Doug hosted a nice BBQ at the Whitney Portal Hostel which is now open for business! It's been a long time waiting for it. A good time was had by all who were there on Friday night. A couple pics. The rest are here.   For reservations, call 760-876-0030

A message board forum just for the hostel is here: Whitney Portal Hostel forum.





Left to right: Bob (Bob R), Sheila, Laura (Moose Tracks), Jack (Whitneyn1), Betsy, Sara

Wow how cool. We now have a cheaper option for staying at a motel in Lone Pine! Thanks Doug.

That party must have been great. I'd love to listen to Bob and Kurt spin a few tales while eating a burger or two.

Here's to wishing the Thompson's success with your new hostel.

bump. Would it be reasonable to have this thread as a sticky or announcement. I wanted some friends to see the pictures, and it was three pages back, and getting buried.

There is a forum dedicated to the Hostel.

Whitney Portal Hostel

Nice looking hostel, I will consider staying there when I visit.

I had the pleasure of staying at the hostel this past weekend, the nights of Nov. 1-2, and I've got to tell you, folks, this is such a deal!

I don't know how many of you have stayed in hostels before, and my own experience is limited. But in my limited experience, Doug Sr. & Co. are providing way more than the bare-bones lodging you can expect from a typical hostel at the typically low hostel price. Look at the pictures of the rooms with the made-up bunk beds. Normally, you check in and are handed a set of sheets and a pillow case to make your own bed. And sometimes, you provide the pillow. When you claim your made-up bed at the WP Hostel, you'll find a neatly folded towl, hand towel and wash cloth. Normally, it's BYO towel. And BYO soap. Here, you get soap and shampoo. And each room has an attached bathroom. No going down the hall to take a shower, or answer the call of nature.

Then there are chores, or the lack thereof. Typically, but not at WP, you're expected to make up your bed when you arrive and strip it when you leave. Some old-school hostels also require you to do something to earn your keep, like sweep the floor in the community kitchen, or dump a load of beer bottles and cans into recycle bins if the hostel is in ski country. Here, you pay your money and you're good to go, just like a Motel 6 or the Ritz-Carlton.

The point is, people, this hostel is way more than a crash pad for those who come off the mountain needing a shower and a bed. And I think all of us who have benefitted so much from reading this board owe it to Doug & Co. to spread the word through and beyond the hiking-climbing community: For 20 bucks (22 and change including tax) the Whitney Portal Hostel is Such a Deal!

Phil

Phil, Trailbud (Doug) and myself were in your/our room Sat night. Sorry about the early check out, hope you got some sleep after we left.
Dave

PS Firm mattress, clean sheets, hot shower, but dont tell everyone we may have to book weeks in advance.

Where exactly is the hostel located? I'm heading back out to hike the JMT next August and would like to check out the place.

Thanks.

Hwy 395 and Post St, Lone Pine. One block south of Whitney Portal Road on the east side of the road.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I met that woman in the first pic on white mountain peak wearing a moose hat.

I decided not to stop in Lone Pine instead of Bishop on my way home from Mammoth. I was surprised to see a note on the door of the Hostel indicating that the Hostel was closed for the nights of January 9 and 10. While today was January 11, I was there just over an hour before it was scheduled to reopen. I will try and drop by on my next trip to the area. Hope you had a great weekend.

I finally got a chance to spend a night at the MT Whitney Hostel. I had just finished a great Ice Climbing class in Lee Vining Canyon Saturday with Kurt Wedberg and another client, and was headed home to SoCal. I drove down to Lone Pine and walked over to the Hostel. Doug was there behind the counter. After I told him that I hadn't been there before, he graciously gave me the tour of the facility and walked me up to a room so I could take a look. The hostel is VERY nice, clean, new, quiet, and comfortable. I got to spend quite a while talking to Doug before I went upstairs (on a pair of very tired legs) and took a long hot shower and called it a night.

Very nice place, Doug. I will be back.

(Hopefully in August or September, with a MT Whitney overnight permit in hand!)

