Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States at elevation 14,505 feet (4,421 meters). It is located at the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties. The western slope of the mountain lies within Sequoia National Park.

Mount Whitney was named after Josiah Whitney, the chief geologist of California. It was first climbed in 1873 by Charles Begole, A. H. Johnson, and John Lucas (fishermen who lived in Lone Pine, California.)

Mount Whitney is just 76 miles (123 km) west of the lowest point in North America, in Death Valley (282 feet (86 m) below sea level), and immediately rises just over 2 miles (~3300 m) in elevation above the floor of the Owens Valley. The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135-mile (215 km) running race from the bottom of Death Valley and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal, the trailhead for Mount Whitney.

Hiking

The most popular route to hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney is the main Mount Whitney Trail (MMWT) whose trailhead orginates in Whitney Portal at 8,360' (2548 m), 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine, CA. The hike is ~22 miles (35.4 km) round trip with an elevation gain of ~6,100' (1859 m). This trail is extremely popular and its access is restricted between May 1st and November 1st, permitting 60 backpackers and 100 day hikers daily for the MMWT.

For those backpacking there are two trail camps. Outpost Camp, the lower of the two camps, is 3.8 miles (6.1 km) west of the trailhead at 10,365' (3,159 m). Trail Camp, where most will base camp prior to their summit ascent, is 6.3 miles (10.1 km) from the trailhead at 12,000' (3,658 m). This is also the last place where there is a reliable water source. Most will take between 2 and 4 days to complete this trip.

Backpackers are required to carry a bear-resistant canister; these can be rented at the Interagency Visitors Center south of Lone Pine or the Whitney Portal Store for a nominal fee. Although the grizzly bear has been hunted out of California, black bears are still very common on the MMVT slope from the portal up through the land overlooking Outpost Camp. Night sightings of these bears are not unusual by any means. When traveling at night, it is wise to wield a bright headlight, an ice axe, and a shrill whistle. Making many strange, loud noises will alert the bears of human presence and they will be more afraid of you than you of them. Never travel without a light in the thick of the night because packs will attract curious bears from miles away. If possible, travel in a larger group as there is strength in numbers.

A one day trip up the MMWT usually starts between 2 and 4 AM. Most successful hikers will complete the trip in between 10 and 18 hours.

The main Mount Whitney trail is very easy to follow and is well maintained and requires no climbing or winter gear (ice axe and crampons) once the snow melts, after a mild winter in late June to early July or after a severe winter in mid July to early August. It is wise to ask returning hikers the current trail conditions prior to heading up the trail.

The Mount Whitney area is notorious for its unpredictible weather. Common advice is to be off of the peak by noon during the summer season.

Climbing

The steep eastern side of the mountain offers a variety of climbing challenges. The "Mountaineer's Route", a Class 3 gully to the north of the east face, was first climbed by John Muir. The East Face route, first climbed in 1931, is a classic easy climbing route of the Sierra; mostly Class 3, with the hardest parts at only 5.4 (YDS). Other routes range up to 5.10 in difficulty.

To the south of the main summit there are a series of minor summits that are completely inconspicuous from the west, but appear as a series of "needles" from the east. The routes on these include some of the finest big-wall climbing in the high Sierra. Two of the needles were named after participants in an 1880 scientific expedition to the mountain: the Keeler Needle and the Day Needle; the latter has now been renamed Crooks Peak after Hulda Crooks, who hiked up Mount Whitney every year until well into her nineties.

Elevation

The estimated elevation of the peak of Mount Whitney has changed over the years. This is not due to the peak growing (although it is): the elevation measurement has become more refined, and more importantly, the vertical coordinate system has changed. The peak is commonly thought to be 14,494 feet high. However, this is in the NVGD29 vertical datum from 1929. Since then, the exact shape of the Earth (the geoid) has become better estimated, with a new coordinate system NAVD88 established in 1988. In this new coordinate system, the benchmark GT1811 is estimated to be at 14,505 feet. See [http://www.peakbagging.com/SPS%20BM/GT1811.txt for the elevation data of this benchmark, supplied by the United States National Geodetic Survey, the agency that estimates the horizontal and vertical position of landmarks.

Popular culture

The 1941 film, High Sierra, is set in part at Whitney Portal and features a car chase up the Whitney Portal Road.

Reference

Steve Roper, The Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (Sierra Club Books, 1976) ISBN 0871561476

External links

Computer generated summit panoramas: North South index. The 190-mile (306 km) view south from Mount Whitney to San Gorgonio Mountain has been photographed, see here.