Here is a list of the training hikes we are planning for our trip to Mount Whitney. This training schedule starts from short, lower hikes and progressively gets longer and higher. The final training hike is 22 miles with 4000 elevation gain and gets to 11,500 feet. Not as much as Whitney but hopefully enough for us. The schedule is about 2 hikes a month leading up to the Whitney hike with individual training on the weekdays and weekends.

April – Santiago peak ( done ). see post

April – Timber Mountain ( done ) see post.

May 15 or 16 Modjeska Peak, Mt Wilson or Iron Mountain. The other peaks of interest, Cucamonga, Ontario still have too much snow to find the trail at higher elevations.

June 6 or 7 Baden Powell (near Wrightwood).

June 27 or 28 Mt Baldy – There is an East approach (Devils Backbone trail) and a South approach (ski hut trail) that both begin and end at the same trail head. So we could do one way up and one way down or make this two different hikes. The Devils Backbone is 13.5 miles with a 3800 elevation gain to the 10,000 foot summit. The ski hut trail is a shorter hike at 8.4 miles with a 3900 elevation gain..obviously a steeper climb

July 18 (Sat) Bear Flats hike up to Mt Baldy (we might want to switch this date with San Jacinto )..this is one of the toughest hikes in southern CA..my work buddy’s dad trained on it as prep for Mt McKinley, and he calls it a real ball buster, bar none! 12 mile hike with a 6000 foot elevation gain!

July 25 or 26 San Jacinto

Aug 9 (Sun) San Gorgonio (Vivian Creek Trail) another all day, ball buster hike
Note…this is the weekend of United Cup, but the timing is ideal as we need to hike this weekend, take a week off then hike Aug 22-23, take a week off and head to Whitney

Aug 22 or 23 San Gorgonio (Fish Creek Trail)

Sept 4 MT Whitney