Mt Whitney from the Whitney Portal Rd
Mt Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 at 14,497. It is a very popular climb because of this. There is also a trail to the top coming from the south that is an easy walk up. The Mountaineers route is a little more challenging. There is a steep approach trail, some moderate snow climbing, and some easy 4th class terrain above some exposure. The day started on the Whitney Portal Rd about a mile and half from the summer trail head. There was a descent size wet slide that covered the road preventing any futher travel.
The desert start to climb Mt Whitney
I started with a little skinning on the snow covered road until it turned south facing and was dry for a little walking past some good size rock fall.
Probably the most dangerous part of the climb
I made my way to the summer trail head and veered of into the north fork of lone pine creek to access the east face of Whitney and the Mountaineers Route.
Not a typo 6100 vertical in 3.4 miles
This was where the skinning became steep and difficult. There had been a lot of climbers up the trail over the weekend and it was a slick post holed mess of a snowshoe track, not the most ideal conditions for skinning. I gritted it out on the “skin track” and made it up into the lower boyscout lake basin to my camp for the night.
Lower Boy Scout Lake camp
I got to camp pretty early in the day and had some nice chill time in the sun and even a little nap. I just wanted to rest for the big day I had ahead of me. I cooked some dinner, and chatted with a few skiers coming off the route, it didn’t sound like ideal conditions.
Nice views of the objective from camp
It was a pretty cold night for California, and was glad I had my -20 deg bag. Pretty cold morning and I was a little slow moving until the sun hit my body, then left camp for the summit at 9 a.m, not exactly an alpine start. No big deal, I had the whole day to climb, ski down, pack up camp, and drive back to Mammoth Lakes.
Skinning below the Keeler Needles on Mt Whitney
It was pretty good skinning conditions up from Lower Boy Scout Lake, to Upper, then on to Iceberg Lake below the Mountaineers Gully at 12,300. Now only a few thousand vertical to climb in the couloir, then the steep upper couloir to the summit plateau.
Nearing the top of the Mountaineers Gully
The snow stopped in the gully a hundred yards from the top, and I left my skis here to start the descent, and continued on to the summit. From the top of the gully there is a notch which gives you access to the final steep couloir to the summit.
The steep upper couloir before the summit.
This was the section I was concerned about. Apparently it can get pretty icy, with some 4th class rock mixed in, and a 2000 foot slide for life down the north face to discourage falling. Lucky for me it was mostly just steep snow with one little class 4 rock step. I continued up the upper couloir, and was on the summit plateau.
On top of the upper couloir
A 10 minute walk along the football field sized plateau, and I arrived at the true summit.
Summit
Keweah group of mountains
Roof of the lower 48
Views from the plateau
Now probably the crux of the climb, the down-climbing of the upper couloir. It was pretty steep and hard snow, and fall would be tragic.
Looking down the upper couloir
I arrived at my stashed skis, and started the descent. Some of the worst skiing conditions I have ever had. It was a frozen coral reef-like couloir, I just slid down the whole thing making probably 2 turns in 1500 vert. Just awful.
The coral reef of the Mountaineers gully
I “skied” the Mountaineers Gully, and then the skiing got good. It was a few thousand vertical of pretty good corn skiing all the way to my camp at Lower Boy Scout Lake. From there I packed up camp, and headed down the dreaded North Fork of Lone Pine Creek.
North Fork of Lone Pine Creek
I made it out unscathed, down to where the snow ran out, and put the skis on the pack for a mile or so of trail walking.
A little chill time in the forest
The trail out
This was a great solo adventure. It was really rewarding to climb, and then ski down such a prevelant mountain like Whitney in winter conditions. Sometimes it’s not all about the down.
Satisfaction
right on calla, good on ya. hows the snowpack down there holding up?
13:28pm water droplets fly-Providence. HOLY MOLY MOTHER OF WORLD!!!! Thanks Mike. You made my week bud. Soloing out in the Mt. Whitney wilderness! You are the best! Gorgeous pictures and captions too. It makes sense that such a graceful skier and powerful mountaineer would possess impressive writing skills. Way to go! Acute point t.h.c. introduction following re-composition of purple skunk ind.’s chemical structure influx t-minus 3 hrs. (2 inches of localized rain) and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over.
