AAI guide Mark Grundon called in to report that he and Jamie Campbell (of Katy Texas - outside of Houston) had just summited Mt. Whitney. They climbed the Mountaineers Route, and said conditions were terrific:
"This spring and early summer we've had a lot of issues with thunderstorms, but we had it perfect on this trip. Besides great weather, we had four or five inches of fresh snow. It was actually better than some parts of the winter. We had snow covered ground all the way from Iceberg Lake to the summit."
"The snow covered all the loose rocks, so it was very comfortable walking and climbing. The final pitch to the summit was boot pack - with great steps kicked and well frozen. It was a fun finish. Amazing views needless to say!"
He reported that they climbed from camp near Iceberg Lake to the summit and back again in about 9 hours. They left camp at 6:00 am and summited at 11:40. They had a nice break on top enjoying great views of the Sierra high peaks before descending to camp where they arrived at 3:00pm.
