One Best Hike: Mt. Whitney

First, a disclaimer: the only other book I read to prepare for my summit of Whitney was "Mountain Lore from the Whitney Store", written by the owner of the Whitney Portal Store. Other than that, I spent countless hours on the the Whitney Zone forums, as well as the message boards maintained by the Whitney Portal Store. I found both of the online options to be far more informative than this guidebook...and the forums are free.Pros:-This book thoroughly outlines training & acclimation before your climb, and has a great section on determining your group dynamics.-The packing list is excellent.-The "Hints" in the route section are very helpful.-The charts to help determine timelines for dayhikes are good.-The list of possible campsites, complete with GPS coordinates, is very thorough.Cons:-There are far too many pages wasted on the botany and geology of the area (20 pages out of a 132-page book).-My biggest beef: There is not enough specific information regarding the trail in the "The Hike Itself" section; the author recommends photocopying this section and carrying it with you on the hike, but it's filled with too much extraneous information to waste the weight in my pack. For instance, in Section 4, regarding the Outpost Camp to Mirror Lake section of the trail, the author wastes 8 whole lines with information about which plants are bordering the trail and their water needs. I would have preferred to be informed that the trail through this section is filled with stone steps, and many scattered rocks, so extra care should be taken to prevent falls/twisted ankles.-Water sources should also be included in the "The Hike Itself" section, rather than the superficial coverage elsewhere in the book.-The black & white photos in this book are nearly useless - they need to be in color to really discern what's going on in the picture.-A brief reminder/coverage of hiker etiquette would be helpful - possibly in place of some of those pages & pages of botany & geology? The basics would be sufficient: yielding to uphill hikers, being quiet when passing through camping areas, and taking care to not shine your headlamp where it's not wanted.-As a woman, I would have appreciated a bit more detail about what I could expect for taking care of bathroom needs.I could have saved the money I spent on this book and been just as well-prepared for my Whitney hike.

Used this and a couple of websites to prepare for a one-day hike up the Whitney trail. Success! The info and preparation tips were solid, paired with online (most current) information. The three warm-up hikes at altitude were good suggestions.ModernHiker.com has a great supplement for other information, including training hikes in months before your trek up to Whitney.Citizen beware: The government red tape and maddening multiple steps to get a day pass is a lesson in perseverance. Step one: Register for the lottery. Step two: accept your spot if you win. Step three: pay. Don't miss STEP FOUR: CONFIRM that you really, really want the pass you've already paid for two weeks-two days before you hike date. Step five: pick up your pass within two days of your hike. Miss any of these steps and you lose your spot.

I am planning on hiking Mt. Whitney with some friends next year and wanted to get some solid information on what I am in for. If you are a hiker with medium experience and none at this high of an altitude, you may have similar concerns as I did. I had questions about whether this would be a reasonable hike for me, what to take, what to do about water, what to do about going to the bathroom, where to camp, how to time the hike, how to obtain the permit to do the hike, etc. This book provided well-reasoned, experience-tested answers to all these questions and more. Now, assuming we get our permits, I'll see if the advice holds true! I'll update this review after the trip.

Great book loading with pertinent information. It tells you how to get into the Whitney lottery for a permit. If you're lucky enough to win a slot it tells you what airports to fly into and what roads to take to get to Mount Whitney. There is also information on nearby lodging and camping prior to your hike up the mountain, as well as where to camp on the mountain itself. Great book. Really enjoyed it!

This book is amazing. It contains all the information a person needs to successfully complete a hike up Mt. Whitney. Also information on the wildlife, plants ad surrounding areas. Clear, and concise. Get this book. Very interesting reading also. Can't wait to take this hike.

Helpful, although not much info on the mountaineering trail

It is a great book even thou the trimming and finishing is not the best and I couldn't read the last few lines of many pages.

Elizabeth has put a lot of thought into almost every detail of what a hiker, camper and nature lover needs to know out in this beautiful preserve. Certainly a must read for anyone who's thinking about the trek. Has been a godsend to the preparation for our climb at the end of July.