Between semesters, I secured a permit that let me start at Cottonwood Pass/Horseshoe Meadows and exit via Whitney Portal. As the start date began to draw near, I turned my attention to the forecast. Unfortunately, the forecast for the first couple of days didn’t look good and was trending in the wrong direction. My plan was to leave San Diego early in the morning, drive to Lone Pine, park at the long-term parking lot that is run by the Chamber of Commerce, grab a sandwich, then take a shuttle up to Horseshoe Meadows. However, that would have meant starting my hike just as the predicted weather began to unfold. Hiking up and over a mountain pass is the last thing I wanted to do. I kept checking the forecast and talking with friends who have more backpacking experience. I know afternoon showers/thunderstorms are common in the Sierra in the summer, but this was more than I wanted to deal with. So I canceled the permit. However, another permit became available for Friday! I hopped on it as fast as I could. I made one small change: I added an overnight at Outpost Camp, just in case I needed to stop before I reached Whitney Portal. The rest of the trip remained the same.

Day 1: Horseshoe Meadows to Chickenspring Lake

I tossed my backpack and a change of fresh clothes for after into the car and set off in the pre-dawn toward Lone Pine. After a gas stop at Costco and breakfast from McDonald’s, I had little traffic as I drove northward. After picking up a sandwich from Jersey Mike’s, I then stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to pay my parking fee ($5/day). I met my shuttle driver next door at Elevation. If you’re looking to hire, text Daniel at 970-291-3980. We made the 40-minute drive up to Horseshoe Meadows. His partner, Daphne, is a photographer in Lone Pine with an amazing eye. We could see the effects of the rainstorm by the streaks of dirt running across the road. At the trailhead, I found a picnic bench to have my lunch. A couple from the Netherlands came over and asked if I was planning to use this site. I told them I was just borrowing the table, and they were free to start setting up their tent. We chatted a bit about our upcoming hikes. They were doing a section of the John Muir Trail (JMT). After I finished lunch, I bid them good luck and wandered over to the actual trailhead. I had backpacked up to Chickenspring Lake before, so I knew what the 4.5 miles had in store for me.

I cruised past the meadow, then over the creek before really starting to make my climb up Cottonwood Pass. I could tell the difference in my ability between my previous time and this one. Once at the pass, I took a break and soaked in the views to the east. I was now hiking northbound on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) toward Chickenspring Lake. Once there, I scouted a few campsites before finding one I liked. The forecast did have 10-15 mph winds, so I wanted something with some shelter. I even brought my REI QuarterDome tent to handle it better. As the sun began to sink, I ate my Chicken Tikka Masala from Bowl and Kettle while enjoying the view of the lake. I settled in for the evening, enjoying a chapter in my audiobook.

Day 2: Chickenspring Lake to Rock Creek

I woke around dawn and had my oatmeal and some hot coffee. Thankfully, the wind stopped at sunset and the entire night was peaceful. I broke camp and set off toward Rock Creek. The trail first climbed a bit, but it offered nice views of the lake, and I could easily see the campsites on the west side. For the next 9 or so miles, I mostly descended. One section was a bit sandy, but the recent rains made it a tad less loose.

 I took a short break for some snacks and electrolytes at about the 4-mile mark. Along the way, I could see various campsites that PCTers probably use. The challenge for me was that there was no water between Chickenspring Lake and Rock Creek, so I had almost 3 liters on me.

From time to time, I would meet some southbound PCTers (SOBOs). Some were section hiking, while others had started at the Canadian border. As the miles ticked away, I started to feel the effects of the day. I walked into Rock Creek, found a shady site, and made camp. I found a nice spot to have lunch, listening to the creek flow by. I was a bit concerned about my legs. This was also how I felt last year up here. Rock Creek was also my Go/No-Go point. If I continued, I was committed to hiking at least to Trail Junction, as I didn’t have enough food to turn back from Guitar Lake. A ranger station was here, and it was staffed. The ranger came by and checked my permit. We chatted about my situation, and he suggested that I try hiking up Guyot Pass in the morning. It is just under a mile, and I would probably know how my legs were doing. If they felt good, continue on. If not, he said to turn back and head to Soldier Lake instead of Chickenspring Lake. All the sites are on a peninsula, and it is closer as well. He also said I might be able to try for Mt. Langley instead. That gave me some solid options and lifted my spirits. I chatted with two hikers from the Czech Republic who were starting the JMT, and a gentleman from LA who was also doing the same route as me. I ate my dinner, stored some things in the bear locker, and drifted off to sleep.

Day 3: Rock Creek to Guitar Lake

I woke the next morning feeling pretty good, so I knew that I had just not drunk or eaten enough the day before. Since I was mostly descending, I incorrectly took it too lightly, forgetting the altitude and heavy pack. Another adjustment I made was to turn on announcements from my tracker to help keep me at a measured pace.

