Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 2025

Attempting to summit Whitney this Friday with my wife. Took me about 10 years to land a permit, ha! Did ~500 of the AT (VT to ME) 25 years ago and have wanted to capstone that with a Whitney summit ever since. 2nd 14'er (Sneffels) and can't wait to feel the feeling I forgot again.

Thank you all for the great information in this thread! Very helpful.

On Permits...each year, I try for a Whitney Overnight so I (can/might) do a North Bound JMT...usually 6 weeks of dates from mid-July...Skunked for 3 straight years...when I asked the FS Managers about it, they stated I'm Very Unlucky...:-)

I made another trip to Onion Valley to retrieve a vehicle (which is now relocated to Mammoth Pass TH)...talked to a JMT Couple at Kearsarge Pass...they stated relatively little snow remains on the (north of) passes...T-Storms are dropping a bit of Precip...Bugs were still Nasty (my choice of words based on the look on their faces when I asked if bugs were still an issue)...

I made sure to talk about Food & Drink at the WPS...they said they were looking forward to it...

Richard, good talking with you today.

I tried to send you a PM, but received the following msg, "Richard P. is over their Private Topic limit."

Check out the latest Chessler link, https://www.chesslerbooks.com/eCart/searchItem.asp?strSearch=-828

Paul

Hey Paul, try it now.

Going backwards...

There is a sign at Sage Flar Rd...(Olancha Pass TH)...at least SB...I didn't turn to check the condition of the road...

When I got back to the Trailhead, there were 2 Old Geezers looking at my bike...one of them was Ray DeLea...
http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/
His companion for the day was an 80 year old Dude who still rides Dirt Bikes...

A few miniutes after leaving you at the Trailhead, I crossed paths with another Paul (V?)...82 years old...Turns out he's an Old Friend of the Rockwell's...He has some of Bob's ashes that he's taking into the Backcoutry to spread around...He told me he still carries in excess of 50 pounds...is going in for 17 days...!!!

It was great running into you...

Richard - didn't realize it was you I met at the Horseshoe Meadow creek crossing. Great talking to you.

I used to do 50+ lb.17-day loops to Avalanche Pass/Colby Pass/Elzabeth Pass out of Horseshoe or Onion Valley a few years ago when I was younger and skinnier. Now it's 12-14 days and 40+ pounds. At 82 I can't go as far or as fast but I can still go.

It's not the mileage - it's just being in the Sierra backcountry that is the magic. I spend most of the year in Western Pennsylvania There are too many trees and not any Sierra-level views.

I never climbed with Bob Rockwell (I'm not a climber) but spent many hours with him (we're nearly Ridgecrest neighbors) discussing China Lake technology - but mostly the mountains - over beers. He was a unique and amazing man.
Booger

Jeff, I just tried again per your request and still received the following message, Richard P. is over their Private Topic limit."

Wow, Bogger...it's been ages since I last saw Booger. I believe it was on the approach to Cottonwood Pass Memorial Weeknd (more than 10 plus years ago). To note how long ago, I remember Booger was still at China Lake in the capacity of Deputy Director of the National Lab. Yes, a few years ago.

BobR would talk about Booger and Booger's hand built plane.

Good to hear that Booger is still hiking.

Paul

I'm leaving for the South Lake TH shortly for Stage 4 of my JMT Section Hike...I have 6 days of food packed...hoping the good feelings from the last few training hikes makes 5 possible...
(So I won't be replying any time soon.)

Back home late last night...beat up...reminded me why I don't really like much of the JMT between Bishop Pass and Mammoth...there are Outrageously Beautiful sections...but there's also LOTS of low-altitude, hot terrain...

Second to last day, a PCT couple stopped for a rest where I set up my tent for the night...spent about 15-20 minutes talking about the trail...and the unique nature of Thru-Hikers...

During the conversation they stated that the bridge "above" Red's Meadow is out...closed after Winter '24 (Funny, I swear I crossed an intact bride on a hike from Red's to Tuolumne Meadows last Autumn)...

I guess I'm too dazed and confused by fatigue to find any useful information and I know some of you know this stuff...appreciate the help...was planning on going from Mammoth to Happy Isle staring tomorrow (after a rest and resupply), but it's going to take way more than one day to recover (mentally and physically)...

If I find any Highlight Photos worth publishing, I''ll put them in a separate thread...


BTWs:
-A few mosquito infested areas, but not nearly as bad as I thought it might be...3 bites over 5 days...Hope I don't get West Nile Virus...which was on the news as I drove up to South Lake...
-Head Net only went on for about 1/2 mile where the trail passes along one of the lakes in the Evo Basin...
-An NPS Trail Crew were working on the re-route...more elevation gain to come...
-All of the stream crossing were Trivial...I didn't even bother to take off my shoes, or pull up my pants at Evo Creek...

-Sierra National Forest is also participating the the Meadow Trails Re-Route Project (my name...I don't know what they're calling it)...they had a big group up...more on that later...

And, a bit of $%#@!!...
Campsite Consolidation...who's idea? The Most Disgusting Scene...(Probably a slight exaggeration on my part)...had to be 15 tents that seemed too close to the creek...and a guy taking a **** just off the trail to my left...and still way too close to water...!!! How the heck is sanitation (polite word for pooping) going to be handled when you're bunching people up like this?????

