Mount Whitney or Mount Langley Day hike?
They are both near each other and about the same height and distance. So, which should you choose?
Well, it depends. I’ve hiked Whitney twice now, and I finally had an opportunity to hike Langley this week. So I have some fresh thoughts.
The most obvious answer, when you cannot get a permit to hike Whitney, seems to be to just go to Langley. And for the most part, I agree. But there are a few things to consider.
Whitney is famous for being the largest mountain peak in the contiguous United States as it stands at 14,505 feet. Langley sits just under that at 14,026 feet. You’ll have to decide if that means anything to you. But one fascinating thing about the Langley Peak is that it looks right over at Whitney. So there’s that.
First, the drive up to the Langley trailhead is longer. That’s because you start your hike at a higher elevation. If you are a hiker with problems acclimating to high altitude, this can make things more difficult. If you are a camper, one work around is to camp near the trailhead the evening before to acclimate. I’m not much of a camper and stayed at a hotel down in Lone Pine.
The day before, I acclimated by hiking to Lone Pine Lake, which is the beginning of the Whitney hike. It sits at about 10,000 feet and does not require a permit. I loved doing this because I was able to get a dose of Whitney in this week, and I was able to head down to the trailhead after and have a grilled chicken sandwich at the wonderful Whitney Portal Store. It’s run by a friendly family, and the sandwiches are warm and tasty. I’ve purchased more than one t-shirt there as well.
But back to Langley. The beginning of the trail on Langley is notably easier; however, later on and higher up, the path becomes more strenuous, with a short area of Class 2 bouldering and then a steeper grade near the top. The 12,000- to 13,600-foot portion of Langley felt steeper than anything on the standard Whitney trail. There also is more wayfinding at the top of Langley. It can make a weary hiker frustrated, but you are unlikely to get lost, lost. Cairns are there to guide you to the top.
The main path up is called New Army Pass. It is well manicured and easy to travel. I took the Old Army Pass back for a changeup. Old Army Pass was not maintained, much steeper and full of loose scree. I found Old Army Pass to be three times the challenge of the normal trail. On the other hand, once down the main switchbacks, the remainder of the path back to the trailhead was wonderfully easy and filled with beautiful lakes and fishermen scattered about. We saw a red-tailed hawk and a freshly-caught California Golden Trout (not by the hawk, to his chagrin.)
An additional consideration when deciding which trail to take back is that you’ll get more elevation gain going back New Army Pass. You will go back up a few hills on the return and the mileage will be a bit longer. When taking Old Army Pass, you are only going down a steep grade.
But here’s one more consideration when deciding which mountain to move. Who are you going with? I was with a friend. Had I been solo hiking, I believe (at least this week) Whitney is the smarter choice (assuming you have the permit to hike it). Langley was far less crowded than both times I’ve hiked Whitney. If something were to happen in the middle of the night on a solo hike, there would be less of an opportunity to find help quickly. Langley felt much more remote once we were away from the lakes.
Not for nothing, but driving back down after the hike on Langley was a bit jarring. I had driven up in the middle of the night and didn’t get a true picture of my surroundings until returning at 4:30 p.m. Boy! Those roads were very well maintained but still littered with recent falling rocks. Also, at almost any time, you could just drive right off into Neverland. Amazingly beautiful, but I suggest a slow ride down.
So, what do I think? Whitney or Langley? If you are a seasoned hiker, it doesn’t matter. Choose either, or hike both! If this is your first 14er, or if you are hiking alone, I suggest you wait for a permit to hike Mount Whitney first.
The following are my stats for Mount Langley via Cottonwood Lakes trail and the New Army Pass Trail going up, and the Old Army Pass Trail on the return.
Distance: 21.25 miles
Elevation gain: 4,698 feet
Moving time: 10 hours, 21 minutes
Total time: 13 hours, 7 minutes
Ave. pace: 29:24.
Slowest miles going: 11 and 12
Hike On!
Ms.Skywalker
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