12:40 eastern colors fly- Barrington. still amazed by Calla’s art work on whitney. glad we’re friends because i wouldnt want the mount whitney climbers route ski descent soloist as an enemy. youre king. wet vacing parents basement. a little soggy here in the ocean state. kind of reminds me of living in the fort during an avalanche provoking storm. stank bud undergoing implication of a pot storm t-minus 2 hrs.. get in my lungs! checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
10:30 eastern. colors fly- Providence. could have sworn i posted something yesterday around noon? either way still very impressed with mt. whitney climber’s route solo ski descent. when the first 2 pics were posted under mt. whitney more to come title i wasnt sure whetehr you were there to ski and even though the turns may not have been perfect im stll glad you made ’em. chalice blazing in t-minus 5 hrs. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
10:19 eastern. colors fly- Providence. still pretty convinced my post from 2 days ago was hijacked by the communists. either way still drying out here in Rhode Island. would love to take some “yearbook” pictures of myself bailing out family basements. bet id look great. cannabest approaching esophogus routing wind pipe impassion molecular medium t-minus 1.5 hrs. and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 (4/5) over.
10:10 eastern. colors fly- Providence. so youre coming home in April? a rendition of “lets rip tuckerman’s ravine” is in order. thanks for including the post from barrington. im real glad to see that because that day rhode island was under water. diggities. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over.
Nice Calla, Love the pictures. It must have been wild soloing in the Whitney wilderness. I love your passion for the mountains, It keeps me sane here in NJ, knowing your out there really pushing yourself,and I’m stuck in the weeds. Looks like Wy is getting some late season snow, I know the bighorns just go a lot. The timing should be right for a trip up to Bighorn Peak and the cloud peak wilderness in late april. I recommend Beyond the Mountain, by Steve House, good book for all you who are addicted to the vertical world. Nuge, are we any closer to legalization? Just got back from Mexico and they got figured it out, even if they need better quality control. Let it Grow!
10:18 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. looks like rain and it feels like rain. i cant stand it no. i cant stand the rain. all my life ive seen rain and wish it would go. cant stand the rain.-G. Dead i hear ya EJ. ya, we’re closer to legalization. legalization’s opposition is white powder. junkies been camoflaging themselves behind what was previously a black market substance. time for blow heads to start covering their own malnourished asses. cannabis indica/sativa cross bread accessing pallet in t-minus 1hr and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
10:07 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. off to a beautiful day here in r.i.. unseasonably warm. would not appear as though tuckerman’s ravine n.h. will be holding up for much longer. either way your presence is still requested in new england admin.. twin oaks is open!!! sending thc fibers lungwards in t-minus 5 hrs. and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
11:01 eastern. colors fly- Providence. it would appear to me bootedandfed.com could use a visit from, yup, that’s right, yours truly? miss the western lineup anyway. either way was pounding sprites at a bar on the river last night and low and behold, what comes floating by but a living room couch. it was unmistakable bobbing up and down in the river like that. brought a certain homey feeling to the riverscape. comforting. point containment endo-lution from the endolutionary origin facility spark it up! checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
9:55 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. dont know where admin. is at the moment but i have a hunch alta might describe it altogether? if so, the legend returns! please post something from the A? raining here again. punched the clock deep into the night last night if you know what i mean? barely awake here at my eternal post, work. resin b-loads in t-minus 6.5 hrs. and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 (4/12) over
10:22 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. Was hoping http://www.bootedandfed.com would be an interactive web-site displaying the life and times of Mike Calla but guess i was wrong? Mike Calla’s surely gone skiing since he last posted Mt. Whitney mountaineers route ski solo. As impressive as it was its been almost a month since it was initially posted. leaving me hanging. huffin’ reefer. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma the next time admin. posts something
10:06 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. To be fair the Mt. whitney climbers route ski solo is worthy of at least three weeks un-interrupted hang time. it’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s scary. the only real gripe i’ve come to recognize is the noticeable lack of little cottonwood canyon terrain. smoking grass in t-minus 7 hrs. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
1:55 eastern. hope and anchor fly- Providence. so it’s official. to live in R.I. is to know complete and total deprivation. R.I., one of the 50 “contiguous” states, was decimated by a biblically proportioned 200 year flood 2 weeks ago and the first lady is doing disaster relief work in Haiti? dont worry about our devestated infrastructure, homes, lives? we’ll be fine. march on with out you. disaster re-spleef inhalation in t-minus 2hrs. and counting. checkpoint alpha, beta, gamma 10:00 over
11:20 easatern. providence. wasatch. cannabis. radiations over