I needed an escape for some trying times at the end of OctoberI drove a borrowed car thru Tioga pass and 395 to arrive at Whitney camp at midnight. Wanted an earlier start, but 5am would have to do. Started on the Regular trail with a 20lb pack for the [expected] 22 mile, 6,000ft round trip. By sunrise @ 7am, I hit outpost camp (11K ft), and was moving well. 8:35 I hit trail camp, and noticed the clouds were getting thicker and darker. 9:30, well into the switchbacks, I had now talked to several people (~12) who were coming down, saying the route was impassible, due to snow drift.

The mountain had already been blanketed by snow from a few storms since September, and it is now very close to the end of the season. The Chute isn't usually open until late (December?), when few people go. Much like the 99 Switchbacks, it leads up to the Trail Crest, which sits atop what looks much like a 1,500 ft wall, when viewed from the trail camp. From Dec to June, the heavy snow covers the steep slope of boulders leading to the crest and the Chute can be a more direct (read: harder) path to the trail crest. It requires a lot of snow, good understanding of such snow, avalanche and self-rescue skills, crampons and ice axe, and endurance. So, back down the 450 ft of switchbacks I just hiked up, I cut over to an area where you would often find a path that was tracked by others. Not this time, but the snow is firm, well consolidated and homogenous, and there isn't much risk of shearing layers of avalanche.

I make it to the Trail crest by noon. If the clouds go west over the crest and intensify, I have to turn back. Definitely don't want to be on the exposed trail crest with storm clouds overhead. The first recorded death on Whitney was lightning strike, and many more since then. The top of my path up the chute was a bit far to the right and the rock was crappy and crumbly. I correct my path and I'm over the crest at 13,500ft and onto the trail.

Finally, onto the Summit. After carefully threading the sometimes narrow and icy trail in micro spikes for 2 miles, the Summit hut comes into view, with some clouds in the background. The summit has been the goal for 8 hours, but can't waste much time there. Post in the logbook, "enjoy" a quick snack... do what I came here to do, and head back down. Clouds seem stable, but persistent. Moving quickly and carefully, I get back to the Trail crest and waste a little time, before descending on what could have been an icy and slow descent. Thankfully, the overcast, freezing temp on the backside is also good for the chute. Since the snow didn't melt and refreeze, it turns out to be pretty good for glissading. So, I slid down the snow slope on my butt, carefully arresting my descent when it got sketchy. Outside of altitude sickness, unsafe glissading accidents make up a large part of the Whitney SAR team rescue operations. Fortunately, mine is smooth and controlled, and I'm on the trail for the long haul out.

That last part is always longest. The clouds prevent the full moon from really shining, but I'm still able to walk the final 2-3 hours in the ambient light--and not use my headlamp--except for creek crossings. Whitney was beautiful, under the moody glow, and the temperature was perfect as I passed a few tents and a single hiker. I did what I meant to do, safely, and made it back at around 10pm. My GPS devices failed at various points, but I estimate total distance was 20 miles and 7,000 ft total elevation gain. A long day.