 vertical feet.

The friend I hiked with had never been out for any length of time in below zero temps and had the bad habit of overdressing on our weekly snowshoe treks. When I mentioned it once he said he liked to just sweat through it, so for this hike up the mountain I had to stress to him that the importance of avoiding excessive sweating CAN NOT be overstated. Moisture in the form of damp clothes and damp skin will KILL you in cold weather. You have to monitor yourself at all times and either ventilate/layer down or reduce your activity level to avoid excessive sweating. This is where being a little chilly is better. When you stop for more than a few minutes you whip out the fleece or down jacket, and it goes back in the bag when you continue.

My layers on that hike were:

1) silkweight polypro top & bottoms (worn)

2) lightweight merino wool 150wt top & 200wt bottoms (worn)

3) midweight merino wool blend shirt (carried until just below the treeline)

4) lightweight (13oz) down jacket with 4.5oz 90/10 800-fill goose down (carried in case we hung out on the summit for a while)

5) waterproof/breathable 2.5 layer rain jacket (carried till just below the treeline)

6) soft shell ski gloves for hike up, fleece hat & Thinsulate/Gore-Tex gloves above the treeline.

If I was to do it again in the same weather I'd wear a different #1 layer, ditch #2, and wear another synthetic moisture wicking shirt over layer #1.

Thanks, you're right, there's now way I can figure out my layers here, it's already 80 degrees. I'm gonna take more than I need on the flight out and mix/match when I get there till I get a combination that will work, I'll have a few day hikes to sort things out before Whitney.

Did some backyard camping last night to give my tent a test run, I think it's going to work great

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The limelight is a great tent. Definitely bring the fly, it gets windy at the portal.

Have you slept on rocky ground with that foam pad before? Is it your only pad?

Lastly, if you don't have any wool layers, don't add any. The only wool I wear these days is socks. It's heavier than synthetic and doesn't wick as well. It does very well in maintaining heat when wet, though.

Wool is a fantastic baselayer, especially in Alpine environments. Lightweight Merino wool has always and will always have a place in my action suit.

Not using that pad out there, when we get to Vegas I'm gonna go to walmart and buy a cheap blow up mattress

I am definitely getting a merino wool shirt, then layer from there. The part I'm having trouble with is pants. Probably wear some compression shorts, with some columbia pants or what not then some zip on waterproof pants for outermost layer.

While in college with an altitude of 59 feet above sea level, I went from NC to CA and hit the trail the day we landed for about 4 miles then setup camp.  We went to what I'll call a base camp at Mt Whitney the next day and then got up the following morning and summited Mt Whitney.  With about 50' of elevation climb but about 1/4 mile of trail along the ridge line left, altitude sickness was kicking my butt and I had to stop several times to rest. Did stay on the ridge long due feeling like crap but as I got about 1000 feet back down I felt remarkably better.  I say all of that to give you an idea that you can go from low elevation to the summit, but I'd make sure you aren't caught off guard by what that level of elevation change can do to you.

If rain is likely then a pair of lightweight waterproof rain pants would be a good idea. I keep telling myself I'm going to buy a pair of Outdoor Research Helium pants for 3-season hiking, at 5.9oz and the size of a candy bar when compressed I wouldn't even know I'm carrying them.

My 3-season hiking pants are some Patagonias I got a few years back, lightweight nylon that breathes and dries quickly. I don't generally hike in shorts because the whole northeast is fucking CRAWLING with deer ticks and I've had Lyme disease twice. Long pants treated with permethrin do a pretty good job of keeping them from getting their mouthparts in me. With a baselayer the Patagonias are good for winter day hikes below the treeline when temps are above zero.

When you say cheap blow up are talking air only?

Air mattresses directly on the ground in the sierra will act as a negative insulator.  The ground/snow will chill the air in the air mattress, and then suck the heat out of you because the insulation in your sleeping bag is compressed and useless between your body and the pad..  You need some sort of insulation, even adding the cheap closed cell foam over the air mattress will work, you just gotta tie them together so it does not slide.

if you were going to get an insulated ground pad of some sorts, no worries.

