Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Cottonwood Pass To Whitney Portal - 06.08-10.2025

A few comments and photos from the recent trip...
-There were mosquitoes at Horseshoe Meadows Trailhead, Rock Creek, Crabtree Meadow and Whitney Portal.
-I don't think I'm exagerrating when I say that I didn't take more than a handful of steps on snow until climbing up past Timberline Lake.
-I didn't see any ice on the trail until well above the Tarns above Guitar Lake.
-I took the 20 degree bag, but never zipped it up...next trip will be with the 40...I think it and a down jacket will be good enough.
-I'd never bothered to stop at the Rock Creek Ranger Station until Sunday afternoon...I had a very interesting time talking to Colin (NPS Ranger)...he showed me his new cross-cut saw for dealing with smaller (he said 2' diameter) trees...
-I had heard that Christine's temporary replacement had climbed to Trail Crest on the way to Crabtree, so I stopped in to talk...he gave me his opinion of the situation and told me he was heading out to Whitney Portal on Tuesday...he told me Chris was heading in to work via the High Sierra Trail...what a way to get to work...
-I probably talked to a dozen PCT'ers heading down from Whtiney...although a few didn't feel comfortable with the conditions, the consensus seemed to be that Micros were good enough to make the summit...
-There was a LOT of running water on the trail up the West Side Switchbacks...
-Because of all the running water on the trail, I'm glad I decided to go with the much heavier waterproofs...

Here are a few photos:


Cottonwood Pass.



Counter at Rock Creek.



Crabtree Ranger Station.



On the way to Guitar Lake.



The Balcony Tent Pad at the Tarns...(thanks Bob)



A few snowfields to deal with on the lower, West Side Switchbacks.