Overview

We were incredibly fortunate with our timing and the fires burning in the surrounding areas. Day one started off pretty smoky, but as we climbed higher and neared the Great Western Divide, we left most of it behind and below us. Smoke settled around us at camp on night two, but when we woke up the next morning it had all cleared out. We wouldn't hike through any more smoke until descending to Whitney Portal on day five. The day after we finished the hike, all of the National Forests closed due to the fires. You are still required to carry a bear can, even if you are camping where there are bear boxes. You also need to carry and use a WAG bag for any poops in the Mt. Whitney Zone (begins at Crabtree Meadow and extends up and over Whitney til you near the Portal). We purchased ours from REI.

Logistics

The day before our hike, we drove two cars (our own + a one-way rental) to Whitney Portal and dropped off our car there. We then drove the rental to Visalia, dropped it off, and stayed the night. We went into Sequoia early the following morning to begin the hike.

Conditions

Clear skies. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s. No bugs. Some smoke beginning of day one, end of day two, and end of day five.

Day 2

Hamilton Lake to Moraine Lake (alternate)

We broke camp early to get the day's biggest climb out of the way in the cool morning hours, but it was still pretty strenuous. The smoke had blown down below us overnight, so we had great views west as we made the long and steep climb to Precipice Lake for our first break of the day. After soaking our feet and taking some pictures, we made the final short push up to Kaweah Gap as we crested the Great Western Divide. I had been looking forward to seeing this particular view down the Big Arroyo, and it did not disappoint. We followed the Arroyo down for a few miles before reaching the Old Big Arroyo Patrol Cabin and stopping for lunch. Now we faced our final climb of the day up to the Moraine Lake plateau. As we neared Moraine Lake, smoke began to settle around us. It was by far the smokiest part of the trip. We cooked our dinner as ash fell around us. Bear boxes are available. Thankfully we would wake up to clear skies the following morning, and they would stay with us until we neared our car a few days later.