Talk:Mount Whitney Trail

Old comments

I added a link to a geocities page about a Mt. Whitney Hike.

I thought the link was useful. The automated link killer didn't like the fact that it was a geocities link and deleted it.

I wrote the page in question, so there is a conflict and if somebody else doesn't think the link is appropriate I'll accept that.

76.91.89.150 (talk) 04:52, 20 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Move to Mount Whitney Trail

I will move this article to a new page with "Trail" capitalized. This is the proper name of a formally recognized and maintained trail. The "T" in "trail" should be capitalized. Let me know if there is another way to accomplish this.User:Cullen328 (talk) 01:36, 26 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I agree - it's a proper noun. The right way to do this is with the "move this page" link. If you're not sure, I can do it. Will Beback talk 02:15, 26 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Will. I tried that and it wouldn't go through. I posted it on the appropriate page and it happened. Still learning the ropes! User:Cullen328 (talk) 05:34, 27 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Weather

The article now says "Common advice is to be off of the peak by noon during the summer monsoon season, between June and mid-September." I would like to see a reference for this, as I have not seen this in writing, and I don't think that Wikipedia should pass on uncited "common advice". User:Cullen328 (talk) 05:53, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have no idea how to document this but it is common local knowledge during 'monsoon' conditions. I would give 2:00 pm as a more firm turn-around time under 'monsoon' conditions. Another rule of thumb is that if from the summit you can see lightning anywhere on the Sierra Crest to clear the peak. While watching a lightning storm ten miles away, a hidden lightning storm from the Owens Valley can roll over you on the Whitney summit in minutes. Whitney is a big pussycat as a rocky hike but lightning can kill by direct strikes and the summer hail can ice up the trail on descent. Some years no one is killed; some years multiple deaths occur due to the hike. Seki1949 (talk) 02:45, 4 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The point is that content on Wikipedia needs to be supported by references to what reliable sources say, and "common local knowledge" has no place here unless reliable sources describe that common knowledge. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 06:30, 4 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I just left the comment on the Talk page with no intent or suggestion that it belongs on the main page. It's useful information on the talk page.Seki1949 (talk) 01:44, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know if this qualifies as a valid source: https://www.timberlinetrails.com/WhitneyTrail.html

"But if the weather looks threatening or if lightening is a threat, you need to vacate the summit immediately. Do not take refuge in the summit hut. There is no protection from lightening in the hut. You need to get down as fast and safely as possible if a storm is a possibility. The fact is, if you see a storm approaching and you are on your way to the summit, you need to turn back, no matter how close the summit may be. It is not worth your life."

FWIW, I just did a news archive search and it appears that the last death caused by lightning on Whitney was in 1990, when a bunch of people took shelter in the hut and it was hit. (His family won a lawsuit against the government and now there are big signs telling people not to go into the hut in a storm.) Falls and heart attacks seem to be the more common causes of death. However this isn't a how-to guide or an advice column. We might note deaths, but we shouldn't recommend starting or turn-around times. Will Beback talk 08:03, 4 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I have seen people bunched up inside the hut during an electric storm. My reference to deaths applies to the trail (This article is about the trail) and not just the summit area. Most deaths happen due to exposure on the way down after a storm as the trail ices up lower down preventing exit to Whitney Portal. I am aware of the death of a father and son from exposure near Guitar Lake several years ago. Not sure what archive you searched but the Bakersfield Californian or the Visalia Times-Delta might cover incidents not covered by the LA Times. Again I agree, this is not material for the main article. Just good advice: If you see lighting anywhere from the summit, start down at a measured pace.Seki1949 (talk) 01:44, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It'd be fine, and even worthwhile, to list reported deaths. We do that already on Half Dome, for example. Will Beback talk 01:56, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Whitney Portal and trail in popular culture

The 1941 film High Sierra, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino, is set in part at Whitney Portal and features a car chase up the Whitney Portal Road.
The 1954 film The Long, Long Trailer, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is also set in part along the Whitney Portal Road.

I removed the above text from this article. It has nothing to do with the trail. --Justin (talk) 14:27, 29 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Is it 97 or 99 switchbacks? Both appear in the article

Depends on how you count; there is no "objective" answer. We could just say "lotsa switchbacks".Seki1949 (talk) 19:48, 21 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]