Mt. Whitney - Westside Approach

In July, I took my niece, Casey, two nephews, Spencer & Taylor, and two friends, Travis & Sharon Canfield on a 40+ mile backpacking trip in the Sierras that included taking on Mt. Whitney.

Day 1

[caption id="attachment_669" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Casey, Spencer, Taylor, Nate, Sharon, & Travis"][/caption]

We started at the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead in Horseshoe Meadows, which is at 10,000 ft elevation.  This would be the lowest elevation of our entire 5-day trip until finishing up at Whitney Portal.  The first day was only 6 miles as we headed to Long Lake in the Cottonwood Lakes basin.  We crossed a large stream on a log, passed through some meadows, and saw South Fork Lakes and several Cottonwood Lakes.  Mt. Langley, a 14,000 ft peak was a massive mountain in front of us.





As the sun sets, it gets very cold in a hurry.  We setup our tents, being careful to put our stuff and rocks in the tents to they wouldn't blow away in the wind.



It was a bit chilly.  The camp was a little over 11,200 ft in elevation.

Day 2

The next day, we headed up New Army Pass.  This would turn out to be one of the major efforts of the week.  The pass is at about 12,200 ft in elevation and crossing over the pass  is also the point of no return as we head down the other side of the High Sierra Crest.

[caption id="attachment_679" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="New Army Pass is right behind us up in that snow"][/caption]

Here are some pictures of our approach up New Army Pass.



It was difficult.  Near the top, there were a few snow fields to cross.  If you don't know anything about snow fields in the mountains, they are very dangerous when they are on a steep mountain side like we had here.  I was impressed that Casey kept her composure as well as she did, despite her lack of confidence in her own balance in placing her steps carefully.  It made me think about the role of confidence.  I seemed to be very confident, but that is because I've experienced it before and I know my limits.  It also made me wonder if I am overconfident and that could be dangerous.  Anyways, we crossed all the snowfields fine.  Near the top, it was apparent that crossing the actual pass was not going to be safe due to the snow and cornice, so we opted to head towards the right and cross up and over the ridge on some loose scree that wasn't too bad.  Yes, finally we did make it!

[caption id="attachment_681" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="On top of New Army Pass"][/caption]

After that, it was such a relief going downhill.

[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Coming down New Army Pass"][/caption]

And eventually get back into the trees where we had lunch by a nice clean snowmelt stream.



We quickly arrived to Rock Creek and the lake that I think is known as Rock Creek Lake.  In order to cross the creek, we had to wade through the water.  No other way around!  So we took off our shoes and stepped into the ice cold mountain stream!

[caption id="attachment_686" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Crossing Rock Creek"][/caption]

I love these kinds of adventures!!!  Just my luck we had ANOTHER major stream crossing where once again we had to take off those boots and wade through.



Casey is lucky I got so many pictures of her wading through the stream.  I was so sure she was going to fall in!  But alas, no.

We kept marching along, which seemed to go on forever.  We passed a sign that indicated we had about 1.1 miles to go, giving us hope.  Eventually we reached lower Rock Creek and made camp.  While the sun was still up, the boys got into the water for a quick bath in the freezing cold water.  It was my only bath of the week.  The campsites are excellent by the way here at Lower Rock Creek.

[caption id="attachment_688" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Lower Rock Creek"][/caption]

 Day 3

The first thing the next day we needed to cross the creek we were camped by.  If the air temperature had been warm in the morning I would have just waded through the creek.  But being cold out, we decided to risk crossing on these 3 bouncy, precariously placed logs.  I was sure somebody was going to fall in.  I think it took us 20 minutes for us to cross.  But everybody stayed dry.

[caption id="attachment_690" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Crossing Lower Rock Creek"][/caption]

We then headed towards Guyot Pass, but first I saw a deer while taking a potty break and we also had another stream crossing.

[caption id="attachment_691" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Guyot Stream Crossing"][/caption]

The pass was very easy, especially compared to New Army Pass.

[caption id="attachment_692" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Guyot Pass"][/caption]

After coming down the pass, we crossed what we termed "the desert".  It was very sandy, dry and warm.

[caption id="attachment_693" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="In the "desert" with Guyot mountain in the background"][/caption]

As we started to head back up and over another saddle, I noticed something that looked a little familiar in the distance:  Mt. Whitney!!!  It was actually Mt. Russell that clued me in on what I was seeing.  Mt. Whitney looks very different from the west side than the east side.  Mt. Whitney is the big rounded mountain in the upper right of the picture below with some snow on it.  The next day we actually walked through that same snow field you see here.

