What Do I Need To Know About Climbing The Highest Peak In The Continental U.S., Mount Whitney?

As the highest peak in the Lower 48 U.S. states, Mount Whitney may be the most frequently climbed peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. In the summer, as many as 300 people attempt to summit every day.
The summit can be most directly reached via an 11-mile trail from Whitney Portal, 13 miles west of Lone Pine, off of Highway 395. The trail head is at 8,361 feet and the summit at 14,495 feet.
Ice axes and crampons are needed in spring and early summer, but not usually necessary between mid-July and early October.
During the summer, individuals in excellent physical condition can do the route as a very long dayhike. There are two camping areas, at 10,000 and 12,000 feet, respectively. The peak hiking months are July and August, when the camp grounds are likely to be crowded.
The weather is unpredictable during all seasons, and summer thunderstorms are common. The day before I summit in mid-June, there had been a white-out, obliterating the trail with snow, and we did the climb cross-country from the 12,000-foot camp. Whitney has the most lightning strikes of any peak in the continental U.S.
Between May 22 and October 15, the U.S. Forest Service requires both day and overnight hikers to obtain a wilderness permit for the trail. These can be reserved up to six months in advance, but quotas for weekends and holidays in June, July, August, and September fill up quickly.
Make a reservation online at the Inyo National Forest Web site, or call the
Wilderness Reservation Service at (888) 374-3773 or (760) 938-1136 weekdays, or fax to (760) 938-1137.
Note: You must start the hike on the first day of your permit. I met two men who had driven all the way from Colorado who were denied access because they wanted to start on the second day of their three-day permit.
Between October 16 and May 23, only overnight hikers need a permit, which can be self-issued at the USFS station in Lone Pine, 640 S. Main St., 93545. Overnight permits are $3 each, plus $1 per person. Day hike permits are $2 per person.
Personally, I found Whitney's flat summit to be the most boring of the seven "14ers" I have climbed in the Whitney Corridor. There is no climb proper, and it is attainable by even very young children.

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