Mt. Whitney Trail

– Whitney Portal to the Summit –

Miles

Days

Summit Elevation (Feet)

About the Mt. Whitney Trail

Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48, lies in the Sierra Nevada range near Lone Pine, California. Climbing Mt. Whitney is on many hikers’ bucket lists because of it’s monumental elevation and non-technical climbing route. This peak held a bonus for me though as it’s also the highest point for California and would allow me to summit my 36th state high point.

Before climbing Mt. Whitney, hikers must first obtain a coveted permit from the U.S. Forest Service. This task was much harder than I’d anticipated. My orignal permit for May 2020 was cancelled due to the global pandemic, and then I wasn’t selected to participate in the 2021 permit lottery. Yet, with a little luck, a lot of persistance, and some fortutious timing, I was able to score myself a permit for an overnight trip on the Mt. Whitney Trail.

May is normally quite early in the season to hike to Mt. Whitney’s summit. However, 2021 was a lower snow year so I was able to make it happen (and narrowly avoid a late season snow storm by just a matter of hours!).

The route to the summit begins at Whitney Portal (8,360′). From there, the Mt. Whitney Trail ascends for 11 strenuous miles, including up the infamous 97 switchbacks. At the end of the trail hikers are met with epic panoramic views and the Mt. Whitney Hut.