[pct-l] SoBo from Whitney Section Hike

[Paint Your Wagon]

Spring... 
calendar spring, 
or climate spring? 
Depends on the winter snow dump too. 
Hmmm...

I’ll start by addressing the desire to reach Crabtree Meadow, 
in the spring: 
I haven’t done it, 
or even been there in the spring, 
so if I were to tackle such a task, 
I would undergo a winter survival training camp of some kind, 
for obvious reasons.

>>> Murphy’s Law. <<< 

Back in 2012, 
I spent one fine October night sleeping on the ground at 11,000’, 
in a makeshift lean to / shelter that I had built out of branches broken off of a recently fallen conifer, 
clothed in my rain suit and winter coat. 
I had made the decision to slack pack up Whitney from the back side, 
leaving my tent and sleeping bag at Crabtree Meadow, 
arriving fashionably late atop Whitney at 3:30 pm. 
Passing Timberline Lake on my way down Whitney at 8 pm, 
I then managed to lose the trail on a large granite slab. 
After searching for the trail unsuccessfully for over two hours, 
I made the decision to stay put and wait for the sun to rise.
It didn’t help my state of mind one bit, 
that I had just encountered four animals with eye sockets spaced as far apart, 
as any that I had ever encountered while out on the trail at night.
Talk about something to stimulate the imagination, 
while lying on the ground just down the trail from said encounter!
Upon gaining daylight, and to my total chagrin and completely utter surprise, 
I found that I was hunkered down within about twenty five feet of the trail.
       
Getting there is half the fun, 
so there’s the Independence to Onion Valley to the PCT way, 
or Lone Pine to Whitney Portal to Trail Crest / JMT Trail to Crabtree Meadow to the PCT way, 
which is obviously- 
the most direct route. 
You indicated Lone Pine, 
as your point of embarkation, 
so forget the Independence starting point I mentioned. 

Unless I had already hiked dozens of miles over snow covered terrain that obscured the trail, 
requiring me to navigate by the seat of my pants using a compass and a map, 
I’d pass on the Whitney / Crabtree route. 
Why yes, yes I am a big baby. 
Plus, 
I’d prefer hiking at least once with a partner in said conditions, 
so I wouldn’t go it alone the first time either.   

There’s a paved route out of Lone Pine that connects with Horseshoe Meadow / Campground, 
that is 22 miles in length. 
On the way up the big mountain you’ll pass by the De La Cour Ranch. 
At this point, it’s 12 miles to the campground, and 10 miles back to Lone Pine. 
If the weather is bad (winter like) depending on the spring calendar date... 
the county road crew may have the gate positioned across the road preventing passage by vehicles. 
This would be indicative of worse weather ahead; 
likewise for the trail conditions farther up in elevation. 
However, one could road walk the 12 miles to the campground to access the trailheads. 
Of note: the road is built into the east side of the mountain 
so solar heating would create conditions unlike what you are likely to find on the top of, 
or on the west side of, the mountain. 

I walked 11 miles down the road in October of 2012... 
picked up by only the third vehicle to pass by me over the entire length of the walk / day; 
and which was at a point about one mile from the De La Cour Ranch. 
FYI: The campground’s water supply had been shut off but water was plentiful in the meadow. 

Horseshoe Meadow is at 10,000’, 
so it’s only a 385’ climb up to the PCT via Mulkey Pass Trail, 
and a climb of 486’ up to the PCT via Trail Pass Trail. 
Both trails are less than (approx.) two miles in length, 
with an easy grade out followed by a relatively short climb to the crest.

Cottonwood Pass Trail, 
on the other hand,  
is a climb of 1,100’, 
and is also reached via Horseshoe Meadow. 
The trail meanders through the meadow and forest climbing gradually, 
then abruptly rising via numerous classic switchbacks.

The elevations southbound, 
fluctuate up and down (pattern like) until the trail drops down into Monache Meadow, 
then it’s a gradual descent down to Kennedy Meadows. 
The up and down pattern continues from Kennedy Meadows to Walker Pass, 
bringing a hiker completely out of a high sierra environ. 

I do not have any information on said trail conditions in the spring, 
so my contributions are provided with a proverbial disclaimer / caveat. 
Too much coffee before posting!

Regarding the JMT : 
one can start at Lone Pine, 
and punch up over Whitney via the Portal, 
which is a classic NOBO start, 
but by starting at Kennedy Meadows and going north, 
the hiker gains some high sierra conditioning at elevation, 
which is sensible and highly recommended by yours truly. 

In 2012, 
I made all rookie mistakes, 
reaching Tyndall Creek. 
This year, 
I made all new mistakes, 
reaching Sonora Pass. 
I had a ball, 
and the suffering was glorious.

Good luck and go for it!!! 

Bottom line: 
the earlier you start, 
the more inclined I’d be to recommend Kennedy Meadows first, 
Horseshow Meadows second, 
and Whitney / Crabtree Meadows third.

You can start at any one of these locations, 
depending on the spring start date: 
just be prepared for a worst case scenario the higher up you start. 
They don’t call me Captain Obvious behind my back for nothing.
That’ll be two cents please.

At your service,  

Paint (Your Wagon)
PCT 2012, 2013