How to Day Hike Mt. Whitney | Sounds of the Trail | Tips & Advice

#mtwhitney #whitneyportal #inyonationalforest #johnmuirtrail

Mt. Whitney is arguably one of the most popular mountains to hike in the United States. At 14,505 feet in elevation, it stands as the tallest peak in the contiguous 48 states. The Mt. Whitney Main Trail begins at 8,375 feet, making the elevation gain over 6,100 feet in 10.5 miles.

Because there is a trail that goes all the way to the summit of Mt. Whitney, many people believe that they can easily hike to the summit in back in a day. However, altitude sickness can be a real problem for many people. There are other dangerous factors to deal with as well. Most of them include severe weather, exposed areas of the trail, fatigue, not being in shape, not preparing, going for the summit solo, splitting from your group, taking the John Muir Trail on the descent, not being familiar with the trail, and taking too long to hike the entire trail. These factors can be prevented! Watch the weather forecast, summit before noon, and make sure you're well conditioned within cardiovascular and resistance training. Study the map and bring a GPS and/or SPOT device. Know your limits! The mountain will always be there.

This was the 13th summit I've made up to Mt. Whitney and the 40th peak of 100 in 2021. I started at the trailhead at 545AM and made it to the top at 1015AM. I was not trying to go fast... just a steady pace while filming. I then went on to peak four more peaks near Mt. Whitney. I made it back to the trail head before 330PM. I highly recommend getting a burger at the #whitneyportalstore after your hike.

I made this video to help day hikers see what they will face when hiking the main trail. I also give tips and advice to have a successful day hike to and from Mt. Whitney.

**Dangerous areas on the trail**

1. Just past the “Whitney Zone Permit” sign when you start climbing up, there is one area here 9:32

2. Just above Mirror Lake on the granite portion of trail at 10:25 and 11:22

If you plan to day hike Whitney, make sure you are completely passed these areas before dark.

Jump to:

8:50 What to look out for while on the trail

15:20 Advice on how to acclimatize

Mt. Whitney Zone Map:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5130080.pdf

Mt. Whitney Permit information:

https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233260

Horseshoe Meadows directions:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=20692&actid=29
"Getting to the top of mountain is optional. Getting down from the mountain is mandatory.” -Ed Viesturs

Видео How to Day Hike Mt. Whitney | Sounds of the Trail | Tips & Advice канала MtnMike