Mt. Whitney, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Hike it in October and the weather was amazing!. Got to trail camp first day and camp. Started out about 7.00 a.m. next morning made to the summit around 1 pm. Made it back to trail camp and I stay the night. Awesome hike!!!

Very fun hike, but not recommended without some training. That being said, the scenery on My Whitney changes quite a bit, it's very beautiful. I have done this hike three times now. Each time with full pack, doing a three day hike. In my opinion, it's the best way to enjoy the mountain. You can daypack it, but that seems brutal to me. Of course some daypackers probably think it's crazy doing it with full packs. We hike 6 miles up and stay overnight at Trail Camp. Then we daypack the following day to the peak and back down to camp. Bear cannisters are highly recommended so the critters do t get into your food at night, or anytime you turn your back for that matter. Of course, it's always important to carry up a Mountain Dew to have at the top of peak, it's tradition for us!

My hiking partner Bill and myself have done Mount Whitney twice over the past year. The first was the 22-mile day hike from the Whitney portal which was grueling. It was a 14-hour day and thank goodness we started at 2AM. The heat is brutal here and the exposure time in the sun is insane. Bring tons of food and water and a water filter to rehydrate. We both blew through over 140 ounces of water on the day hike. We also hiked the Cottonwood Pass to Whitney Portal route over 3 days which was also brutal in its own right. Again, plenty of food, water, water filtration supplies, and a bear box is all needed in addition to other essentials of backpacking overnight. Both of the routes were exhausting but I think we enjoyed the overnight hiking much more than the straight day hike. Get in shape before you do this mountain, it's no joke and it's dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. We loved it and will probably do it again just for the physical, mental, and emotional drain of the hike. The top of Mount Whitney looks like something straight out of Lord of the Rings, it's amazing!!

A climb I highly recommend. This mountain requires some serious training, understanding of the trail and use of proper gear before attempting a summit. It’s not a normal day hike in the woods and could lead to serious injury or death if not properly prepared. With that being said, the entire experience is very worth it. You will be rewarded with some spectacular views.

The trail to the highest mountain in the mainland US 48 states starts at El portal campground. It is strenuous and requires permits. One way distance is approximately 14 miles with the last 1-2 miles basically loose rock and coincides with John Muir trail. Will see panoramic views of Sequoia NP. Can be done in a day or split over 2 days. Will really recommend doing it over 2 days.