Warning: a ranger at Mount Whitney told me to skip the switchbacks and cut straight up the scree, and it wrecked my knees for 3 weeks

Diana Flores · 2026-09-16T07:05:04.93088+00:00

I ran into him at the Trail Crest junction around mile 8 back in August and he swore the shortcut would save me 40 minutes since I was running behind on daylight. It did save time, but I slipped twice on loose rock and by the time I hit Guitar Lake my left knee was swollen up like a grapefruit. My PT in Sacramento said it was a mild sprain from all the side loading and I was on the couch for almost a month. Has anyone else gotten bad beta from a ranger or trail worker who should honestly know better?

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Warning: a ranger at Mount Whitney told me to skip the switchbacks and cut straight up the scree, and it wrecked my knees for 3 weeks | Backpacking Routes - Topic Shares