Mt. Whitney Summit 2023 | Backpacking from Horsehoe Meadow to Whitney Portal

AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/activity-august-15-2023-7eacb53?u=i&sh=yiuvox

Brief recap: We acquired permits early in the year. It took some persistance, but we finally got them. This is the hardest part!

We monitored weather and snow conditions in the days leading up to the trip. Lingering snow in some areas made us decide to rent crampons and ice axes from Sage to Summit in Bishop, Ca. We found some local snow slopes where we could practice self arresting. Turns out we didn’t need the gear but it was better to have it than not.

We drove from Reno to Horseshoe Meadows and camped at the trailhead there in the backpacker’s camp ($6 per site). We set off the following morning.

Pretty much this entire route is at an elevation over 10,000′, so fatigue and lack of appetite were always a factor. None of us really suffered acute altitude sickness, however. Staying hydrated and taking ibuprofen probably helped.

Mosquitoes were present, but not horrendous. Probably a 3 or 4 out of 10 in terms of severity.

There were a few water crossings to contend with. Since this was a record snowfall year it’s hard to know if they would be present in normal years in mid-August.

Getting to the summit of Mt. Langley is a side trip that is not necessary, but since it’s right there we decided to give it a go. The descent from Langley to our campsite at Rock Creek involved some route-finding and bushwhacking. The campsite was actually pretty nice and even included a bear box.

We started the Whitney Summit very early to mitigate the risk of thunderstorms and since we knew it would be a long day. It was a wise choice. The descent is very long and rocky. We were comfortable crossing the snow fields with poles and boots, but others might feel more comfortable with spikes or crampons. We camped at Whitney Portal for one night after we finished and drove home the next day.

Whitney Portal has a gift shop / cafe where they serve burgers, fries, pancakes, coffee, etc…

Intro: (0:00)
Day 1 – Horseshoe Meadow to High Lake: (1:46)
Day 2 – High Lake to Rock Creek Lake: (8:38)
Day 3 – Rock Creek Lake to Crabtree Meadows: (15:59)
Day 4 – Crabtree Meadows to Guitar Lake: (23:37)
Day 5 – Guitar Lake to Whitney Portal: (28:31)