California-Hiking Mt. Langley

October, 2022. Our third attempt at summiting Mt. Langley, and it was a success!! 18 hours, 24 miles and 5,300 feet elevation gain. This was a tough one as a one day hike, rivaling Mt. Whitney in both the difficulty and the incredible views from the summit.
Music
“Little Mountain“ Zachary David
“Saturday“ Zachary David
“Welcome Home“ Zachary David
Licensed by The Music Bed, LLC
Instagram: / lylesuch
Website: Lylesuch.com

[@johnconroy]

I don't usually comment, but I felt this video deserved it. Really great job on the commentary, storytelling and videography. I'm headed to Langley next week after being turned back by 60mph winds last year at Long Lake. Hopefully, the second time is the charm for me.

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks for the great feedback! Hopefully the second time is the one for you, we were turned back at Long Lake twice so it took us three tries but it was totally worth it. Personally, we think the view from Langley is even better than Whitney but both are incredible experiences. Is your plan to do the entire thing in one day, or go the smart route and camp for a night so you can enjoy it a little more? Either way, good luck and have fun!!

[@johnconroy]

@@lylesuch4421 LOL. Going to take my time by camping at Long Lake prior to attempting the summit. Helps a bit with acclimation as well. Cheers!

[@kenzangeobio3054]

How do you guys keep the tent in place during very strong winds, especially at higher elevations on more barren granite, and when you are away from camp on a day hike? On my recent hike to Mt Whitney, the wind was blowing at about 30 mph at Trail Camp on the night after summitting. In the morning as I was about to pack the tent, it was blown away and I had to chase it down a few hundred feet away.

[@lylesuch4421]

We do everything we can to camp as low and protected as possible to avoid wind. We did Whitney without camping, but if we had we probably would have stayed down in Outpost Camp, as it's more protected. We also tend to not stay in one spot more than one night so rarely need to leave our tent behind. If we are, however, camped in a place with high winds, we just hope there are enough rocks around to weigh the tent down and keep it in place.

[@kenzangeobio3054]

@@lylesuch4421 Thanks for the feedback.

[@jazzfan7491]

What a great video! I have watched many videos of Langley here on KZbin and yours is the only one that is super duper clear that you did New Army Pass. I'm in LA and I hope to do this in the summer this year when the days are longer. So inspiring! Congrats on making it!

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks! We were undecided as to going up New or Old Army Pass, but ultimately the longer but more gradual New Army Pass won out. We almost went down Old Army Pass but being pretty exhausted at that point didn't seem worth it...easier on the knees going down New Army Pass. One note, as you probably will find out as you start your planning, staying at the campsite at the trailhead and doing a day hike the day before will really help in acclimatizing. Also, if you do a day hike to acclimatize up the same trail, you'll get familiar so if you're hiking down in the dark it's not as much of a concern. Good luck!!

[@thesuperioraffection4502]

Congrats, third time was the charm! Persistence paid off, which is something I've learned in hiking, especially in the mountains, since things don't always go as planned. Wow, what a grind, 18 hours. Tired and sore just thinking about it. Great scenery, video, narration and editing as usual.

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks so much, we really appreciate the positive feedback! Yes, this was a big challenge, especially tackling this summit in one day. It really made our successful climb that much more satisfying knowing this was our third try...there's something gratifying about accomplishing something you've failed at. And there was definitely a fair amount of soreness lasting days after the hike, but as always, it was very much worth it for those views!!

[@pipperlips]

Yaya! So impressed with your hike and video! So beautifully done! Very informative, especially in the beginning where you showed to route and surrounding area. Very happy that you persisted! Gotta hand it to you! While I'm hiking up Mt. Langley next week, I'll be thinking of your happy and lovely smiles! Kudos!

[@lylesuch4421]

Glad you enjoyed our video and hopefully it helps in your hike up Langley. It's one of our favorite hikes, even if you don't summit the lakes and lower part of the hike are beautiful. Good luck!!

[@mukutali6025]

Congratulations 💜😘

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks!

[@rolandobalcazar17]

Congrats ! nothing like make it to the top !

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks! Yes, making it to the top is a special experience, especially after such a long climb!

[@YongsungKim]

Wow, you tried three times and finally made it. Awesome. Congratulations!

[@lylesuch4421]

Thanks! Yes, we were determined to reach Langley's summit after our first two attempts. Something about failing that drives you to want to succeed even more. We had recently summited Whitney so it seemed like a good time to attempt another of those super long high altitude day hikes. The summit was incredible, we thought the views were even better than Whitney's, and surprisingly we thought this was a more difficult hike. Totally worth the effort!!

[@xxuncexx]

Honestly I feel like Old Army is way better. Avoids all that extra distance and extra elevation change. I mean, I’ve only gone once recently. Old Army had some leftover snow/ice at 2 or 3 spots but people had already made a path through it and it wasn’t too sketchy. I went up Shepherd Pass one time and there was still ice at the top switch back, that was sketchy. Shallow icy foot steps and a long slide down if you slipped. Anyway cool hike glad you made the summit and finished in good spirit

[@lylesuch4421]

We always debate these options and in this case decided the longer but gentler incline of New Army Pass would be best. It would be fun to go back and compare Old Army to see the difference. Our theory (for us at least based on our experience) is that the extra impact on the steeper rocky terrain would feel way worse than adding some extra distance. Either way, Langley is such a great hike, so much beauty on the lower sections and the views, expecially of Mt. Whitney, make it all worth while. Our next adventure up there might be trying Cirque Peak, the one neighboring Langley to the south.

[@ADM-wt9cn]

Impressive!! I just finished Whitney's mountaineers in June but want to tackle Langley and White mountain to knock off a few more 14ers this month before it gets snowy. Would you recomend this as you did it in one go? Or now looking back would you recommend camping one night up there? Curious your take :)

[@lylesuch4421]

Still haven’t done the Mountaineer’s Route, it sounds like fun! Here’s our take on White and Langley. White Mountain is fun and a perfect hike to acclimatize. It’s easy, no permits, and the drive up is beautiful as long as you’re comfortable with driving dirt/rocky roads. Mt. Langley is also great, and offers many different options. We loved the challenge of summiting in one day but would probably never do that again. The next time we go, our plan is to hike in on the first day and camp two nights at Long Lake. On day two summit both Langley and Cirque Peak, then hike out on the third day. The lakes up there are gorgeous, and there aren’t many people so it makes for a great multi-day adventure. So yeah, if you’re up for the challenge it’s pretty cool to summit in a day, but that area is so nice that it’s worth the time to spend a couple days and let yourself enjoy. The bonus of summiting Langley is that you get an incredible view of Mt. Whitney. Good luck!!

[@Smikeys21]

Eastern Sierra*

[@lylesuch4421]

Yeah, we forgot to mention being in the Eastern Sierras. Easy to forget some details when exhausted at the top of a mountain!