Mt. Whitney via MR Trip Report, August 28, 2010
The best things in life are free and sometimes spontaneous, but you still have to pay for gas.
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2:50AM
Text message from Anton: “I am in – on my way to Park and Ride”.
Only 40 min later we will be leaving San Diego, northbound on I-15…
These two sentences sum up very well how impromptu this trip was. A completely different alpine plan was scratched just a couple of days ago due to incoming inclement weather, and I defaulted to the “tried and true” alternative of climbing the Mountaineers Route (MR) on Mt. Whitney. This time, I wanted to bike from Lone Pine to Whitney Portal, hike the MR and bike back to Lone Pine. To add some style points, the trip would be completed in a day from San Diego to San Diego. Doing this on my own would present a logistical nightmare and I was very glad to find a partner for this adventure.
3:05AM: Leaving Home
Driving from home to the Park and Ride is surreal. Many cars are on the road at this hour, people are ordering take-out at the local Mexican joint. I finally realize it is still Friday night for them. I feel like an intruder with my early Saturday rise.
3:25AM: Park and Ride, Rancho Renasquitos Rd/I-15
When we meet, I am very impressed with the minimal amount of stuff Anton has (jug of water and the tiniest backpack).
7:25 AM: Lone Pine
The drive flies by. We stop to get breakfast on the way and arrive to Lone Pine shortly after sunrise. My plan is to bike to Whitney Portal from CA-395. Anton will take the car up to the portal and start hiking without me. I hope to make good time and catch up with him on the descent.
7:30 AM: Biking
I see our car disappear uphill. Cold morning air warms up fast with virtually no wind. The first several miles are fairly mellow and I enjoy beautiful views, green trees and the sound of the roadside creek. It is all about to change.
8:15 AM: The pain (Part 1)
The hill is relentless! A mile or so before a huge switchback that is clearly visible from 395 the grade increases to 9-13% and stays there for the last 5.5 miles. It is brutal to do it now, when I am not 100%. The trick of spreading the pain over different muscle groups by periodically getting off the saddle is not working this time. I am in my grandma gears and it is not easy.
8:48 AM: Hairpin turn
The hairpin turn marks the end of the crux. Things get a little better from here - the grade eases off just enough to make it tolerable and the wind picks up to cool me down. I know I will get up the hill and this brings back my confidence and I start to feel better.
9:15 AM: Whitney Portal
I spot our car parked in the overflow lot at the portal. The biking is over and I need to get ready for the hike. I have never done such a bike/hike combination before. In my mind there is a perfect picture of a tri-athlete going from biking to running, taking about ..ummm…zero seconds between the two. It actually takes me half an hour to change, stuff some food into myself, rehydrate, stretch my legs and pack the bike in the car.
9:45 AM: Trailhead
I've never started hiking this trail this late in the day. By now, the Whitney trailhead is packed with tourists, hikers and families.
10:50 AM: LBSL
The trail goes by quickly. There are only a few climbers and a ranger that I met on the lower section of the North Fork. The winds pick up after the ledges, but Lower Boyscout Lake is protected from the wind and is quiet. A large trout swims directly beneath me as I cross the water. There is noone around.
11:30 AM: UBSL
The slabs are one of my favorite spots of this trail. The fast rushing water, some exposure and the views are spectacular. It is easy to make progress when there is so much to look at. I find myself at Upper Boyscout Lake in almost no time.
12:30 PM: Iceberg lake
It comes as a surprise that there is not a single tent at Iceberg Lake this Saturday. I take a 10 min break and talk to a few parties that come down from the gully. The climbers were very friendly and psyched to be here.
12:45 PM: The pain (Part 2)
There is very little snow in the gully and the going gets very tough for me here. I had completely forgotten how nasty this scree-filled gully is. I read somewhere that our bodies produce hormones that make us forget painful parts of experiences over time. I think I am in this trap. The scree is about 10 times worse than I remember! 3 steps forward, 2 steps back as the rocks slide under my feet and trap me. I try to stay to the right side of the gully and keep looking up, as I am well aware of the recent rockfalls that occurred here (http://dev.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1221315&tn=0). At all times I have to counteract the downward sliding with my body to avoid losing control. This this sucks all my energy. Make a few steps, slide down, stabilize, stop, breathe, repeat. It goes on seemingly forever with little progress. I force myself to breathe and smile every time I stop to reset my system. Whatever feedback mechanism operates when I fake a smile - it works very well for me. I know that this scree section is the hardest part and if I make it to the notch it is over.
1:50 PM: The notch
No ice is in the upper gully, which makes for easy, fun scrambling. The top is close and I can smell it.
2:10 PM: The top
The views from Mt. Whitney are always great. I see Anton in the distance and wave to him. I don’t think he recognizes me, since he doesn’t know what I wear. I hang in the hut for a while, stuffing myself with food, putting all my clothes on and getting ready for the descent. I meet Adam, a firefighter from LA, in the hut. We will descend down the gully together.
2:40 PM: Descent
Strangely, I cannot find Anton. I look around and assume that he went down as we agreed before the hike. I decide to go to the notch and hopefully see him in the gully. Adam and I start downclimbing and midway down to the notch I hear Anton yelling my name. I am relieved to find him and we make our way down together, stopping briefly to talk to climbers at Iceberg Lake.
5:45 PM: Trailhead
Back at the portal the crowds are gone. The sun is behind the mountain but it is still warm. I get ready for the ride down and ask Anton to drive behind me so I do not have to worry about speeding cars not seeing me. It goes smoothly and we cruise at 40-50mph. It is a bit cold and hard to see in the shade, but once we hit the sunny portion, it is a blast.
6:20 PM: Lone Pine
Anton tries to get a celebratory beer at the Mt. Whitney restaurant as I pack the bike and change. He comes out with a bag of fries instead! We are laughing at the fact that you cannot even buy a beer in that place without ordering food. I must admit though that the fries were the best I ever had.
11:05 PM: Park and Ride, San Diego
The drive back is easy on a Saturday night. No traffic and just a few stops to get food and drinks. We are back at the Park and Ride in San Diego. What a day!
Have fun out there and be safe,
Andre
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Complete stats:
San Diego (Rancho Penasquitos / I-15 Park and Ride) 3:30AM
Lone Pine (395 / WhitneyPortal Rd junction) 7:30AM
Big switchback 8:48 AM
Arrive to Whitney Portal 9:15AM
Depart Trailhead 9:45AM
North Fork Split 10:00AM
Lower Boyscout Lake 10:50AM
Upper Boyscout Lake 11:30AM
Iceberg Lake 12:30 PM
Just above the notch of MR Gully 1:55 PM
Top 2:10 PM
Depart Top: 2:40PM
Notch: 2:50PM
Iceberg Lake: 3:50PM
Ledges: 5:05PM
Trailhead: 5:45PM
Lone Pine (395/Whitney Portal Junction) 6:20PM
San Diego (Poway Rd / I-15 Park and Ride) 11:05PM
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Biking Time and elevation from Lone Pine to Whitney Portal: 1:45 (~12 miles, ~4600 vertical ft, HC)
Hike (Whitney Portal to Mt. Whitney): 4:25 (~6 miles, ~6200 verical ft)
Total time from Lone Pine to the top (bike+hike+any stops/transitions): 6:40 (~10800 vertical ft)
Portal to Portal (C2C): 8:00
Lope Pine to Lone Pine: 10:50
San Diego to San Diego: 19:35
More photos:
