Summit Mt. Whitney - Weekend Trip

Going with a big group and towards the colder end of the season (first weekend of October), we decided to split the hike into three days, camping two nights, over a weekend.

Mt. Whitney is located in the lower Sierra Nevadas, west of Lone Pine. Overnight hikers AND day hikers hiking above a certain elevation require permits through the Inyo National Forest (more info can be found on their website). 

On Friday, we arrived at Whitney Portal, the trailhead (8,365ft), and set out for Outpost Camp (3.8 miles @ 10,355ft) around noon. We arrived at 3pm, unpacked our loads and prepped to summit the next day. 

We left camp at 5am Saturday morning (the sunrise was rad) and reached the summit at 1pm (~7.2 miles from camp & reaching 14,508ft, according to my souvenir hat). From Outpost to the summit, you hit Trail Camp before embarking on 99 switchbacks up the front of the range. As you near the top, the trail leads to the backside then heads across, northbound, for roughly 2 miles until you reach the peak of Mt. Whitney. 

At the top, there is lotsa space for pictures, a little shed and an "I made it, Ma!" log to sign.

We descended back to Outpost Camp, arriving at about 6pm, and spent the night again. The next day, Sunday, we finished the descent to the Trailhead and some BOMB burgers at the Whitney Portal Store.

It was VERY windy and cold when we went in October! Woke up to icy creeks and frozen toes. Layers were a necessity, along with lots of water (there are a few spots to get water so long as you have a filter). 

It isn't entirely necessary to break up the hike over a couple days, but I would recommend it for anyone who is fit, but not wanting to sprint up the mountain.