I crossed the creek without incident. Videos I watched from early-season PCTers showed them making a traditional water crossing. The trail wastes no time in beginning its climb. Thankfully, this trail is stock-graded, so it never became too bad. At the pass, I took a break and knew my journey would continue toward Mt. Whitney. However, I want to look at Soldier Lake for a future trip.

Today’s hike would have me steadily climbing first toward Crabtree Meadow, then onto Guitar Lake. More SOBOs passed me as I hiked along. I started to feel a bit off as I drew near Crabtree Meadow. I finally pulled out my phone to see how much farther I had to go, or whether I had my lunch here. I was close enough, so I pushed on and promised myself a longer break.

Before I made my lunch, I started filtering water. Unlike the day before, I had much more access to water and carried less today. But I wanted to make sure I stayed hydrated, and I was getting higher and higher, so I needed to keep drinking. I sat by a bear locker and ate my lunch under the shade of a tree. After lunch, I stashed my pack in the locker and used the “famous” Crabtree toilet.

Now my path would transition from the PCT onto the JMT. I had another 3 miles to reach Guitar Lake, my destination for the night. What’s interesting is that PCT hikers have to camp here, while JMT hikers or permit holders like me are allowed to continue. I also started to feel more of the altitude as I left the tree line behind. As I stared eastward, I began to see what tomorrow’s challenge looked like. I didn’t want to camp at Guitar Lake proper, but about 1/2 mile farther was a small tarn where I hoped to find a camp spot and water. As I reached it, I found an incredible spot and the tarn still held plenty of water. To my east stood Mt. Whitney. The reality of tomorrow’s hike was staring me in my face. A few others camped nearby, and I joined them for dinner with my Crawfish Etouffée, again from Bowl and Kettle, and chatted about our plans for the next day. I had decided I wasn’t going for a sunrise summit. Instead, I wanted to see the basin in the morning light and not worry about hiking the rocky trail under my headlamp. They said they were going to try for sunrise and would try to be quiet. I let them know I am partially hearing impaired, so no worries. Some clouds had drifted in, so I decided not to even try for any astrophotography.

Day 4: Mt. Whitney

I did hear them a bit, and the flash of headlamps passing by disturbed me, but I drifted back to sleep. I still wanted an early start, and my alarm went off at 4. I ate some oatmeal, filtered more water, and packed up. Like day 2, most of today’s hike would be dry, so I had a full water load on my back. While I was finishing filtering my last liter, I forgot to adjust the filter, and it was flowing extremely slowly. I opted to just strap the CNOC bag to the top of my pack and worry about it later. I glanced east and saw the glow of headlamps making their way toward the summit. In a few hours I hoped to be following in their footsteps.

Today’s hike could be broken into three parts: the 2.5 mile climb to Trail Junction, the 1.9 miles to the summit (and the 1.9 back to Trail Junction), and finally the long descent to Whitney Portal. Unlike my friends Rick and Andrea, who inspired this route for me, they didn’t exit via the portal; they hiked all the way back to Horseshoe Meadow. That meant they were going to leave all their backpacking items at Guitar Lake. Since I was going up and over, my pack was full. My plan was to pull out my pack liner and any gear I didn’t need for the summit push and leave it at Trail Junction. This is a very common practice. I adjusted my packing order to make this process easier.

The morning was cold, and a bit of a breeze blew as I set off under my headlamp. I wore a thermal layer under my pants, a beanie, a base layer, a fleece, and my puffy. I tucked away my regular sun gloves and wore full gloves to keep my fingers warm. The trail quickly started climbing, and I soon tucked the puffy into my pack. Water flowed on the trail in several sections, but was never deep enough to soak my shoes or socks.

Thankfully, the trail eased, and my anxiety did as well. Daylight began to spread across the basin, and I turned my headlamp off and stowed it. The clouds were a pink cotton candy, while the mountains had the alpenglow. The trail kept climbing; switchbacks carried me ever closer to my first milestone.

At Trail Junction, packs were scattered along the trail. I found a spot and pulled out my liner. I took a short break, but wanted to keep moving toward the summit. My pack felt almost weightless on my back. All I carried was my filtered water, snacks, and my safety gear.

As I made my way northward, the views to my west were stunning. I could see the tarn where I camped, as well as Guitar Lake. The trail to the summit was rocky, and I had to watch myself as I slowly pushed on. I met the folks I had dinner with on their descent. Soon I came to the windows, gaps between the needles. These sections are very exposed. Thankfully, the wind was light, and I had no issues crossing them. But I certainly could see where this could pose a problem for some. This was also the first time I could really see the eastern side. Way below me was Trail Camp, Consultation Lake, and the rest of my exit route. But no time to focus on that; I still had a summit to achieve.

