Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mountaineer's Route campsite?

In mid August, my partner and I are going up the lower part of the Mtnr's Route just so we can explore the area (no summit plans this time.)

The plan is to climb up to either Lower or Upper Boy Scout Lake and drop anchor and set up a main camp and then do day hikes from there.

Opinions on where to set up this camp? Lower or Upper Boy Scout Lake or Clyde Meadows or somewhere else (probably not Iceberg Lake - except to maybe watch the technical climbers.).

This is not intended as an ambitious trip. More as a fun way to test out my altitude medication (see the Managing AMS on Whitney thread) and check out some of the other features of the area such as Thor Peak, Whitney Russell Col, and Pinnacle Ridge (these are all possibilities and nothing definite.)

Ellen

I suggest that you camp by one of the lakes, both for esthetics and practicality (always handy to have water a few feet away). As to which one, it's mostly a matter of how far you want to lug your heavy packs and how long you will be there. The other important factor is that there are more mosquitos at LBSL.

There are several great camping spots at LBSL, both near the water and under the trees. I've never camped at UBSL, so can't tell you how good the camping is there (my feeling has always been that I might as well keep going up to Icerberg if I've gone that far).

I'm curious to hear whether you decided to try Ginkgo or diamox (or something else) and where you came out on the "great water debate". Hope you feel well and can enjoy the beautiful sights on Whitney, wherever you decide to sleep.

There are many places to camp at Lower Boy Scout Lake. We like camping a few hundred feet away from the lake a few hundred feet above the lake toward the south.(less mosquitoes.)

Upper Boy Scout lake has some nice campsites, also on the south side in the flat area which has sand and rocks. There are a few camp sites in the grove of trees you walk through a few hundred feet before you get to Upper Boy Scout Lake.

Clydes meadow doesn't really have any nice places to camp. It is mostly full of bushes.

There are also some flat spots in the morraine field about 12200 feet between Upper Boy Scout Lake and Iceberg lake. You can always get water a few hundred feet to the south in the river that runs below.

Many like camping at Iceberg lake. The cirque is kind of nice, the water is very clean and you can't beat the view of the Whitney face and the Keeler needles. There are many places at Iceberg lake to camp also.

ellen,

Considering our recent exchanges regarding hydration & AMS I appreciate your interest in the MR and felt compelled to reply...

Please remember that Whitney via the MR is ONLY 14K, unglaciated and WELL WITHIN YOUR REACH! In fact I hope it will help you over the obvious psychological hurdles you keep posting about. I'll even meet you guys up there and help carry your gear if you don't believe me. Hiking for many is foreplay...Mountaineering is about deed and I live for teaming up with people of like mind and commitment, even on a limited scale.

UBSL is the best campsite for all but the technical people you mentioned. Thor is right there. The Rockwell on Russell is right there. WATER is right there...Pretty hard to beat. Also the views and cell reception (if you bring a phone) are great.

Step on over to the 'darkside', girlfriend!

Thanks very much to all for the campsite recommendations.

Sierra Sam wrote:
>I'm curious to hear whether you decided to try
>Ginkgo or diamox (or something else) and where you
>came out on the "great water debate".

I've decided on Diamox as I've tried Ginkgo in the past and it made me a bit wired at sea level.

I'm trying to remember which great water debate you're referring to (it comes up so often , but after reading Bob R's well researched paper on it, I've decided to stop filtering and instead concentrate on drinking smart and continuing to maintain good personal hygene. I didn't filter last trip and I never got any girardia symptoms.

Alpine Swine wrote:
>Please remember that Whitney via the MR is ONLY 14K

Oh I know and it drives me somewhat crazy (especially when people in much poorer shape summit - though I know that AMS doesn't depend on what shape you're in). Not only that, but it's a trail (well at least part of it) and part of the year it doesn't have snow on it. I keep trying to come over to the dark side (given what time most alpine ascents start that's quite a pun you know) but I need to address this AMS issue as it's been a factor on several Whitney trips and one Shasta trip. I aspire to Rainier (Denali is too cold and too deadly I think), but not until I have a better handle on this.

