Hiking Mt Whitney's North Fork trail (mountaineering route)

(Copyright © 2003-2013 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions)
If you would like to purchase the original, high-resolution pictures, contact me

Notes of this trip
This is not the main Mount Whitney trail.

Highlights

From start to end

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them | If you have a high-speed connection, click here for larger pictures)

Mt Whitney above the North Fork route from the road
Mt Whitney and the North Fork from the road
The waterfall at Whitney Portal
The parking lot

The trailhead of the mountaineering route
Getting to the trailhead of the mountaineering route
Getting to the trailhead of the mountaineering route
Getting to the trailhead of the mountaineering route
Getting to the trailhead of the mountaineering route

The trailhead of the mountaineering route
The trailhead of the mountaineering route
The trailhead of the mountaineering route

If instead you took the regular trail, then turn right at this sign
There used to be this scary sign (replaced in 2008 by bureaucratic crap that threatens you with a huge fine and six months in jail if you hike this trail without a permit)
The "Ebersbacher Ledges" before the waterfall
The waterfall that you cross (actually three waterfalls)

Triple waterfall
Triple waterfall
Two hikers on the ledges and the overall route

Climbing the ledges: step 1 coast the headwall to the dead end
Climbing the ledges: step 1 coast the headwall to the dead end
The narrow notch to the tree

The narrow notch to the tree
Climbing the ledges: step 1 climb the rocks
Towards the tree
The tree

Step 2: the tree
Climbing the ledges: step 2 the tree
Climbing the ledges: step 2 the tree
Climbing the ledges: step 3 walk along the edge

Climbing the ledges: step 4 up
Climbing the ledges: step 4 up
Climbing the ledges: step 4 up
Climbing the ledges: step 4 up

Climbing the ledges: step 5 now you are safe
Beyond the ledges (picture taken from the other side before the triple waterfall)
Towards the Lower Boyscout Lake
Towards the Lower Boyscout Lake

The view below (Whitney Portal road)
Towards the Lower Boyscout Lake
Still a lot of elevation to the first lake but the first views of a peak (not Whitney and not Russell though)
The waterfall past the ledges before the first lake

The first view at dawn of Mt Whitney (all the way to the top right)
Mt Whitney sticking out from the distance and Mt Carillon high above
The route to Mt Whitney

First view of Whitney from the trail before the first lake
Mt Whitney
Mt Muir, the Keeler Needles and Mt Whitney

First views of Mt Whitney after the ledges and before the first lake
Owens Valley from the first lake

Flowers along the trail
Owens Valley from the first lake
Below the Lower lake
The sign before the lake crossing (turn left here)

View of the central falls and Whitney from the first lake
Ditto
The left falls from the first lake
Just past the first lake

The headwall to the right of the first lake
At the first lake

Crossing to the other side of the first lake
Crossing the lower lake
Crossing the lower lake
Lower Boyscout Lake

The vertical creekbed and the headwall to the right of the first lake
The central falls from above the first lake
The headwall to the right of the first lake from above the first lake
Said headwall

Towards the Upper Boyscout Lake
The lower lake from above
The trail to the upper lake

The pyramid on the trail
The pyramid (trail below it)
Almost at the central waterfalls

Almost at the central waterfalls
Almost at the central waterfalls
Mt Carillon in the distance
Lower Boyscout Lake from the Pyramid

View up from the Pyramid
Lower Boyscout Lake from the central falls
Well-marked route through the vegetation of the central falls
Well-marked route through the vegetation of the central falls

Well-marked route through the vegetation of the central falls
The route to Mt Russell from the central falls
The route to Mt Russell from the central falls
The leftside falls

The leftside falls
The way to the canyon before Upper Boyscout Lake
The way to the canyon before Upper Boyscout Lake
On the other side the route to Mt Russell

Upper Boyscout Lake and Mt Russell at the top
Upper Boyscout Lake
Looking down before entering the canyon
Leftside falls from above Upper Boyscout Lake

