EISPIRATEN

Looking for thoughts-I have a trip to Mt Whitney on August 8-Saturday we did Bear Canyon to Baldy/west Baldy (8 hours total) looking for 1 more good hike next Saturday-Caveat being I need to be back by 4:00ish for a family gathering-was thinking about Iron Mountain or San Gorgonio-thoughts? other suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Mt Lukens via Stone Canyon Trail twice in one day same-ish distance a bit more elevation gain

Skyline trail ( way too hot now )

The Mt. Wilson Loop from Chantry Flats is good, but not nearly as intense as Baldy via Bear Canyon -- but you'd pretty much be guaranteed being back in a timely fashion.

Anderson Peak from the Momyer Cr Trailhead is an excellent one. Lotsa gain.

San Jacinto Peak via the Marion Mountain and Deer Springs Trail route is a great one.

Cucamonga Peak from Icehouse Saddle or better yet Middle Fork of Lytle Creek is a good workout.

Iron Mountain is a good one as you say, but it's pretty hot in the summer.

Baden-Powell from Crystal Lake is a good workout.

The Pleasant View Ridge loop from the Mt. Williamson/PCT west trailhead is a classic San Gabriels High Country ramble. If it's not enough just to loop back through Buckhorn, then throw in Will Thrall Peak and the western high point of Pleasant View Ridge.

Baldy from the north (from Guffy Campground or from the Pine Mountain Trailhead, depending on how far the road is open) is always a good workout.

HJ

Miles and elevation gain/loss. Start at Mt. Wilson and yo-yo down to Henninger Flat and back up - twice.

As the best Whitney trainer, I'd vote for Gorgonio from Vivian Creek. You get distance, big gain, and the highest elevation in SoCal. You might have trouble meeting your time window, though.

Iron #1 is a nice suffer machine and confidence builder.

CEBO is also a good (Cucamonga, Etiwanda, Bighorn, Ontario).

Thanks everyone for the ideas! we settled on Iron Mountain-everything people had said-HARD, exposed to sun & HOT! I went through over 6 liters of water and Freya (My dog) went through 3+ liters! That was a LOT of water weight to start the hike with-I REALLY think Mt Whitney will be easy(er) now

Well done!

The gain on Whitney will seem like nothing compared to Iron since it is spread out over such a long distance. The altitude is another thing, just stay aware of your heart rate and slow it down if it spikes.

Good luck on Whitney!

On my Whitney trips I discovered that increasing the pressure of the air in my lungs helped with the breathing a bit. I would inhale normally, but purse my lips to create a small opening to exhale, and exhale with some force to develop pressure in my lungs. It resembles lamaze. Increasing the pressure and help diffuse a little more oxygen into the blood.

Sounds like its worth a try! will try to practice this week prior to going! Thanks

SGBob wrote: ↑On my Whitney trips I discovered that increasing the pressure of the air in my lungs helped with the breathing a bit. I would inhale normally, but purse my lips to create a small opening to exhale, and exhale with some force to develop pressure in my lungs. It resembles lamaze. Increasing the pressure and help diffuse a little more oxygen into the blood.

This is known as 'pressure breathing', and has been a technique for higher elevation climbing in the past. I think it works but I'm not educated on the subject.

Pressure breathing works for me. Inhale normally and exhale with your lips pursed like you are trying to blow a trumpet. This action increases pressure in the lungs to compensate for the lower atmospheric pressure.

Start taking the herbal supplement Ginkgo Biloba now and through the day of your hike. You can find it in the vitamin section of any grocery or drug store. Studies show it helps with altitude sickness. Take some aspirin at the start of the hike as a preventative. That's aspirin, not Tylenol or Aleve. Drink plenty of water during the hike and eat high carb snacks for energy. Minimize the harder to digest proteins. If you can get to Lone Pine a day or two early, hike to Lone Pine Lake or drive to Horseshoe Meadows to get some altitude exposure.

Good luck and post plenty of pictures!