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

This Question may be for Doug, I was reading one of the Mt.Whitney Books I think it was the one by Secor and in it there was a blurb about a trailhead before the present one. It was supposedly the toughest part of the climb way back when. I was wondering where it was and if there is anything left of it? I have a neighbor who went up by horseback in the 40s several times and his trail pics are very close to mine (Just in Black & White).

The original trailhead still exists. It starts at the far end of the paved road past the store. At the place where the road loops back, there is a huge boulder. Walk behind this boulder and look around. The very beginning of the old trail is a bit faint. But, once it gets going, it is very clear and switchbacks nicely up the hillside. I have not followed it to the point that it joins the current trail. The fact that the trailhead was moved accounts for the different distances quoted to the summit: 10.7 vs. 11.0 miles.