This is not entirely true. It's going to mainly depend on the R value of the "pad" you get and how you use your system.

I snow sleep all the time on a non-insulated pad. If it's really cold out (below 10F or so) I'll bring an insulated pad and stack them like you mention. In the Sierra in June that scenario is extremely unlikely.

I would caution against cheap air mattresses mainly because they're utter garbage and super heavy, but that's just me.

ETA: This is what works for me in shoulder seasons, not the dead of winter. Dead of winter requires dual pads or a very nice insulated pad. Given that OP will be there in a shoulder season, it should be good.
ETA2: The other trick with a non-insulated pad is to put your pack under your pad if you get cold. That'll add another layer of insulation to get you through the night. Not a comfy way to sleep it out, but hey. C'est la vie.

My statement is for the majority of people, but there are always exceptions.. you are one of those LOL.  I feel cold through a zero degree bag on a straight air mattress in 30-40f temps lol.. and I sleep hot.  Switch it out to one of my insulated pads and back is now warm!

Bulldog,

Nice setup!

Sleeping pad:
I'm 60 yo and have used a blue foam as long as I can remember. 24" wide so you can roll around. Under a pound. No air mattress 'edge' to fall off.

Like anything else there are pros and cons. The pros of closed cell foam out weigh the cons to me. R value approx equal to many quality air mattresses, very tough and won't go flat - toss it on pine needles, sticks, rocks and plop down - no problem, can be used as an emergency litter to drag someone off mountain - cut up and use as splint - wind break for cooking, light and cheap! Cons - clearly not as comfortable as a air mattress but I find a site selection and prep goes a long way in mitigating that. First pick out flat spot relatively free of rocks with no side to side slope, then spent 10 mins picking out anything 1/2 in or bigger under where you will sleep - rocks - pine cones - sticks...

If you are going to sleep on snow, put some layers on or spread your jacket out under you bag for extra insulation.

BTW - have you guys come up with a basic travel plan?
Are going to try to summit in one day, two days, etc.?
This will help many here make suggestions to better help you.

Not planning on sleeping on snow, we will be camping at Whitney portal and the way I understand it is they have designated spots for putting up tents and what not. We are planning on doing it all in one day, on June 6. The reason I suggested a cheap air mattress is because at the end of this trip I will most likely be throwing it away (not worth shipping back to MS) and I'm not going to be packing it anywhere since we will be car camping.

I should not have included "Dibs on guns" in my poll

This.  All of this.

Good.  That video should freak you out.  There was no excuse for what happened there.  The second saw the lead take a nearly fatal fall, and still didn't take the extra sixty seconds to put on the PITA crampons.  The GoPro footage doesn't even come close to capturing what the guy experienced in his slip.

Alpine combine results:

Push ups - 36
Sit ups - 25
Dips - 24
Pull ups - 21
Box jumps - 25

1000 ft elevation - 43 minutes, 1.06 seconds

I did the elevation on a set of stairs, 14ft X 40, then I moved to some 2ft steps, did those 220 times. (Had to move because the horse in the barn was getting pissed at all the noise I was making )

ETA: There was no way I was getting my pack to 20% body weight, I STUFFED it full of crap and only got it to 14lbs (according to bathroom scale) I then added 5lbs of weight from my curl bar to get it to a 19lb pack overall.

Awesome! I'll get you your results later tonight - I don't have TFTNA with me right now.

ETA: Though to put it in perspective, you are definitely going to want to work on your cardio. Dr. Johnston, one of the co-authors of TFTNA, can do the 1000ft elevation gain with 20%BW pack in 24 minutes - at the age of 61.  That always puts it in perspective for me just how bad I am still.

Yea, my time wasn't the best one thing I thought about while I was doing it is, yea I did 1k elevation gain, but I also did 1k of elevation loss, lets say I spent 25% of the time going down the stairs, that means It only took me 30 minutes to do the 1k of gain with some breaks mixed in, is that a fair conclusion?

