Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Couple questions from a noob

Excitement for my upcoming summit attempt is building, and I would be grateful if a few might share wisdom on the following two questions:

--How late will the snack bar at the Whitney Portal store be open on Sunday?

--Other than bear cannistering our food at Trail Camp, are there any other marmot precautions that should be taken during our summit attempt? That is, what to do with the tent? Leave it set up with the door open or pack it up? And with our packs?

Many thanks in advance!

Tiger, as you can see from the below pic the dinner last order time isn't posted, but I believe it's 7:30. There's also an implied suggestion as to certain Moosefare that you might find tasty . . .



As to the marmot problem at Trail Camp, I would suggest you bypass the issue and camp at Consultation Lake. It's much quieter and provides a completely different perspective even though it's just a few hundred yards short of TC. There's no guarantee that a stray marmot won't get into your stuff while you're summitting, but they mostly congregate for the Trail Camp Smorgasbord. My hiking partner and I left our tents up and zipped tight at CL while summitting a couple of weeks ago, and upon returning there was no evidence of any activity.

You damn sure don't want to haul full packs all the way to the summit! If you camp at TC, some leave tents up and unzipped, while others drop their tents with gear inside and place rocks on top to discourage marmots. Frankly, I don't think marmots can be discouraged.

Back in 2001 when my son and I did Whitney, we left all food and smellables in our bear canister, main packs leaning together with a big trash bag over them and our tent zipped up. No issues with critters at Trail Camp that time.

I guarantee the marmots will sniff out any goodies you leave in your pack or tent and then they WILL gnaw into it to find out what you left behind. I'm pretty paranoid about protecting food, double-bagging anything that isn't in the bear can (i.e. serving sizes in original packaging or quart ziplocks inside gallon ziplocks per meal). Between raccoons and chipmunks here in the midwest and ground squirrels, marmots and bears out west, I've never (knock on wood) lost anything to a critter other than some crumbs I dropped while eating a granola bar. I know they're around because I've seen what they do to packs belonging to careless Scouts...not the sort of air-conditioning they had in mind...

Bulldog,

I encountered my first ever marauding Mt. Whitney marmot at Consultation Lake in 1997. This sucker would not take no for an answer as we ate lunch prior to heading up the #$@@% switchbacks.

They are there just not as plentiful but similarly habituated.

definitely, packs outside your tent and both zipped closed with NO food in them. food should be in your bear can and away from your gear. if you leave your tent open you might come back to find Marmot poop & urine inside. i have seen that happen at Trail Camp. not what you want after a great summit experience. have fun and good luck!

Bill, maybe they've all moved to the TC buffet in the past 13 years since so few people seem to camp at Consultation Lake. The night we camped there two weeks ago, quillansculpture and I were the only ones camping in the area. Mice were present, and even a pika, but never saw a marmot - even going through Trail Camp twice. Last year I recall seeing a damn Welcome Wagon of 'em at Trail Camp. Maybe the population has been reduced to marmot chops?

I also intended to mention that marmots go after salt as fiercely as yummies, so any article you leave behind that has sweat on it should be similarly secured (or taken with you).

#34, 3 years ago, I left a gallon baggy with my breakfast foods out by mistake at TC when I went to summit. The whole bag was gonzo, no remnants of it anywhere. Thank God for extra Clif Bars.

Funny thing, we did not see a marmot the two days we were up there.