Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board GPS Coordinates

This is my first time on the Mt. Will be taking the Mtneers Route. Would like to use my GPS. Any one have GPS coordinates? Postion format:hddd.mm.mmm and map datum:WGS84

Thanx,

Debb Legg

Please excuse my ignorance...what does Rosabella's onslaught mean?

Never carried my GPS up and captured waypoints.
But interploating on Topozone.com map (only uses NAD27) here are some....

LBL outlet 36 35.08 118 15.52
UBL outlet 36 34.91 118 16.26
Iceberg Lk 36 34.84 118 17.05
Start of chute 36 34.80 118 17.34
MR @4200 M 36 34.78 118 17.46
North face notch 36 34.78 118 17.56
Summit 36 34.72 118 17.49

Not sure how you will use your GPS, hopefully not for any real navigation. There is a well established use trail all the way up, and once you're at Iceberg Lk the MR is fairly obvious, follow the trail left by the 1000's before you

Thank you mtn_climbr001 for the info.Believe me I am not depending on my GPS for pure navigation. And I realize there is an established trail. I like to use my GPS whenever possible as more of a training experience then true navigation. How many folks have a GPS or compass but don't know how to use them

even after taking the REI gps class, I'm still not 100% on all that it can do. Most is redundant to map and compass but it does have a place when going off trail. MR is not off trail.-It did help in Miter Basin--Crabtree Pass area.--- it is fun. Gives us old farts a good excuse to stop and grab some air.-- You can mark "way points" for enjoyment later (in the bar) or see how close the altimeter reading is to actual altitude posted. My GEKO 2 came in 4 feet off.--however-- Best use so far was at Oakland Raiders parking lot--pointed me to car.

I have a few from my GPS:

E Ledges start 36 35.142 118.15.182
E ledges finish 36 35.148 118.15.277
LBSL 36 35.084 118.15.553
Iceberg 36 34.815 118.17.113
Chute 36 34.783 118.17.299
Summit 36 34.685 118.17.580
Summit 36 34.706 118.17.540

I don't recall what the 2 summit readings are (2 trips?), so please post your actual reading when you get back. Also, the signal is very bad in the canyon below LBSL, so don't trust the reading there. I agree with mtn_clmbr that this is for back-up navigation only.

NWMtnclimberhiker, I've used my GPS extensively throughout California, and have mapped many off-the-map trails. mtn_climbr001's NAD27 readings are probably as good as any. (Be sure you convert them to WPS84 for your GPS.) I carried my GPS up the MR a couple of times, but the granite walls are so high and so close in, I found my GPS continually losing the satellites. Thus, it was about useless. My altimeter was more helpful. On the main trail satellite reception was no problem, which enabled me to map the 97 switchbacks, which you can see at <a href=http://www.ridgenet.net/~rockwell/Climbing/WaynePyle97Switchbacks.xls>Map of the 97 Switchbacks</a>. Happy climbing!

Thank you Sierra Sam and Wayne for your very helpful information. That is all I was looking for. I have been climbing/hiking mtns for over 20 years and I belong to mtn rescue so its not like I don't know what I'm doing. What I want to do with the info was my business and I don't think it warranted the first answer I received or the one that gently scolded me for not properly check out the process for using message boards.

Believe me....have learned some valuable lessons before I even hit the trail....

You're just lucky that Rosabella didn't see you say "What I want to do with the info was my business"

A couple of data points from my GPS reading this past July:

summit: 36 34.717 & 118 17.522. It gave an elevation reading of 14506 ft (within 10 ft of real figure).

Guitar lake: 36 34.282 & 118 18.757. Elevation reading of 11489 ft.

Way to go Rosabella! You didn't take the bait

After getting more adept at gps use, I find myself using "UTM" coordinates instead of long/lat readings. Easier and more map friendly for example:
My guitar lake camp was:
elev 11101 feet and coordinates were :
11 s 0382404 4048296 on map datum NAD83
this takes a bit of figuring to get right but easier to use in the long run. I use garmin geko 201
REI class explanation helped. Check it out.

I would second the suggestion to sitch to UTM coordinates if you have not already done so. Another benefit is that some guide books such as Secor's list only UTMs for various passes, peaks, etc. UTMs are pretty easy to get the hang of. There is a fair web site at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/prwi/readutm.htm"> National Park Service</a> that explains how to use the UTM system.

Check out this website for waypoints for the Mountaineers Route (near to the bottom of the page)

http://www.colororange.com/cgi-bin/gps.cgi?page=californiaGPS.html

With all of the cairns and the well traveled nature of this path you'll be hard pressed to get lost.

Good Luck.