Ellen

I aspire to Rainier (Denali is too cold and too deadly I think), but not until I have a better handle on this.

This is the reason I keep writing responses to you, Ellen. You have the will. This counts for so much in climbing as well as life in general. The important thing is to stay within (and slightly above) your comfort zone. One step at a time. One trip at a time. Trust yourself. Climb only with people who share your ethics and values and GO FOR THE STYLE POINTS when you have the strength to do so!

I'm more like you...Analytical and very cognizant of every minute detail of what's happening at any given time. This gets better as you get stronger and more confident but is difficult in the beginning. My wife, by comparison, marches up almost anything at a blistering pace and completely oblivious until extremely overexposed...A great attitude for a second with a hopefully competent leader but I'm encouraging her to be more like you in the future.

Rainier is next year. Plan a couple of trips to the MR and summit the damn thing as your goal for the summer. Get on top however you can with decent ethics. After that do it one more time to remind yourself it wasn't a fluke.

After this Rainier will probably seem less like a dream and more like an objective. Do a couple of routes (maybe the DC and then Kautz or Fuhrer) on her and Denali will become at least a little more reasonable in your perception...I speak from experience having just signed on to a trip with a favorite climbing partner for 2005. Still wondering about this a little bit but that's ok...There's a great view of Foraker on the upper mountain! Maybe someday it'll be Sultana Ridge or that crazy route Mark Twight put up...Everything is relative. =)

Remember...You have what it takes. Be patient with yourself and others and don't be afraid to be the person YOU REALLY ARE!

ellenclary:

This year will be my third visit to MW....summited last year during a one-day climb. Both years, I took Diamox and aside from some mild tingling in my fingers and beer/soda tasting horrible, it seemd to work perfectly. I had no nausea or headaches. However, I was hiking in the Portal area (Meysen Lake, Lone Pine Lake, etc.) above 9,000 ft. for 2-3 days prior to heading to the summit.....that probably helped, as well. This year, I'm camping at Meysen Lake in mid-September and climbing one of the local peaks.....Lone Pine Peak. I'll be using Diamox, again, hoping it's the reason for no physical ailments when I've been on the mountain.

Alpine Swine wrote:
>This is the reason I keep writing responses to you, >Ellen. You have the will. This counts for so much >in climbing as well as life in general. The >important thing is to stay within (and slightly >above) your comfort zone.

Thanks for the kind, insightful words Alpine Swine. I find that climbing makes for a great life metaphor. Take this step, now take this step ...

Ellenc-

since you seem open to suggestions on this subject:

why not set your sights on camping at Iceberg lake on the 3rd or 4th night of your trip (first night or 2 at the portal or other camp at altitude with day hikes higher, then camp at LBSL). You could then take a day hike from there up the chute above Iceberg and go as far as you are comfortable. If you make it all the way to the summit, great, if not, you have beautiful climb on Whitney. If you have even more time, camp another night at Iceberg and try the same thing again the next day.

If you can climb Whitney by the MR, you can climb Rainier by the Disappointment Cleaver route with a guide. Other than crampons and being roped together, it's really not any more challenging than the MR up Whitney (maybe less).

As for Denali, I'd suggest Kilimanjaro first. It's about the same altitude, but you have porters carrying your gear and it is warm with few climbing dangers.

Thanks for the suggestions Sierra Sam. What's great about the area is that there are so many choices. I'll be up there four days and could easily spend twice that (ok I'd be missing my dogs at home by then but you get the idea).

I'm also considering hanging out at UBSL and doing Mt Carillon and maybe Tunnabora Peak (Mostly as an excuse to walk by the magnificient Tulainyo Lake.)

Speaking of Tulainyo Lake, have you see the account of a couple of folks who packed in scuba equipment so they could go diving in Tulainyo? (just google for Tulainyo Lake and you'll find it). Proof that no matter how nuts one is, there's always someone more so.

Ellen