2. Eastern Sierra

Whitney Trail 2007-2008

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  • For Mount Whitney day-hikers, the orange light of dawn on the Sierra crest above Trail Camp is often the irresistible first photographic opportunity of the day. The image runs nearly to Trail Crest on the left to the shadowed shoulder of Wotan's Throne on the right. Mount Muir is the highest (but not the most prominent) peak on the skyline. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988420-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
  • When the sun rises above the horizon, the granite turns back to white. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988443-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
  • The Main Mount Whitney Trail climbs from the tents at Trail Camp past the two recent frontal moraines shown in the middle of this image. On the second moraine the trail swings left toward the cables while the old stock trail heads directly up the scree slope below Trail Crest. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988448-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
  • As the trail climbs the switchbacks, Mount Russell pops into view over the intervening Pinnacle Ridge. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988465-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
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  • This is Trail Camp viewed from the switchbacks. The lake is the last reliable water along the Mount Whitney Trail. (The higher springs and snow are seasonal.) In 2007, the dry preceding winter led to low stream flows, warmer than usual water temperature and greater than usual algae growth. By mid-September, flocks of ouzels and water pipets gathered to feed in the shallows on the population of invertebrates that fed on the algae. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988501-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
  • Higher on the switchbacks, more details on the east ridge of Mount Russell come into view. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988512-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
  • From high enough on the switchbacks, Mount Carillon joins the east ridge of Mount Russell behind the intervening Pinnacle Ridge. <A HREF="http://dbdimages.smugmug.com/photos/200988527-O.jpg"TARGET="blank">View Larger Image</A> (And use your browser's zoom if necessary.)
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  • The summit of Mount Whitney can be recognized from the trail by the flat top with the stone building. The trail winds between towers and boulder fields for the last two miles along the ridge.
  • The southwest slopes of Mount Whitney are a huge boulder field. Rock motion from freeze-thaw cycling alters the slope and makes trail maintenance difficult. After wet winters, snow banks can cover portions of the trail here throughout the summer. After the dry winter of 2006/2007 no snow remains.
  • The summit of Mount Whitney and Keeler Needle lead hikers along the summit ridge trail.
  • Below the west side of Whitney, Whitney Creek drains into the Kern Canyon in the middle distance. The Kaweah Peaks Ridge forms the distant skyline.<br /> <br /> The Kern Canyon was formed by glacial ice, accumulated on the southern Sierra highlands carving an exit to the south.
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