No, because the standard is a box step, which includes a downward motion as well. Dr. Johnston's time includes his travel downward.

Oh, well then

Given this year's snowfall it does not look like the switchbacks will be clear in June, which means that most likely you will be ascending from Trail Camp to Trail Crest (~1600 feet of elevation gain) via the Chute, with crampons and ice axe:

http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/49511/weather_in_June_and_looking_fo#Post49511

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=101805#Post101805

http://mtwhitneyhiking.blogspot.com/2017/04/mt-whitney-in-springand-early-summer.html

No personal experience climbing this way, although I've hiked Mt. Whitney 3 times on the Main Trail with no snow.

Others have mentioned it but what has worked really well for me is to hydrate like crazy for 2-3 days before the trip; for me that has been 4-5 liters of water per day.  Also, sleeping at altitude 2 nights before the trip.  Train hard; I'm in Southern California and a lot of day hiking at higher elevation (up to ~10000 feet) in local mountains to train for Whitney.

This is good advice. Fuck that noise, you guys can keep that severe lack of oxygen to yourselves :p

Exercise with longer hikes and elevation gains to get prepared. I would say if you don't do a lot, don't overdue it preparing, you can hurt yourself before you even go.

Your results:
Box steps - Poor
Push ups - Good
Sit ups - Poor
Dips - Good
Pull ups - Good
Box jumps - Poor

I'd hit the cardio hard for the next month or so. Try to spend all your time in Zone 1/Zone 2, that's where you'll see the most benefit. Zone 2 is ~70% max heart rate, and you should be able to speak in full sentences and hold a conversation for the duration of this workout. Low and slow is the name of the game there. That's where you'll see the biggest improvement.

Bulldog,

You have approx. 30 days. Even if you can manage to train every other day, that is only 15 days left. I would start focusing on the stair climbing (wearing your boots and the day pack!) and any cardio you can squeeze in. The stairs are your best bet for simulating both climbing and descending. I ride my bike for cardio -> try a couple of stand up pedaling sessions for as part of your ride.


Sleeping pad and other supplies:

Pahrump is approx. one hour outside of LV in your direction of travel. It is a highway town with everything right on the main road. There is Smiths grocery store and a Super WalMart (lots of camping gear and full groceries too). Both are right there with no pissing around trying to find the place. Also there a good Mexican restaurant - El Jefe - just north of the Best Western. Best Western and Holiday Inn have clean rooms and great free breakfasts - bacon, eggs, etc.

If you have plans to camp in Death Valley, let me know and I will give suggestions.

I do all my bike cardio standing up to simulate climbing, been doing some everyday now with boots and pack. We wont be camping in death valley just passing through. Thanks for the tip on the walmart, we will definitely be stopping somewhere to stock up on food stuffs.

Pahrump also has all the brothels. Good cheap lunch, a burger meal was <$10

*makes note to take plenty of extra cash for the "burgers"*

Sprayed my tent down with some waterproofing spray tonight. Also did a couple jackets and my pack. Getting pretty close now, only a couple more weeks until I fly out. Gonna hit the local trail pretty hard this weekend.

I live at 1,000 MSL and do 500-1000 miles of hiking a year, about half of it at elevation out west. I also have a bunch of CO 14'ers under my belt.  You've received a bunch of good information in this thread.

A couple of things. You will definitely want waterproof boots, crampons and an ice ax due to this years snow pack. You absolutely need a waterproof jacket (preferably pants too) at a minimum. I refuse to hike a mountain without one; it can absolutely save your life and a decent one packs down small and is super light.

NO COTTON. I think you know this, but stick to synthetics and wool. Layering will be important.

Load up that pack and hike as many miles as possible before you go with the goal of doing 10+ miles in a day before you leave. Do some running (without the pack) and if you have a gym membership hit the stair climber hard.

The only thing that will stop you from getting to the top is HACE & MACE (elevation sickness) and the weather. Your conditioning will determine how hard you have to work to get up it; it'll just take longer if you're not in shape.

