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Rating: 
Summary: great guide!
Review: as an avid hiker in SoCal, I gotta say that this book is a *must have* if you want to take day trips up mount whitney. since it was printed, the rangers have changed their ruling about permits (get one!) but that's no fault of the authors. that aside, the book still stands as the definitive guide to the beautiful mt whitney.
Rating:
Summary: A complete and concise presentation of Mount Whitney
Review: I purchased this book at Outdoors, Inc in Memphis, Tennessee and devoured it in one day. I was hooked on attempting Whitney as soon as I could acquire a slot which we have done June 22-24, 1998 which is the 125th anniversary of the first to hike this mountain in 1873. We will use this guide as a bible to assist our 4-man group and hope to make it an exciting experience. Although we are only hikers and not technical climbers, we can freely appreciate the time and energy it took to compile this very interesting "labor of love"....
Rating:
Summary: super book
Review: It is certainly true, as other reviewers have noted, that this book (written in 1990) is now out of date. In particular, it does not mention the new overly restrictive permit system that the Forest Service has implemented. Despite that, however, anyone planning to hike or climb Whitney must read this book. Among its many virtues, this book has the most detailed description of hiking and climbing routes available. Indeed, it is the only guide I've seen which gives the correct mileage to the summit from Whitney Portal. In addition, it covers natural history, geology, flora and fauna, and the history of attempts on Mt. Whitney in far greater detail than other guides. Finally, this book gives lots of space to rescue operations, and the preparations you need to make to avoid a similar fate. For all these reasons it should be your first resource, despite the slightly dated material. Hopefully the authors can be persuaded to write an updated edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it Despite the Dated Material
Review: It is certainly true, as other reviewers have noted, that this book (written in 1990) is now out of date. In particular, it does not mention the new overly restrictive permit system that the Forest Service has implemented. Despite that, however, anyone planning to hike or climb Whitney must read this book. Among its many virtues, this book has the most detailed description of hiking and climbing routes available. Indeed, it is the only guide I've seen which gives the correct mileage to the summit from Whitney Portal. In addition, it covers natural history, geology, flora and fauna, and the history of attempts on Mt. Whitney in far greater detail than other guides. Finally, this book gives lots of space to rescue operations, and the preparations you need to make to avoid a similar fate. For all these reasons it should be your first resource, despite the slightly dated material. Hopefully the authors can be persuaded to write an updated edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Out of date information!
Review: This book has out of date permit information as we found out. It says you can dayhike Whitney without a permit. We drove all the way from LA up to the Mt. Whitney Ranger station in Lone Pine only to find out that a permit IS needed for a dayhike and they were all taken. The book has out of date info about backpacking as well. It spends more pages on how to buy out of date hiking gear than on current permit information. We were very upset by the information this book provided.
Rating: 
Summary: Completely out of date!
Review: This is most definitely *not* the guide you need to successfully climb Mount Whitney. Though the book is adequate on the preparation necessary for making the summit, it omits one vital piece of information: you must have a day permit in order to hike Whitney. Because this guide was written prior to this rule being implemented, it doesn't contain any warning about this. Every hiker from May 15-October 15 *must* possess a day permit issued from the Lone Pine Ranger Station. Don't think you can hike without it, because there are Rangers strategically posted on the trail and they will ask for the pass. If you don't have it, you will be turned away. I have actually seen hikers from Germany, France and even Australia be turned away because they didn't know about this requirement. Aside from this glaring omission, this book is a fine representation of what you must do to prepare to climb Whitney. A word of caution though, for a first-time climber reading this review. Please do not attempt this hike unless you are supremely physically fit. I have seen many sobering cases of hikers on Whitney who were simply not prepared for the rigors of this climb. Most physically fit people should be able to do the 21 miles in 12-13 hours. If it takes you 24 hours you will suffer and it will be a miserable experience. Train for at least six months before attempting to summit. Be sure and run 25-40 miles a week, hike every weekend at altitude (if practicable)and invest in a good stairclimber. You must have strong quads and calves in order to enjoy the hike and the descent will be brutal on your knees, no matter how fit you are. Also go out for several 10 hour hikes in order to prepare yourself mentally for this challenge. The mental part of Whitney is as difficult as the physical, particularly on the descent when you've been on the trail for a long time already.
Rating:
Summary: super book
Review: This was very helpful when I used it last year. I esp. loved the detailed descriptions of each part of the trail: 19 entries for 11 miles. Lots of pictures so I knew what to anticipate. I enjoyed the accounts of various assents and the photos showing various routes for climbing (as opposed to hiking) the mountain. The rest of the book was perfect for what I needed: geological info, history, flora and fauna drawings and descriptions. I am not an experienced mountaineer, and had only done day hike; the basic info on safety and what to bring was useful. The final section describing serious accidents on the mountain was something I appreciated for providing the proper perspective. It is also light weight and perfect for carrying on the hike. So what if the permit section is out of date: a quick look on Internet provides all the info you need to learn how to apply. Presumably, most people buying though Amazon.com are familiar with the Internet.
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