Richard, I felt like that last fall going over Bishop Pass.
For your next section northbound, I like the high-views High Trail (PCT) out of Agnew Meadow rather than the no-views River Trail.

Harvey

Paul, a couple of data points:

Trail Pass -> Cottonwood Pass Loop elevation gain: 1514'
Cottonwood Pass -> Trial Pass Loop elevation gain: 1513'

I did the counter-clockwise direction (your stated preferred direction) yesterday...I guess it doesn't matter which direction you do it in...if the concern is elevation gain...

BTW, it was windy and WARM...lots of people, but still a few parking spots near the Trailhead available...only a couple of side-streams still running at LOW rates...

Does anyone have any information on the smoke conditions? We're going up soon-ish and for the past few days I've been monitoring the webcam but I can't determine if that's just haze from the heat down in town or if there's smoke in the air. I've seen comments elsewhere about needing a mask but I'd rather hear it from those actually in the know here.

I've gone up to Horseshoe Meadow a couple of times in the past week...
Last Friday, the smoke was bad near Ridgecrest, but it was clear up north...
On the 12th there was relarively little smoke anywhere...just a little bit hazy...

BTW, Army Pass still has snow down to the trail, but it doe not cover it, so the Pass is a walk-up now...other than having to deal with some large rockfall just below the top...New Army Pass was dry...

Yesterday my daughter Katherine, her husband Danny, and I completed the popular Onion Valley to Mt Whitney route.

Some notes:

The Tyndall Creek snow sensor is getting a makeover. Many helicopters were seen engaged in the operation as we passed through the area.

The crossings at Tyndall, Wright and Wallace Creeks are easy.

On the second day, there was an hour of thunder (but no rain) as we approached our campsite at Guitar Lake. However, we observed a white dusting on the west side of Mt Whitney.

On the morning of the final day, we summited at 9:10 under clear skies. There was quite a bit of snow on the trail for the final mile. On the return to Trail Crest to retrieve our packs, the temperature dropped and clouds surfaced. We had a few minutes of hail at the Cables, which stopped and never returned. However, we later learned that dozens of hikers were turned back by pounding hail on the final two miles to the Summit.

A new sign has been placed (very recently) just prior to the North Fork crossing, now indicating the direction of both the Main Trail AND the North Fork Trail.

Katherine and Danny took the Old Trail so they could place their food order at the Store ASAP. They think that in the last few days there has been some trimming back of the overgrown vegetation on the Old Trail.

While ordering at the Store, Katherine and Danny met a college friend and her hiking partner. They had just completed the High Sierra Trail. It was their first hike in the Sierras. Doug Sr graciously joined the five of us as we feasted. Her friends were fascinated by Doug's many observations over his decades at the Portal and in the Mountains. After an hour of conversation, they reluctantly had to leave to get their ride back to Visalia. Like us, Katherine's friends will be back soon.

Jim

Speaking of Helo's...I heard 2 north of where I was on the Trail / Cottonwood Passes Loop yesterday...

It feels like Summer is winding down...didn't see more than a half-dozen other hikers...weather was more like I like it...almost wind breaker time when stopping for a break...

If you're hikeing the area, you better carry what you need, water-wise...just a trickle from 2 creeks I crossed...a group heading out stated you really needed to pay attention to water out on the PCT...

First part of this system moved in, we are seeing rain , thunder now ,started about 1 PM very light now steady rain.Temps dropping also 54 degrees at 3 PM putting summit close to sleet/snow temps.

Summited Whitney on the 19th, a fantastic day I had been dreaming of for years. Received great hospitality and friendly warmth from everyone at the Portal Store.

Noticed a QR code and web link on the summit register and meant to take a photo to investigate, but I forgot. The altitude almost made me spell my hometown wrong lol.

Anyone know what that QR code/website is?

It is that time of year:

https://www.backpacker.com/survival...zA&_hsmi=377510548&utm_source=newsletter

It started raining as I was riding up HM Rd...Got off the bike in the Day Use Area...waited about 20 minutes, or so, for the rain to stop...walked about 5 miles in the Trailhead area and out to Marmot Rocks where I hypnotized a few marmots with my skilled whistling...:-)




Tweaked my right knee last week on the descent from Trail Crest to the JMT Junction...it's cooked and will probably require surgery...but at least I can still use it for the time-being...a positive from a negative: Stok Kangri (Ladakh) was supposedly opening in '25, but is still closed, so I won't have to be bummed about that...Tilicho Tal (the one trek I'm planning for in Nepal) has a hard and an easier approach (that I think I'll still be able to manage)...

(For the dingbats who think I'm doing something wrong: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/recreational-drone-tips)

Here's a short drone pan video of the conditions:

3 minute drone pano


There was quite the light show on the ride home...and I saw 2 rainbows...

A ding bat I read the link real slow and was focused on why you can't see the wilderness section ?

Wilderness?
I was sititng on a picnic table...
Next to a permanently installed BBQ...
About 50' away from a concrete and masonry bathroom building...
Which was at the end of a Paved Parking Lot in Paradise...:-)

Don't know that there are restrictions on Cherry-Stemmed Non-Wilderness areas...
If there are, please advise...