Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney Portal Store question

Doug - A few people in my group, which will be arriving next Monday (July 31st) have asked me if I knew what major credit cards that the Whitney Portal store accepted. My reply was that I was not sure, but I mentioned that I could inquire about this via this message board. If you could let me know sometime this week I would appreciate it. Thank you. Michael T.

Michael - I don't mean to speak for the store but to assure you get at least a partial answer, I used my Visa there quite a few times last month --- for more beers than I'd like to admit.

I have used my VISA there several times over the past few years, including last year to purchase a pair of hiking poles.

CaT

trailwalker - do you mind sharing how much the treking poles cost? My group (three dads and four teenage boys) are making our first accent this weekend and I have recently read a lot about the benefits of these on this board. I would like to weigh the benefit versus the cost.

You might want to check out the poles they carry at Walmart - last time I saw them they were under $10.00 each, much, much less than what I paid for my Leki's and less to cry about if lost. We had a number of people use them in the Grand Canyon this past April and they seemed to work as well as the more expensive cousins. Not intending to take business away from the store, just something to consider as an alternative.

Yeah, Leki's at REI will run you between 55 to 155 dollars depending on what material you want them made of, etc.

Personally, I have the cheapo aluminums and they've served me well. Most hiking poles you'll run across are only a total of 20 ounces (some less), but providing you set them up to the right height and all, they make an nice difference on the hikes

The trekking poles that are sold at the Portal store are quite nice for the price. Last year, they were around $45.00 a pair, and they had some with or without the spring mechanism. A couple of people in my group bought a pair, and were thankful of them, especially coming down the switchbacks. Not as pricy as the Leki models, of which is what I use, but far superior than any $10.00 poles from Walmart. Just my opinion.

Michael T.