It is amazing how much the weather changes when you go from sea level to above 10,000 ft.
Right now the forecast is calling for 90 degrees in the Los Angeles area (yes still two weeks out, but I am looking at averages). Lone Pine, CA sits around 3000 ft above sea level and it will be in the mid 80s at this time. From Lone Pine I will travel to the trailhead called Whitney Portal which sits around 7800 ft above sea level. The weather at that elevation will be in the 70s and low 60s overnight.
The trail camp is only 6.3 miles from the trailhead but it sits around 12,000 ft above sea level. The weather should be in the mid 50s during the day and only dropping a few degrees overnight (surprisingly).
The trek to the summit will put me at the highest spot in the lower 48 states sitting around 14,505 ft above sea level (I say around because they keep measuring the mountain and it has grown from its original 14,496 ft measurement in the 1930s and some say it is at 14,508 ft now). The weather at this spot will be a cold mid 30s. Right now the wind patterns seem to keep it in the 5 to 10 mph range, but that could change very easily. The worst wind I have ever experienced was Guadalupe Peak in Texas which is only around 8700+ ft above sea level. I am not sure what was going on that day to make it that windy.
So with this weather it looks like I will need some long pants and my warm climbing jacket (North Face - on its last legs). This will be one of those climbs that I will have to put layers on as I go up and take layers off as I come down.
Great - more weight in the backpack. Plus I had to buy a bear resistant container so that adds more weight and bulk. The biggest weight will be the two days worth of water. I am pretty sure my pack will approach 50 pounds when all said and done. Nobody else to carry parts of the tent, food, and water. I will not have to carry all of the 50 pounds up to the top and through the 99 switchbacks. So I've got that going for me.
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