Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board JMT North to South pass good for Whitney Portal?

I will be through hiking the JMT from North to South this August with several friends. My parents also have permits for this hike as they are going to join us for as long as they can, though they suspect they will hike out after about half of the mileage. It would mean a lot for them (and me) to re-join us atop Mt. Whitney, leaving from Whitney Portal on a day hike. Is their JMT through pass, usually good for exiting Mt Whitney before the end date, fair game to use going UP the trail on a day hike? Im not sure of the logistics of this but would hate for them to be turned around by a ranger because the pass is only valid "one way." They never entered a lottery because our exact date to summit Whitney will obviously depend on our progress along the JMT - is a walk-up permit their only hope? Comments?

If they exit the wilderness overnight, their old pass is no longer valid. The Walk-in permit is almost the only way, unless they happen to call in several days before and there just happen to be some phoned-in cancellations available. They can reserve these for $15 per person.

But if you check the August day hike unused numbers for last year, you can see that except for Saturdays and Sundays, getting a day hike permit is a pretty sure thing. Even on the weekends, if they get to the Visitor Center at 2 PM when they draw the numbers, they have a great chance of getting a permit.

As for the walk-in permits, since they will be hanging around the east-side, they could get an overnight permit a day or two before your expected arrival, and pack in just to Lone Pine Lake, and set up camp there. As long as they used their camp overnight each night, they could hike up (or back out the trail head) each day and the overnight permit would remain in effect.

All that being said, unless you have a Spot Messenger and they have computer access, they might have a tough time gauging exactly what day you will arrive at the summit.

Thanks Steve,

We are expecting to be able to call my parents at our last food drop, by which time I am thinking we will be able to gauge our daily progress fairly well and arrange a specific day to meet them.

I suppose if they are staying in Lone Pine for a few days prior it wouldnt be a problem for them to obtain a permit the day before.

I am also trying to talk them into just hiking into the JMT via the Kearsarge Pass trailhead west of Independence - I think for them that would be a better time to join up with us.

Thanks again for the link/response.

aerin,

just a thought - you guys will be fit as a fiddle and heading southbound at a fast pace by the time you come from Yosemite to Kearsarge area - say 15 miles per day. Your folks (probably at my age of 58) if joining you at Kearsarge would be far less acclimatized and toned up, and thus able to do only, say, 8-10 miles per day. Some cooperation will be needed, and food logistics adjusted as well.

Not meant to discourage, just a thought to help with your planning. Harvey

Logistics - Always seems to be the Million dollar stack of questions
But here is a suggestion from a 60 yr old dad that still trys to keep up:
-You give the folks a heads up when you get last food drop as to when you will hit Crabtree Meadows - That gives them a start time and they should have no problem getting a walk in Permit
-Your folks plan a 5-6 day loop over cottonwood pass from horseshoe meadows to Crabtree Meadows and exiting Whitney Portal - They try to be at CtM a day or two earlier than you - resting, acclimating , fishing, using the bear boxes and the real toilet seat and when you come thru you can all summit together.
I did this loop last year and have done parts of the JMT and the HST and have done the main trail 4 times - My 16 yr old daughter and I are hoping to start the HST next Fri or Sat -
IMO - your folks and anyone else that has the time will much more appreciate the entire experience from the west side.
Best of luck and Kudos to all those that don't mind including the old farts - It means a lot to us
Thanks
Dave

Another pass question ... I have passes going in at Kearsage and out at Horseshoe, but would like to exit Whitney but no permits were available at the time I got them. Does anyone know the chances of changing to an exit via Whitney once there?Everything I have read points to the good possibility of getting unused or canceled permits same day or 1 day prior, but what about 4 - 5 days prior to your exit day?

The trailcrest exit permit quota is 25, and 40% (10) are reserved for walk-ins. There is a good chance you can get one.

You can pick up your Kearsarge reservation 2 days before your hike, and that would give you a better chance at the walk-in exit permits. See this post.

And if they're all gone, ask for one the day before or day after - you can always speed up or slow down your trip. And I have read here someplace that the rangers will not hold you to the exact exit date if you hike goes faster or slower than planned.