[caption id="attachment_694" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Approaching Crabtree Meadows with Mt. Whitney in the background"][/caption]

Here we are descending into Crabtree Meadow.

[caption id="attachment_695" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Descending into Crabtree Meadow"][/caption]

Of course there was another stream crossing!  This time it was Whitney Creek.  It was the largest stream crossing of the trip, but also the easiest.  A number of other hikers were also there enjoying the water and scenery.

[caption id="attachment_698" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Crossing Whitney Creek"][/caption]

We had lunch on the other side, and then it was back to the trail!



And then we crossed Whitney Creek again!  We were all very lucky to not have fallen in this time.  The only casualty was Taylor lost his water bottle here.

[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Second Whitney Creek Crossing"][/caption]

We quickly arrived at another trail junction by the Crabtree Ranger Station and followed the sign to the "toilet" which was just sitting out there in the middle of an open meadow.  We all used the potty.



And we crossed Whitney Creek AGAIN!  This time over logs.

[caption id="attachment_702" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Third crossing of Whitney Creek"][/caption]

Now we needed to make a long upwards approach to Guitar Lake.  It was hard, the packs were feeling really heavy, and the miles were long.  It was starting to wear on everyone.  But we had magnificent views of Mt Whitney in front of us.  Again, that is Mt. Whitney on the upper-right of the picture below.

We passed by Timberline Lake.

[caption id="attachment_705" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Timberline Lake"][/caption]

As we were leaving the area around the lake, Casey was getting pretty exhausted and I think she was starting to feel a little emotional and overwhelmed about how tough this really was.  She sat down in a place that had the worst mosquito infestation I have ever experienced to take a break and pull herself together.  Only problem was the mosquitoes were going to suck all my blood out!  So I grabbed her pack on my front (so I'm wearing a pack on my back and front) and proceeded to carry it up the trail for about 30 seconds to get away from the mosquitoes.  Casey promptly took it back, and after a short break she was ready to move on.  Casey had been determined to carry her pack the entire distance, but I ruined that!  Oh well.  And we kept going, leaving Crabtree Meadows and mosquitoes behind us, but with some still awesome views to the west of those mountains back there.



Eventually, we finally made it to Guitar Lake.  We searched around for the best campsite, and just picked one kind that we thought would give us the best protection against the wind if it got windy.  It didn't get windy, so it didn't matter.  The marmots were all over the place just waiting to attack our food with no fear.  At one point I caught a marmot licking the back of Spencer's pack!!

[caption id="attachment_707" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Guitar Lake"][/caption]

We soaked our feet in the little stream heading into the lake.  That felt great for about 20 seconds.  Then my feet got numb.



The views were great here at Guitar Lake, with Mt. Whitney as this mammoth mountain right in front of us!  We were surrounded by jagged cliffs.  It was pretty awesome!



Here is a picture of my solar charger I used to keep my cell phone (aka GPS) charged.

[caption id="attachment_710" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Solar charger. It works!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Camp at Guitar Lake"][/caption]

Day 4

Now this was the day we were all waiting for!  Summit day!  But it wasn't going to be easy.  We needed to carry our packs all the way up to Trail Crest (13,600 ft elevation), which is no easy feat.  Even though we hit the trail by 8am, the sun doesn't hit the west side of the mountain until around 10am due to the enormous Mt. Whitney.  Since temperatures are below freezing, the snow is hard and very icy, making for some dangerous snow crossings.  They are pretty freaky especially while carrying a full pack.  Your footing needs to be secure and balanced.  Everyone did fine.

[caption id="attachment_716" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Snow & ice crossings on John Muir Trail"][/caption]

The views were excellent!  You can see Mt. Hitchcock and Hitchcock Lakes below.  Crabtree Meadows are to the far right in the distance.

[caption id="attachment_713" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Silhouettes on John Muir Trail"][/caption]

Eventually we did see the sun!  Things warm up quick with the sun on our backs.

[caption id="attachment_715" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Nice views from John Muir Trail"][/caption]

And sometimes the trail is pretty amazing!

[caption id="attachment_714" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Big steps on John Muir Trail"][/caption]

Eventually we reached the junction with the main Mt. Whitney trail at almost 13,600 ft and we drop our packs!  We'll pick them back up later on the way back down.  We start heading up towards the summit!

[caption id="attachment_719" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Mt. Whitney in the back"][/caption]

And here you can see Crabtree Meadows that we passed through the day before and Guitar Lake (yes it does look like a guitar!) below where we had just camped the night.

[caption id="attachment_717" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="View of Guitar Lake"][/caption]

Here is what the needles of Whitney look like from the west side.

[caption id="attachment_720" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Needles of Mt. Whitney"][/caption]

We finally reach the snow field we had seen so long ago.  This was an easy snow field to cross.

