Inyo National Forest awaits word from health and law enforcement officials before letting hikers up the 14,000-foot peak of Mt. Whitney.
Day and overnight hikers usually seek permits for the popular Mt. Whitney Trail distributed lottery-style months in advance of their desired date to go.
For the Whitney trail and other routes to open, the forest service is awaiting word from public health authorities as well as the local sheriff’s office, which oversees emergency responses. During the early season, hikers are required to have climbing gear and know how to use it. Those who try for the summit without proper skills pose a potential danger to search and rescue teams during the pandemic.
“The thing about Whitney is in summer it’s a non-technical site you can walk to the top without an ice ax or crampons,” Schweizer said. “But in shoulder season, it’s a technical climb.” In mid-March, the local sheriff’s office issued a statement that told folks to steer clear of high-risk activities in the area, such as hiking, climbing, peak-bagging and skiing.“If you get sick, lost or injured and require [search and rescue] assistance, the responding team of volunteers will have to break social distancing and state mandated isolation by sharing rescue equipment, radios and vehicles,” the statement said.
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