Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Called for permit on 5/21-5/23: no problem

Called the Reservations desk and asked if there were any available. On Sunday (5/2), they said that 12 overnight spots were available. Obviously, I picked up 4 of those spots. They told me I'd be getting information in the mail shortly.

Here's my question: is that all I need to be able to go up the Main Trail and camp along the way? Seems like other people have had difficulties getting overnight permits through the lottery system. Want to make sure I have all my bases covered.

This is my group's first trip up Whitney. We did Half Dome last year, and I'm sure Whitney will kick our butt compared to this walk in the woods. I've been scouring different websites to ensure we have all the right gear and come fully prepared.

Thanks for the info and the responses!

John

My guess is you probably got a permit because you aren't in the "prime" season..when kids get out of school..summer..etc...

Good for you! Let us know how it goes.. Sigh..I still have all summer to wait...lol..

BeachAV8R

That's what I'm thinking as well. However, I was actually quite surprised. It appeared that there were still some spots available in the prime months as well. I'm going to call the Reservations desk and/or the Ranger Station just to make sure I'm not missing anything. I specifically said hiking to the summit with overnight camping from 5/21-5/23.

Again, first time going up there. I've got 2 1/2 weeks to walk/bike/lift for preparation. A trip to REI will be in the works very soon as well.

I'm excited and scared at the same time. I've never used crampons or ice axes before and don't plan to bring them. I hope the conditions are safe enough with the recent heat melting the snow. If not, I may not be able to hit the summit.

Just be safe, the summit will still be there for another try if the conditions won't allow a summit this time. I always thought that the hike past the climbers cemetary on the way to the Matterhorn was a good reminder of what happens when people go past their limits. While being buried with my ice ax is terrific, I'm not ready to retire it or me yet.

Thanks for the advice. I believe I know my limits and will not go beyond them. That's not to say that I'll challenge myself on the way up.

From talking to a guy at REI tonight, he made it seam as if the hike isn't terribly difficult. Crampons might be needed but aren't absolutely required. He did advise, though, to check with the ranger station for the most up-to-date weather and trail conditions. I picked up Paul Richins book on Mt Whitney while I was there.

Unfortunately, the only comparison I have is Half Dome in the summer. It didn't seem hard at all and was quite easy in some parts. While I was tired after the day was done, there was an accomplishment in hiking up and back in a day. I hope to get that feeling again at Mt Whitney.

If you liked Half Dome, you'll love Whitney. Because of the altitude, Whitney is far more challenging.

I am quite curious. I thought that there was snow, steep snow generally on much of the upper route into June. Is this correct? Wouldn't an ice axe, if not crampons, be prudent or almost essential? I hiked the trail last July and there were still some trivial patches of snow on the traverse to the summit from Trail Crest. There are steep, exposed areas both on the main switchback side and on the western side as I recall. I also thought I had seen photos of some pretty "interesting" snow conditions from last year posted by a variety of folks.

Just interested?????

I loved Half Dome except for the end. The trail was packed and everyone seemed to bunch up at the cables. Probably about 200+ going up the cables alone. There were some people climbing up/down on the outside...one slip and they're gone. No thanks.

I'm not really afraid of heights, but I wouldn't want to be hanging on to dear life up in Whitney. Being on the main trail, I think I'll be safe.

I'm reading the Whitney guide I talked about earlier. I'm also going to watch this board for weather updates from hikers as well as any ranger info. Also, I'm attending a backpacking course at REI just in case they go over crampons and ice axes.

Thanks to everyone who's replied to this thread. I'm taking a crash course in Mt Whitney terminology and hiking advice. Any other input is greatly appreciated!