Mt. Whitney MR TR and conditions 7/3

[tinaballina]

NICE TR

[whitneyfan]

You were blessed with a nice clear day for a tough hike.

I climbed the MR 9/18/06 and there was still snow in the chute, and ice on the final 100 ft.

I'm surprised you started so early in the morning. I did not set foot onto the North Fork Trail until daylight. That trail is difficult to follow even in full daylight, I cannot imagine trying to navigate it with a flashlight.

I also took the main trail down, but since I summited after 3pm I did not make it back to the Portal until 10 pm.

Note to prospective MR hikers...
If you summited Whitney taking the Main Trail and think the MR will be faster because it is less than half the distance, think again.
Both routes took me 16 hrs. including rests and lunch.