[caption id="attachment_721" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Snow field near summit"][/caption]

And we make our final push with the summit in sight!

[caption id="attachment_724" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Arriving triumphantly!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_723" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="We made it!!!"][/caption]

I'm very proud of my niece and nephews for enduring it all this way to tackle this large mountain!  Taylor is the youngest and tallest person I have ever hiked with to the summit of Mt. Whitney!  He is one solid kid!  I know it surely was hard for Taylor, but he kept going even when it was hard.  Spencer has a lot of patience and endurance.  It was as if nothing phased him; as if this was easy!  I think he enjoyed the trip most out of everyone.

I'm extremely proud of all of them!  But for some reason I am most proud of Casey.  Yes, it is party because she is a girl.  I don't know very many girls who are capable of doing this!  I'm sure it is intimidating backpacking with her two strong & tough brothers and an uncle who is some crazy backpacking nut!  And this was a very difficult trip!  She was tough and kept it together even at the most trying times.  I applaud her for her endurance and staying the course through the pain without any complaining!  Way to go Casey!!

[caption id="attachment_722" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="On top of Mt. Whitney"][/caption]

As for me, this was my 8th attempt and 8th successful summit of Mt. Whitney.  Each time is very different from any other.  But this is one stands out, not only because of the excellent route, but because I could share this experience with my awesome nephews & niece!

By this point, we had backpacked over 30 miles, struggled over some major passes, crossed precarious snow fields, and waded through many mountain creeks.  It makes climbing Mt. Whitney via the Main Trail and the Mountaineer's Route seem easy.  And trust me I know now; I've experienced it all 3 ways now.

Well, it's all down hill from this point on.  After gathering our packs again, we passed Trail Crest.

[caption id="attachment_727" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Trail Crest"][/caption]

Then we started heading down the infamous 99 switchbacks on the east side of the ridge.  The first snowfield was a little tricky, but nothing compared to what we had already experienced on the other side.

[caption id="attachment_728" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Descending on the 99 switchbacks to Trail Camp"][/caption]

We finally made it to Trail Camp very tired!  We camped at my private, secluded camp spot, complete with our own private waterfall and pure water source straight out of the mountain!  I've named the waterfall "Kimbler Falls".  The water quite literally comes out of the mountain no more than 20 feet from the waterfall.

[caption id="attachment_729" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Kimbler private campsite by Kimbler Falls near Trail Camp"][/caption]

Day 5

The final day of the trip was rather easy after all we had been through.  As the sun rises and shines on the mountains, it creates a nice glow.



One last view before we leave Trail Camp.



We soon pass Consultation Lake, still partially frozen over.

[caption id="attachment_732" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Consultation Lake"][/caption]

We cross more snow.



Cross streams.

[caption id="attachment_734" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Stream crossing new Mirror Lake"][/caption]

Pass a large waterfall by Outpost Camp.

[caption id="attachment_735" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Waterfall by Outpost Camp"][/caption]

Cross two more streams.



And more stream crossings.



I haven't mentioned the Canfields very much.  They were also on this trip, but they took their time and trailed us separately, so I don't have many pictures of them.  But they were great to be with and share in this experience when we saw them at camp each night!

Right before we reach the trailhead to end the trip, we get another great glimpse of Mt. Whitney high above.

[caption id="attachment_738" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Final views of Mt. Whitney"][/caption]

41+ miles after starting this journey, we finally we reach the trailhead, celebrating our success!  We weighed our packs, to see how they compared to their starting weights.  Everyone's pack weight dropped, but one:  mine!  I started at 38 lbs and ended at 38 lbs.  I even ate ALL my food!

[caption id="attachment_739" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="The end at Whitney Portal"][/caption]

It was a very enjoyable, adventurous, and memorable trip.  So, who's up for going again??!!

Extras

Here is a map of our route; more or less.

In summary

Day 1:  Horsehoe Meadows to Cottonwood Lakes via South Fork Lakes Trail.  Camp at Long Lake.  ~6 miles

Day 2:  Long Lake to Lower Rock Creek via New Army Pass.  Camp at Lower Rock Creek.  ~11 miles

Day 3:  Lower Rock Creek to Guitar Lake via Guyot Pass and Crabtree Meadows.  Camp at Guitar Lake.  ~11 miles

Day 4:  Guitar Lake to Trail Camp via Trail Crest.  Drop packs at junction of John Muir Trail and Main Whitney Trail to summit Mt. Whitney.  Camp at Trail Camp.  ~11 miles

Day 5:  Trail Camp to Whitney Portal.  ~6 miles