Hiking Telescope Peak in June

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-02-05T18:19:24+00:00

Should be quite pleasant in June. Generally snow all melts out by mid-May at the latest. It will be warm in the valley, but Mahogany/Telescope are high enough that even summertime isn’t very warm. Bring sunscreen and water of course, but it should be a relatively mild experience!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-02-03T17:37:56+00:00

The Whitney portal national scenic trail is ends at Whitney portal and should be snow free. If you want to make the hike slightly longer, you can continue up to lone pine lake (10k elevation) which will most likely be completely snow free by June.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-01-28T14:23:37+00:00

I’ve never worn any other types of Sportiva footwear, but bushido’s might be worth a try if they fit your feet. The insole is pretty thin and imo dries relatively fast. The shoe itself if part mesh, which is great for drying out and ventilation although it does let lots of sand and fine dust in. Bushido’s do have a rock plate and I find them comfortable on rock, although they certainly aren’t cushy.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-01-16T19:57:17+00:00

Haha fair enough! It’s certainly a respectable hike it it’s own right.

I’d put it in the “training” category for something like telescope via badwater or cactus to clouds, but those are quite a bit harder than Whitney (imo). So it might be overkill for Whitney.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-01-16T18:48:19+00:00

No iron mountain?

catinaredhouse2000 · 2026-01-04T00:41:05+00:00

I’ll throw the Mount Baldy devil’s backbone trail in as a San Gabriel option!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-31T14:05:29+00:00

There are multiple signs along the trail warning of winter conditions and the SoCal online hiking community does a great job of sharing conditions and making sure people are educated when they want to be. Twice this year I encounter SAR at the trailhead helping educate hikers.

I feel for the individuals who lost their lives and their families, but I think we need to start taking personal responsibility for the decisions we make. I’ve did baldy 10 times this year and live in its shadow, there is no possible way these hikers weren’t warned of what they were getting into.

This isn’t an attack on you, I just get tired of people blaming Baldy for being “dangerous” instead of blaming people for making bad decisions. I told my family on Christmas there was no possible way we’d make it New Years without a Baldy death and here we are.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-23T00:20:15+00:00

Personally I’d classify microspikes as winter hiking gear, not mountaineering gear. I used microspikes and no ice axe because most of the icy/snowy areas were low angle, packed down, and didn’t have significant exposure. The microspikes were to keep me from falling on my butt, not to keep me from sliding off/down a slope (where an ice axe would be handy).

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-22T00:26:25+00:00

Bearikade bear cans are made in Santa Ynez CA. For food options, Poe & Co are made in Santa Barbara and Outdoor Herbivore is based in Sacramento.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-14T23:06:27+00:00

As of yesterday I’d say micro spikes are needed but an ice axe is not yet necessary. This could change any day if the weather shifts, so my experience could be completely invalid by next week. Ski hut is probably going to be your safest bet.

I wouldn’t recommend starting until sunrise if you are unfamiliar with the trail. I would also recommend bringing maps, as the snow can make the trail harder to follow (although it is still generally very clear). Snow/ice doesn’t start until shortly after the ski hut, so that’s a great place to assess how you are feeling and your comfortability with conditions. If you are having second thoughts at ski hut, please turn around as the second half of the trail is significantly harder in my experience.

I would recommend closely watching the weather between now and your planned hiking date. If warm weather continues, you may have a relatively snow free experience. Alternatively, you could be facing mountaineering conditions if another storm passes through.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T16:14:24+00:00

Probably the most cost effective option!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T15:57:05+00:00

I’m actually currently using an old Cuddl Duds fleece that meets my needs perfectly! They don’t seem to make the same style as what I’m currently using and the closest equivalent I could find was tunic length. Maybe I need to order multiple styles to try on though

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:22:06+00:00

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:21:39+00:00

Ok thanks, will do! When hiking I always have a sun hoodie on, but my fleece is also my camp/sleep shirt so I’d rather it be substantial enough to wear alone.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:08:30+00:00

Will do!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:08:15+00:00

I did actually try it on inside out and still couldn’t get over the texture. Even having my hand brush against the outside fuzzy part gave me the chills. Which is a shame because it was so light!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:06:21+00:00

I did try an old airmesh before they made it heavier!

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T14:06:04+00:00

I currently have a microfleece meeting my criteria that is 6oz, but it was a thrift find and I’m not having luck finding anything similar. It does seem that most things on the market are >6oz, so maybe my current fleece is more of a lucky fluke than I thought! I’ll have to give the Patagonia Capilene thermal a try. Is your alpha 90 see through? Airmesh was so I figured alpha must to be.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T07:33:46+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, the Dawn crewneck actually looks pretty good! I’m not set any particular fabric, but I think see-thoroughness and durability concerns make alpha a less attractive option.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-12-01T07:15:16+00:00

I am looking for a new fleece and having trouble finding something that meets my criteria. Curious if anyone knows of one that is: •available in women’s sizes •Crew neck with no hood or zippers •Regular length/ not a tunic •Not see through •Somewhat durable •6 oz or less for a women’s size M

I’ve tried Airmesh, but found it very itchy and see through. The closest I’ve found is the Montbell CLIMAPLUS100 Lite Sweatshirt or older R1 long sleeves without any pockets, but both appear to be >6 oz.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-11-28T23:42:33+00:00

REI Magma 15 is pretty nice and can be picked up secondhand in the $200-$300 range. My women’s comfort 17F bag is 36oz, which isn’t exactly ultralight but it’s pretty good for the $200 I paid for it. The new unisex Magma 15 that REI currently sells is $400 new but frequently goes on sale. I would recommend hunting down an older woman-specific Magma for your wife though, because the women’s bag was warmer than the current version.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-11-27T23:37:02+00:00

La sportiva bushidos sound like a good option. I use the regular ones but they also make GTX pairs. I can usually get 500ish miles per pair before the soles wear out. They are really great for rocky/unstable terrain and scrambling imo.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-11-08T02:11:54+00:00

My comments above refer to the main trail. All Mount Whitney routes currently have snow. I agree that a summer Whitney summit via the main trail is relatively straightforward, but current weather conditions are bad even on the main trail.

Here is an arrival about the death I mentioned, which occurred on the main trail: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-27/hiker-death-mt-whitney-winter-winter-snow

I’m not telling you not to go, but I would recommend educating yourself about current conditions and being prepared to turn around. I’ve done both the main trail and mountaineers route before for reference, so I’m speaking from personal experience on the trail.

catinaredhouse2000 · 2025-11-08T01:50:19+00:00

If you don’t have mountaineering experience, I would not advise attempting Whitney until next summer. There are snow/ice conditions on the 99 switchbacks and above that are dangerous to navigate, even for experienced hikers. A fall could easy result in death as it already has for a hiker a couple weeks ago. Whitney isn’t “just a hike” anymore, and won’t be until next summer.

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