Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Thunderstom Safety

Is it advisable to ride out the evening thunderstorms at trail camp this time of year or is it more prudent to be open to setting up at outpost camp in the morning? I'd hate to have to setup camp at trail camp early in the day only to have to pack up the same evening to avoid being fried. Any thoughts/suggestions?

It is always safer to be well below the tree line during thunder/lightening storms.

I would opt for trail camp. While one does not prefer to be in open areas, trail camp is basically surrounded by mountain in nearly every direction at least a thousand feet above the camp. Probably pretty safe. However, the added time/distance the next day to the summit would tend to have one running into the mid afternoon thunderstorms, if one runs a little late. One would have to be considerably more careful with the planning.