Those who know Whitney, understand the severity of the title above. Indeed, I am referring to Mt. Whitney, the temptress of the Eastern Sierras. For those who are not aware of her solitary presence, she stands as the tallest peak in the contiguous states, highest in the lower-48, and above all a formidable opponent to test one's winter climbing mettle against. At 14,497 feet, this cascading array of tilted, granite slab is a prize sought after by many.
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| Mt. Whitney (14,497') lies at a picturesque center among the Eastern Sierra range. |
Until recently, she was off my radar... at least for the time being. The amount of foresight and time that goes into the trip can be substantial. However, after lining up some experience, proficient climbing partners, this prospective goal has been moved up on the list. We will take a conservative approach, splitting the Mountaineer's Route (MR) ascent into two days, taking time to acclimate as we move to a high camp at Iceberg lake. The next day we will set out early with an alpine start, in hopes of gaining the last few thousand feet to the notch and the "Final 400", en-route to the summit. At the end of day two, we'll move camp lower down the mountain, with the last day reserved for hiking the rest of the way back to our cars.
. . .
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| Whitney's Mountaineer's Route (MR) as upper blue line (lower blue line is the summer hiking trail) |
Unfortunately, we missed a rare opportunity which yielded an entire month of clear weather. This week has seen a drastic end to the dry, high-pressure spell that has lingered on the area. Currently the weather reports are estimating 48-71 inches of snow over the next four days, with at least two major weather systems congregating over the eastern range. I have begun the meticulous task of tracking the wind patterns for the range, hoping to ascertain some valuable intel regarding wind-loading and other avalanche-impacting factors. As always, safety is the main concern and should we need to t
urn back, we will be ready with contingency plans.
If the conditions are favorable and the weather is lasting, we are hoping for chance at climbing during the second weekend of March. If we're a-go, I'll make the 8.5 hour drive into the Mojave desert, past China Lake (where I interviewed for and was offered a research position with the NAVAL Warfare Center some three years ago), to the small, meet-up city of Lone Pine -- the last spot of civilization before entering one of the most wild portions of California wilderness. Depending on the level of snow and how far down the road is closed, we may have an extra 1500 feet to ascend through, just to get to Whitney Portal, the usual starting point.
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| Whitney's MR ascends 6,500 feet from Whitney Portal |
I'm getting stoked more and more with each day. I've been researching avalanche beacons and I think I found the model I'll be purchasing. This will definitely be an opportunity to use it and practice safe group travel.
Cheers!
2 comments:
I really don't want you to have to test out your 'avalanche wear'...
I'm assuming this was Madre? --^
Not to worry, we'll be practicing safe group travel throughout the mountain, evaluating several slope aspects for stability and risk before venturing further. Should anything happen, each person will have avalanche rescue equipment including probes, beacons, and shovels. In addition, I'll be using the SPOT device, relaying our status the whole way, which you can track in real time HERE! Trust me, we're taking as many precautions as possible to make a safe ascent. Most importantly, we will only be summitting if the conditions allow for it.
Love you!
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