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Old 08-20-2008, 01:37 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Trip Report: Mt. Whitney MR
Summited Mt. Whitney for the first time last weekend. Last year I got altitude sickness and the top was iced over. This was by far one of the best trips I've ever done.



4 full backpacks and 4 people fit comfortably in my 2007 Honda Accord Coupe. Awesome. Averaged 31 mpg including driving up some nasty grades.



Beautiful weather.





Driving up to the trailhead.



First mile shares with the main trail.



North Fork. This is where the Mountaineers Route splits off from the Main trail.







Not a trail.



Definitely not your average trail.



Don't slip.












Huge. Pictures do this no justice.





Pictures do this no justice. It is steep.





This section made me a bit nervous.



Exposure.



Where you would fall. Can you see the person down below?



Summit.



Views from the summit.

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Old 08-20-2008, 01:46 AM   #2 (permalink)
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nice work, well done! great pics

And its amazing trekking way up that altitude
and someone still has time to put graffiti on that boulder and marker.
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Old 08-20-2008, 02:09 AM   #3 (permalink)
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I did the regular trail (not the mountaineer's trail) in early September last year. Took us 5 hours to get to the summit, and 8 hours to come back down (stopping for some of the 300+ photos I shot, mostly).

You've got some great pics and reminded me I need to get a date for next year and do it again!

Thanks!
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:01 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing them!

Mott
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:06 AM   #5 (permalink)
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Nice! What animal is that in the last picture?
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:22 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Marmot

I've always wondered what it'd be like to do that hike. I've done a few 14'ers and enjoyed it as long as I didn't freeze. Looks like you all had some really good conditions Good job!
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:32 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Was that the mountaineer's route?
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Old 08-20-2008, 06:36 AM   #8 (permalink)
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I think I could ride about 90% of that.



Wow, great pix and super write-up. Thank you for sharing!
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Old 08-20-2008, 07:11 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Awesome pictures!

Marmots are cool little animals. We almost always see one while fishing at South Lake in the Sierras. He'll just sit on the rocks and watch the dummies getting into their waders & float tubes.
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Old 08-20-2008, 08:49 AM   #10 (permalink)
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yup. mountaineers route. the main trail i hear is like the 405 and has feces everywhere from scumbags.
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Old 08-20-2008, 09:01 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Thanks for sharing.
The onlly time I did Mt whitney we hiked from the west side of the range and came out at Whitney portal. I think the total was 86 miles.

If you've never hiked the high Sierra's, it is an experience to remember.

This really makes me want to go back....
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Old 08-20-2008, 09:09 AM   #12 (permalink)
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I have a friend who did the mountaineer's route last year, but I don't think he got weather like that. Looks like you scored. Awesome pics - thanks for sharing.
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Old 08-20-2008, 09:18 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Nice! What animal is that in the last picture?

Thanks, killer photos.

Yes, a Marmot also called a whistle pig due to the sound they make. I would be interested in booking a date for next year, does anyone know the process? How long is the list, any waiting?
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Old 08-20-2008, 09:20 AM   #14 (permalink)
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Thumbs up Mountain's Route...
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Was that the mountaineer's route?
One of the best climbs in the Eastern Sierras... the bushwacking is a lot of fun and a real challenge... you keep wondering if you are on the right route. I almost lost my life several years back on the section just before the top... a large block of granite the size of a VW bus came loose and missed me by a few feet on the down climb. Ah then, that's another story, grasshoppers.

Good job on the pics... brings back many memories of many climbs on Whitney. It's got one of the best 5.6 routes I ever climbed.
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Old 08-20-2008, 09:56 AM   #15 (permalink)
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good writeup. i've done moutnaineers route about 5 times or so. if you could bike down the main whitney trail, that would be off the hook, just a nice little 8-9000 foot singletrack drop that is flowy and some good technical sections.
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Old 08-20-2008, 10:14 AM   #16 (permalink)
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Stunning! Thank you for sharing, now I don't have to climb it. Did you guys experience any headaches? Anytime I'm over 12000' I get headaches from over exertion.
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:06 AM   #17 (permalink)
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good job. the mountaineer's route is a classic- a way better choice than the mule route, but that last climb has some big exposure. you should try the cactus to clouds/skyline dayhike in palm springs if you haven't already: 22 miles, 11k gain, tram ride down.
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:09 AM   #18 (permalink)
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Awesome accomplishment and some really nice photos ...
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:14 AM   #19 (permalink)
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Thumbs up
Driving by I have always wondered what the view was like from up there.........Some of the best photo's I have seen on this site, very nice report
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:16 AM