Even if you don't make it it'll be an awesome experience and you'll see some amazing scenery. Have fun!

Did a few miles this morning at a pace of 19 minutes/mile with a 22lb pack. I have my new hiking pants in, some north face Superhike pants and really enjoy them.

Been thinking alot about my layers. I'm planning on compression shorts, merino wool pants and then the north face pants. As far as top, merino wool long sleeve, patagonia wool sweater and then a north face hard shell I sprayed down with scotch guard stuff to make it extra water proof. Feet wise I will be doing moleskin in a few areas then sock liners and then some merino wool hiking socks.

Going to end up buying crampons, ice axe and hiking poles at REI in Vegas, use em for a week and then sell everything on ebay when I get back.

ETA: I have some really nice Carhartt water proof work gloves for my hands and I will probably buy a merino wool watch cap at REI. Think that covers every thing.

Bulldog,

Your layers / shell look good for the ascent.

Good here you are keeping up the training.

Well... uh... Whitney portal is supposed to open 5/18... checked today on reserve America for a spot and everything is booked up but there is a walk in area.

Does anyone know if that walk in area typically fills up? Does it have the same shit as the spots you can reserve like a bear box?

yes.  Stay at the first base camp on night one, then the higher one for tje next few.  Probably still will have snow.  Altitude kicks your ass.

Done it thrice.

Bumpity bump.

Don't want this to slip into the archives before I get a chance to upload some pictures

10 days until I fly out

Go run another alpine combine and see how your training has worked.

I'll try to, been pretty busy switching jobs and I have a wedding in Alabama this weekend.

Depends - Some campgrounds have 1st come - 1st served. To my dismay - some are now 100% reservation only. BS in my opinion - they should have at least 10% 1st come. For some of the trail head walk-in camps you must have a hiking permit for the the day before / day after to stay there.

Do they have the same shit?
Yes - almost always they will have growler pits, water, trash cans, picnic tables, bear boxes, etc.

Sleeping at altitude:

Call the store - Portal Store  
Try the message area in the forum.

If you try The Portal and it is full -> There are several nearby places - Cottonwood Meadows / Horseshoe - Onion Valley - Grandview (kinda far away but damn cool).

Cottonwood / Horseshoe

Grandview Campground

Call the Inyo Ranger Station - 760-873-2400 - and tell them what you want to do.


Stealth Camping at the Portal or elsewhere - you can always wait until dusk, grab your bag and pad and then walk into the woods a 100 - 200 yds and set up a stealth camp. No tent recommended. No lights at night but you will get to sleep high (Important!). I have done this many many times and have never been caught!


Go to Mammoth. It is approx 8000' and you could get a room or find a camp sight if they are open.

There are other trail heads that are basically a dirt parking lot where you can crash. Go here - Big Pine south to Lone Pine Trail Heads
Every thing on the west side of 395 is a trail head. Look for the Red labels on the map.

Again call the Inyo - generally very cool people will help you out.

Hope this helps.

Thank you!

I'm going to read through the post on the store forum about the 2017 conditions when I get a chance.

Glad to hear they almost always have the same stuff. I did speak to a guy last week, not sure if it was the ranger station but he said the walk in area only fills up on the weekends. I fly into vegas on a Wednesday and we will be driving over to the portal on a Thursday, hopefully the guy is right and the walk in area will be available.

I saw some pictures on facebook of a couple eating some gigantic pancakes in the lone pine area, do you know what restaurant that could be? They looked pretty damn good

ETA: I googled "giant pancakes Mt Whitney", they're at the portal store

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32646-d1232484-r133385993-Whitney_Portal_Store-Lone_Pine_California.html#photos;geo=32646&detail=1232484&ff=35875248&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=&albumid=103&baseMediaId=35875248&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=2

Some of the hills outside of Vegas.

Death Valley

Have fun man!  And the Whitney burger and pancakes are big!

Found a good camping spot.


Made some time for a beer.

Great to see the photos, keep them coming!!

Ask and ye shall receive
Panum Crater


Mono Lake