Scott McCay

White Tundra

Doug,
How late can one check into the Whitney Portal Hostel.
Could I check in late Friday evening or even very early Saturday morning, i.e. in the wee hours around 1 or 2 am?
Hans

Hi Hostel is open , best is to call or email whitnestor@aol.com and let us know if it is a late night checkin, we go to bed around 10 PM and most nights the rooms are full after about 7 PM so we have space but are allowing single/double to use the room without sharing . We have 14 beds set aside for late check ins. Thanks Doug

I recently booked a night for us at the Hostel in June. It will be a nice nights sleep after backpacking Yosemite and then heading up Whitney. I too will probably be a late night check in.

Doug,

Can you stop by the hostel just to get a shower??


bj

BJ

You can indeed stop by the hostel for a shower; I did it on my last trip up three weeks ago. Cost was 5 bucks, I believe, and included soap and a towel. There are three shower stalls -- no waiting! -- and it felt great to hose a couple days mud and dust off before heading back up the hill to my tent at the Portal.

Phil

Someone emailed and asked me, and I don't know:

Is there a kitchen that guests can use to cook food they bring?

Microwaves in a back room off the lobby/reception area...

Is there a frig where one can keep any food?

yup, its in the "kitchen" area too. Directly across the room from the check in desk. Ya gotta mark your stuff though. Otherwise, its fair game or destine for the trash can =D

thanks, much appreciated!!

Is there a lending library at the hostel? Many hostels, especially those that cater to a specific set of clients, have such. I can't remember. I think I saw a magazine rack, and a computer with web access, but don't know about a book rack.

If so, with all the serious climber traffic we are bound to see next weekend, I would encourage everyone to bring their old and used climbing books to the hostel.

If not, I guess I am volunteering to help with implementing something of that sort...

Kurt:
We stayed in the hostel last year in July and really enjoyed our stay especially when Doug-Sr. took us on to the roof top (using the magic ladder) to watch the ISS and shuttle in the night sky.

This year Bruce and I would be coming back from the mountain, either on 11th or 12th depending on the state of my toes. Can we just walk in and hope to get 2 beds or if the hostel is full, can we just sleep somewhere near an AC outlet - will be happy to pay either way as we like it there or do you want us to make reservations for both days and would be no-shows if we cant make it on 11th? Need your help!
Krishna

We always stay at the hostel when we hike, and even when it's not Whitney. Just walked in yesterday, had three people in front of us for showers, paid my $5, and had a wonderfully relaxing 4 hour ride home after a 20 mile hike up and over Kearsarge Pass.

I know last July we walked in and grabbed two beds in the women's "dorm," which means you share rooms, and never had a worry.

Love this place! Thank you from all weary trail-tired hikers!

I stayed in the hostel last Wednesday; we were a group of 4, so we got a room all to ourselves. I reserved ahead, and we got in late, so it was really nice knowing we could get into our room even after they lock the lobby at 10PM.

The room was very comfortable, with everything we needed and nothing we didn't (except maybe the TV). Okay, a bar of soap and a wash cloth would've been nice, but I should've thought ahead. I didn't get a chance to speak to Doug or any of the staff, so I was bummed about that, but this place is a real asset to hikers!

Thanks for a good night's sleep!

Hi Harvey and Stacy,
Rick G. and I had very nice staying at your new hostel over the weekend after our very hard hiking and climbing.
Thank you for your warm welcome.
We will be back next time.

Shin

Shin

It was a pleasure having you come by and stay..

Jack and Betsy thanks for all the support while you were in Lone Pine.. Look forward to having you guys in January…

Karen S. Thank you for all the support around the Hostel.. Love it when folks from the past years come stay with us…

Happy Trails to all..

The hotel/hostel is looking super spiffy! I loved my room, with its updated decor, super-soft bedding, and fantastic view of Whitney. I sat on the chair outside of my room to watch the sunset over the Sierra crest, and ended up having fun conversations with hikers as they passed through the veranda. And visiting with you and Tracy was a treat!

Thanks again for a lovely stay.

i believe it was up to $7 now, still well worth it.. we finally tried out the showers after our hike and i can tell we will be using this facility a lot more in the future, also very conveniently located for Death Valley travelers...