Decided to pack a mock backpack with everything I will be taking on Mt Whitney in a few weeks during an overnight, roughly 29 lbs. I was concerned about the weight plus the altitude on Powell at nearly 9,500 ft. given that none of my last few hikes have been over 6,500 feet. But felt it would be a good gauge of my overall legs and fitness. I started at about 6:34 and summited exactly 2 hrs later at 8:34. I left the summit at 9:10 and was back at the parking lot but 10:30.  So overall, compared to  message boards mentioning 3 hrs up and 1 1/2 hrs down. I was happy with my efforts.

One note of caution is that there are several shortcuts that past hikers have created and even though I don't like to take shortcuts I was led into one right after the set of benches about a mile in. So be careful not to get off the trail the footing is much less stable in addition to the harm it does to the actual trail.  The view from the top was amazing and most of the hike there was ample shady from various pine trees. I also took a pic of a red plant which I later found out was a snow plant according to Wikipedia it is the only species of a north-west American flowering springtime plant in the heath family, called Sarcodes sanguinea,  It is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that attach to tree roots, pretty neat.