Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Water at Summit

I'm going to climb Mt Vitney this weekend. A friend of mine at work did it two weekends ago and said I only need to carry one canteen of water up. According to this guy (Joe), there is a locked room at the summit hut and there is water stored there if "you really need it". He showed me pictures, including the rock under which the Forest Service hides the key. Before I put myself in danger by not bringing enough water, I want to verify this with other hikers.
Thanks,
Andreas

Although that may be true, I would not go short on water, needing to use the emergency water on top (if it really is there). There is a locked portion of the summit hut. I looked in there once and saw some emergency supplies. I don't know if there was water in there or not. Drink deeply before the switchbacks and carry at least 2 liters to the top. Then you won't have to worry if someone has "moved the key".

You can always bring along a few iodine tablets and treat the plentiful water that is available from portal to trail camp, they don't weigh much and are always good to have along in case of an emergency. If you can't stand using iodine there is a straw filter that is offered at backcountry gear.com, very small and lightweight.
Not sure if your post is serious though, "Mt. Vitney"?

I wouldn't count on getting water from the hut. Tank up along the way.

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/filterdetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__PRODUCTID=MCN1200

Here's the link for the .25oz, $6.95 straw filter I mentioned, will pump up to 20 gallons. Seems like a good lightweight alternative when you need to go ultralight. Along with a few iodine tablets you should be set

Paige,
That Frontier filter seems pretty cool. Question: How well does it filter water? Do you use Iodine tablets as well to be extra safe?

Never count on something what is made for extreme emergencies, even if is "hiden in the cabin". You need only to count on yourself and your own resources.
If you can't do so and you thinking only that you will go through counting on other help, then don't go.
Obey the nature and yourself.
If you don't like to carry a lot of water, take filters/pump.
I am using First Need purifiers, you don't need tablets or boiling and the water taste great.
Take care. Drink a lot.

Paige,
Thank you very much for link to filter straw. Do you thinks I could just sip directly from a stream with that? I'm trying to save weight as much as possible because I have wager with friend (Joe)from work on elapsed time to summit. My plan right now is to carry one canteen, try to get filter straw before I leave, and drink emergency water in summit hut. My friend says that Forest Service told him that the cost of providing the water at the hut is covered by $15 permit fee. Thank everyone very much for your kind support.
Andreas

Current and Andreas,
I haven't tried the filter personally, I just found it while surfing the web. I have ordered it though. I still will use my iodine tablets most of the time and will use this filter as a treat or in an emergency. It works like a straw, so I do have visions of me leaning over a stream sipping fresh water from it Since it only pumps up to 20 gallons, that's about $.35 a gallon, but still sounds like a good thing to me.
Seems as if it may be a good thing for you too, Andreas, let us know how you do, and good luck with your wager.

Andreas, I would not count on there being water at the summit hut, and even if there is water there, I would not count on being able to get to it. You really need to plan on leaving trail camp with enough water to get to the summit and back. Personally, I find it hard to believe that the $15 fee permit includes water at the summit - one would think that if that was the case, the water would be made available without having to find the hidden key.

Here's a link to the manufacturer of the straw filter, it has some more info.
http://www.mcnett.com/page.cfm?pageID=564

If one more person responds to "Andreas Hinterstoisser"s post as if it were a serious post, I'm going to RALF - and lose my belief that the members of the hiking community are of above average intelligence.

he's about as legitimate as you are "hugh g rection"?

Congrats - Paige... It only took you five posts to figure him out - only one post to figure me out.

Sorry everybody else - when I see posts like this I can't help myself.

I bet Doug has a better sense of humor than you think he has..

Sorry, Paige....

And no, I'm not Andreas - I just can't believe how many people grab the bait.. But then again, most of it is just harmless...

Sounded like an urban legend to begin with, but not having inspected the hut that closely who am I to say there isn't said stash of water etc?

Well, I personally HAVE tried the water. And it is foolish to NOT drink it. Because if you don't drink it, then it stays there for months and years, and gets very stale. So then a person who needs it for an emergency does not have any good water. The reason they hide the key is that if they left it out, vandals would take all the supplies. You are supposed to take the water ONLY. The rest of the supplies will last a long time. You are also permitted to borrow the folding table, the linen dining cloth, the china, silverware, and the candlabra if you are planning a romantic dinner. But you must put them back.

Are you sure it's omly the water you are allowed to drink. I usually have a glass or two of the Cabernet they have in the stash. One could argue that is should be left to age, but that process goes haywire at high altitude and wine left for too long gets staler than water! :-) You do have to bring your own wine glasses unless you want to wash the ones that are in the hut.

In the old days there was always a keg of beer (Sierra Nevada Porter) in the hut, but a lawsuit over flat beer killed that. Too bad.

Well, that explains it! I summited Monday for the first time, the only ones left were a couple who didn't seem very friendly. I tried to start a conversation by joking about the locked portion of the hut. I said, "Whats this, the honeymoon suite? They go annoyed and said "Who told you that? There is nothing in there except some stale emergency supplies, and anyway you can't go in there you don't have the key" I walked away to the summit and took some photos, when I came back to the Hut two minutes later they were nowhere to be seen.

I'll keep their secret for now, but next time I go up I'll get with my buddy Andreas and carry up a big sign made of rocks that says "The LOVE Shack"

aerodyne

Interestingly enough, the real Andreas Hinterstoisser died while climbing North face of Eiger in 1936. It must be his lost soul coming back to confuse us

Yes, my grandfather. I assume you mean no disrespect. BTW, in my family we call it "the accident", but in fact hold Toni Kurtz responsible. Don't mean to dredge up the past, but after all, YOU brought it up. Let's try to keep the board on Mt. Whitney topics, shall we? I'll be making my first trip up the Whitney Direct Route this weekend and am fully "amped", as you say in yr country!
All my best,
Andreas (II)