Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Onion valley to Whitney Tips

The lady friend and I are doing an Onion valley to Whitney via the JMT 2 weeks after Labor Day any ideas about day/ night temps, afternoon thunderstorms (yeah I know storms can pop up anytime), Bear action (yes we have the bear can.). Also any tips on cross country side trips worth taking. We Have 7 days on the permit, so we have some lay over days to escape the horde. Also how is the fishing up high in mid Sept? Thanks for any info. There seems to be a lot of experienced people on the board.
Rock On!
jmoney

Various published sources indicate that there is a bear box on trail at 11200' on the north side of Forester Pass. This is not so. This I got from NPS ranger Dave Gordon based at Charlotte Lake. He further indicated that there was a bear that hangs out at this location who takes advantage of this situation. So if you plan to camp there, be sure everything fits in cannister.

Mike

jmoney,

My daughter and I did this very same hike July 14-16 just prior to the Sierras being hit with a stretch of rainy weather. Pertaining to your interest in the location of bear boxes just north of Forester Pass, we noted the following:

1) One bear box in Vidette Meadow in a clearing on the west side of the trail a few feet before a sign noting a 10,000 elevation.

2) Two bear boxes in a large campsite on Bubbs Creek ( again just off the right side of the JMT ) just after the fork with the Center Basin Trail ( unmarked, but obvious ). This is a good camp from which to get a early start for the ascent of Forester Pass.

A good ( but very short ) cross country side trip would be to summit Mt Muir. See Bob Rockwell's nice photos on Mt Muir in his Club Photo album.

Enjoy your trip. Jim F

If you can plan on a layover day at high altitude, it would be a smart move. I would recommend up above Guitar lake.

Don't stay at Guitar or the small lake above it. Push on to the sandy shelf above the small lakes. It is spring feed and from here you can hike over to Hitchcock lakes. Also, from here you are at 12,000 ft and as close as you can get for your run on Whitney.

No one seems to stop here and the fishing is great. We were there on August 20th and pulled a 12", 14" and six 8"-10" Golden Trout out.

Pan fried in olive oil, cornbeaded. Man what a treat.

The only downside to this location is that if a storm comes in, you'll be slammed.

I agree with the side trip from the shelf above Guitar Lake to Hitchcock Lakes they are simply awesome. As stated if there is a storm you are going to be slammed.

Bill