In the months leading up to my permit date, I took any opportunity to hike — after work, early in the morning on weekends, you name it. I frequented easy-to-get-to trails such as Temescal Canyon, Los Liones, and Sandstone Peak, all in the Santa Monica Mountains, which offer sparkling ocean views as well as opportunities to train. Find your own go-to trails and hike at least three times a week.
Tackle big local peaks, like Mt. Wilson 5, feet high, The first lengthy day hike I attempted was Mt. Wilson Trail, up to the observatory, from Sierra Madre. Little Santa Anita Canyon offers plenty of stunning scenery and interesting historical markers to distract from the aching in your legs. Reaching Mt. Wilson Observatory felt like a real accomplishment, even though I knew there was more training ahead before hiking Whitney.
Though you can hike from Sierra Madre to Mt. Wilson Observatory by way of Little Santa Anita Canyon, some surrounding areas are closed due to damage from the Bobcat wildfire. Hiking Mt. Baldy may be a good alternative, once the snow melts. By the time I worked up to hiking Cucamonga Peak, which proved less crowded than nearby Mt.
Baldy, I felt like I was hitting my stride. Even during the final stretch of my climb to the summit, I found myself passing other hikers. Like Mt. Baldy, Cucamonga Peak is currently snowed over; wait until the snow melts. Free permits and Adventure Pass required. Then came the hike up San Gorgonio Peak.
But from the very start, I struggled to catch my breath and keep a decent pace. Especially difficult was the exposed, seemingly endless final mile to the summit. This is the closest in elevation gain and miles to what Whitney will feel like. The San Gorgonio Wilderness, which includes the peak, is closed because of the El Dorado fire but expected to open soon. I eventually made it to the top, with my confidence shaken.
But I can honestly say that no section of Whitney challenged me more than some parts of the hike to San Gorgonio Peak. My final training hike was on the day before I climbed Whitney. To get myself acclimated to the thin air, I arrived early the day before and spent several hours at Whitney Portal, at an elevation of 8,, and did a short hike up Mt.
Whitney Trail. Dan wrapped her knee in a bandage, and the three of us trudged on together. But they had never used either before. We came upon snow six miles in around a. Dan and I stopped to eat, hydrate, and ready our crampons, helmets, and ice axes to ascend the Chute. To reach it, we first had to traverse a snowfield. Several other people were also gearing up, and a few of them looked completely ill-equipped for the conditions.
I saw a guy wearing shorts and trail running shoes start making his way onto the snow and a woman with a tag still on her ice ax holding it backward and in the wrong hand while traversing. It felt as if everyone had raided an REI and landed here, posing as mountaineers.
As we inched closer to the bottom of the Chute, I looked up and watched in horror as three hikers toppled uncontrollably head over heels hundreds of feet down the degree, ice-covered slope, none able to self-arrest. That domino fall apparently spooked another woman, who fell separately moments afterward and tumbled down into rocks jutting out from the snow near the bottom of the Chute.
She suffered the worst injuries—major head trauma and a possible pelvic injury. When we arrived at the scene minutes later, fellow hikers were shouting assessments: One person had a broken arm, another was unconscious and bleeding badly.
As people tended to the injuries, Dan handed off his first-aid kit, and the two of us elected to head down the mountain to call for help. The person with the head injury would require a helicopter evacuation.
We soon encountered a hiker with a satellite messenger beacon and later ran into a volunteer search and rescue member on his way in to assist with the rescue.
Nearing the trailhead a couple hours later, we ran into a group of muscular guys with huge backpacks. He was attempting to buy crampons on his way up. In the end, the rescue, which took many hours, required 11 volunteer SAR members and a California Highway Patrol helicopter flying in dicey high-wind conditions.
I later spoke with two hikers who were among the first responders and saw the incident unfold up close. They said five people fell in a matter of minutes.
The hikers I spoke with, who asked not to be named, helped stabilize the injured with aid from a Coast Guard medic and a physical therapist who also happened upon the incident, in addition to countless other hikers who donated food, water, first-aid supplies, and spare clothing. They sat vigil for hours, wrapping the victims in sleeping bags and checking their vitals.
Two of the injured people were transported by helicopter and taken to the nearest trauma center. But I was told by one of the first responders that both patients have since been released from the hospital and are recovering. Even though 19, some hikers attempt Mt. Whitney each year, it is very much a challenging hike. Being the tallest peak in the lower 48 states, the altitude of this location presents special challenges. It is important to prepare and get acclimated to altitude changes ahead of time, perhaps by going on shorter hikes that also climb into higher altitudes.
Barring that or if you are prone to altitude sickness, it may also be prudent to try and get access to an overnight permit so that you can stay at one of the camps overnight, allowing yourself more time to get acclimated to the higher altitude.
Ah, the age old question of how to dispose of waste while out in the wilderness. Whitney trail and summit. A helicopter flew 4,lbs of waste off of the mountain each year!
Can you imagine?! Needless to say, none proved to be feasible solutions, so, in , hikers were asked to carry their own waste out in what are known as WAG bags which are included with your permit fee. These are basically large, glorified trash bags that hikers can do their business in and then carry back and deposit in the appropriate waste containers next to the bathroom at the trailhead.
Just remember to be smart: Check the weather for multiple altitudes, not just at the base of the mountain, go when conditions are favorable accidents do happen and there have been casualties in the off season , get in shape as much as possible in advance, and prepare yourself for altitude changes.
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