Almost at Upper Boyscout Lake: this is the pass towards the canyon
The wall of Mt Russell and Mt Carillon on the other side (below Upper Boyscout Lake on the northern side)
Click here for Mt Russell

The saddle to the left of Upper Boyscout Lake
A hidden lake further up to the left (seen from above, not en route)
The saddle
Lower Boyscout Lake from the saddle

Climbing to enter the canyon just before Upper Boyscout Lake
Climbing to enter the canyon just before Upper Boyscout Lake
First view of Whitney's east face
A cairn in white rock

Looking back into the canyon
Up the canyon Whitney's east face
Close-up of Mt Whitney
There are several use-trails inside the canyon

Mt Whitney
One trail is down there, one is up where i am standing
Looking back into the canyon
Mt Whitney

The other side of the canyon
The first black waterfall
The two black waterfalls
Mt Whitney

View of Owens valley from the canyon
The canyon
The canyon
The canyon

By the waterfall
By the waterfall
By the waterfall
Wildflowers

Whitney's face
Whitney's face (where the use trail starts)
Whitney's face
The canyon below Whitney's face

Mt Muir
The chute of Whitney is beginning to appear
The use trail runs on this side
Almost at Iceberg Lake

The top of Whitney
Mt Muir and the Keeler Needles
The use trail to the chute
Mt Russell beyond Iceberg Lake

Iceberg Lake
The canyon below
The canyon below

Iceberg Lake
Mt Whitneys face and the east chute from Iceberg Lake
Mt Whitney
Iceberg Lake

Mt Whitney
Beginning of the "switchbacks"
Ascending the chute
Mt Russell's blade

Mt Russell's blade
Mt Russell to the east (the Russell-Whitney pass is all the way to the left)
Iceberg Lake and Mt Carillon
The Russell-Whitney pass

Looking down the canyon
Mt Russell's southern chutes
Halfway up the gulley
Mt Russell's southwestern route

The chute above the "switchbacks"
The chute above the "switchbacks"
Mt Carillon and Iceberg Lake

Owens Valley
The lake in the canyon that you don't see when hiking up the canyon
The way up after the "switchbacks"
The rock that marks the entrance to the switchbacks when you are coming down

Halfway up
Halfway up
Looking down into the chute
Almost at the top

Top of the chute (south)
Top of the chute
Top of the chute
Mt Russell

Mt Williamson
End of the chute: the traverse in a year when it still had snow
The traverse in a year without snow
The traverse in a year without snow

Via the Chimney


On the left, instead, the chimney (year with snow)
The part of the chimney that is always icy
Most people like top traverse from the left side to the right side at this point

Lakes between Whitney and Russell
End of the chute and Mt Russell

Inside the chimney
Inside the chimney
Inside the chimney
Mt Russell

Lakes between Whitney and Russell
Inside the chimney
Inside the chimney
Inside the chimney

Looking down from the chimney
Looking down from the chimney
Looking down from the chimney
Inside the chimney

Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney

Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney

Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney
Up the chimney

Wales Lake and Mt Russell
The summit plateau
The place where to start the descent
The summit

Mt Whitney's chute from Mt Russell
Mt Whitney's chute from Mt Russell

Or via the traverse


The traverse
Looking back at the "gate", summit of the east chute
View north

View towards Mt Williamson
Cairns along the traverse

The west side of Russell and the Arctic Lakes
Looking back at the gate
View northeast

The gate down in the distance
Up the easiest route to the northern ridge
View north
The refuge at the summit 100 meters away

Click here for views from the summit

Going down the third chimney and the traverse


Towards the first chute
The first chute
The summit's house from the first chute
Going down the first chute towards the gate

Pinnacles that mark the first chute
The first chute and the gate at the bottom
The third chute
The third chute

Going down the third chute
Going down the third chute
Going down the third chute
Going down the third chute

Back at the gate
Climbers coming down the first chute

Click here for views from the summit

For historical purposes only: How it was before they improved it

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(Copyright © 2003 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions)
If you would like to purchase the original, high-resolution pictures, contact me