Soon, I left the needles behind and headed onto the slope that would lead me to my destination. Before long, the Smithsonian Hut came into view, and I knew I had made it! I stopped in the hut for a moment, then went out onto the summit edge. I slipped off my pack and soaked in the view. I was now standing on the highest point in the lower 48! A few others were here, and I got my photo holding one of the metal signs.

I inspected the various benchmarks before settling down for a snack. It was a bit surreal to be here. The weather was almost perfect, just a light breeze, cool but not cold, and hardly a cloud in the sky. After about 45 minutes, I decided to head down, as I still had a long descent ahead of me. I signed the register and said my goodbyes. I thought of my sister and wished I could have shared this with her; her memorial patch would have to do.

Now it was my turn to step aside as hikers made their way up. Once back at Trail Junction, I repacked and had another snack. I still had enough water, and in a couple of miles access to more, so I dumped the liter of dirty water I had carried up. Unfortunately, leaving Trail Junction had a short climb to Trail Crest. Did this section hurt! After carrying a light pack for the past few hours, all that weight felt like it magically doubled. Thankfully, the Trail Crest sign came into view and marked the end of this torture. I was also entering the “Whitney Zone”. This is a section of Inyo Forest that requires a special permit. Since I had selected Whitney Exit, I could enter. 

Just past Trail Crest is when the famous 99-switchbacks begin. I opted not to count them and trusted someone else had done it for me. I passed the cables, which are about halfway down. This section of the trail has an overhang and often keeps snow and ice well into summer. That was not an issue today. I also passed the spring that was still flowing across a portion of the trail. If I was coming up from the Portal, I would have kept my water load lighter and filled here. I was in good shape water-wise, and continued on down. I had already shed all my top layers and even switched back to my lighter sun hoodie.

t the end of the switchbacks, I found some shade and took a break. I finally took off my lower layer, too. I passed through Trail Camp and a few tents were scattered about. I turned back and looked back up the switchbacks, the needles, and toward the summit. The fact I was just there had not fully registered. The trail was still pretty rocky, so I was having to watch my footing, especially with a backpack. Unfortunately, I misstepped and took a slight tumble. I scraped up my left palm and pinky (and a bit of pride). I was starting to feel a bit beat, and this didn’t help. I was also getting concerned about exactly when I might reach Whitney Portal and be able to get a hitch down to Lone Pine. My shuttle driver worked the second shift and couldn’t pick me up. So I decided to stay at Outpost Camp. I had included it in my permit, so that wasn’t an issue. While I didn’t have a proper dinner left, I had planned for plenty of snacks I could use earlier if needed. I found a spot off the trail, and quickly set up.

I quickly got the water filtering and relaxed, reflecting on the day. The high cliffs made satellite comms troublesome, but I updated Anita and confirmed the shuttle. I finished the movie I had been watching and then turned in. Soon after midnight, the first glow of headlamps bounced by. Day permit hikers were beginning their journey. Around 5, I woke up and broke camp. I still had about 3.8 miles to go and hoped to reach the Portal store for their famous pancake. My shuttle was scheduled for 9, so I should be in good shape.

Day 5: Outpost Camp to Whitney Portal

I had hiked this far before several years ago, and it was starting to come back. The trail became less rocky, and I cruised along. I passed some backpackers starting their hike up to Trail Camp and some day hikers who didn’t want to start in the dark. I crossed the logs and knew that the end was coming soon. Although I could see the road for a while, the parking lot finally peeked out from under the trees.

As I passed under the trestle, I had completed my trek. After a stop at the facilities, I walked off to the Portal Store ready to order breakfast, only to discover they open at 9! I guess I’ll try the Alabama Hills Café later. I had a little signal and called Anita while I waited for the shuttle. I had some more snacks as I sat outside. Soon Daniel pulled up, and we headed down the hill. We chatted about being a shuttle driver, among other things. He dropped me off at the parking lot, and I thanked him for his help. Not worrying about a bear getting into my car at either trailhead made the cost worth it. I tossed my pack into the car and changed into some clean clothes before heading over for breakfast. I also stopped by the Chamber of Commerce and paid for the extra day. After a delicious meal, I turned the Outback south onto the 395 and headed home. While the trip had a challenge or two, I overcame them and finally summited Mt. Whitney!

Section	Mileage	Elevation Gain	Elevation Loss
Horseshoe Meadow to Chickenspring Lake	4.45	1,329	11
Chickenspring Lake to Rock Creek	9.53	315	2,111
Rock Creek to Guitar Lake	10.2	2,838	823
Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney	4.06	2,674	26
Mt. Whitney to Outpost Camp	5.89	95	4,065
Outpost Camp to Whitney Portal	3.81	0	2,027
	37.94	7,251	9,063

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