Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Winter Access Forum heading out in late March

Cabin fever getting to me, plus I want to get some on site gear testing in for a future winter Muir Trail.

The plan is to start out with a snow course March 18-19-20 near Tahoe if I can get off early enough to make it to that, and after that head south and do a few overnight backcountry trips before heading to Whitney.

I was thinking of doing a tour up to Tioga Pass along the pass road from Lee Vining, camp near the pass on day one and then head up to Mount Dana with day pack - back to camp and all the way down after the summit.

Another destination I have in mind for a brief overnight or two night tour is either Pinchot Pass or Mather Pass via Taboose - in and out on the same route. I want to get a first hand look at JMT country in winter.

Maybe I'll ski down the Minaret Road to Reds Meadow, Rainbow Falls in winter, and back up. Just want to get out and camp in the snow. Is the bath house open in winter? I read they open the spring itself in winter.

Any comments about the above destinations? Other ideas? doesn't have to be any grand skiing - I don't care for any gnarly descents, just want to get out to some great destinations on shorter trips that can easily be aborted.

Once I am through those trips, I think I'll be acclimated well enough to hit Whitney on the main trail. Should be around March 28 maybe. Anyone else on Whitney then?

After that, I have my eyes set on the west ridge of White Mountain Peak as a 2 or 2 1/2 day tour. Anyone interested in joining me? 9000 elevation feet, some easy class 3 on the top of the ridge. Not gonna do it if it's windy. I expect this to be around March 28. two trip reports that got me interested in this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosepics621/sets/72157623599983903/
http://picasaweb.google.com/bcompani/Whi...635169478311666

And then to top if off at the end, I hope to join whoever is around heading up the MR on Whitney on 4/1, so I can top it off with another summit before I head home again. If there's nobody doing Whitney's MR that day, I will probably head up to Mammoth and go go skiing the regular slopes.

Skiing up to Tioga is a good one. You could go out to Tuolumne Meadows and back on 120 which would be about five miles round trip. You could then do Dana in the morning before heading back to 395.

great - had no idea I could cover that much distance. I think it's 4 miles from the pass to the store at TM, though. How far up the pass can one drive before it's closed or too iffy to park in case snow comes in?

There's a gate down on the flat from 395 that will be closed. You may have to hike a bit before you hit enough snow to ski. It can get pretty windy and there is at least one avalanche spot on the way up to the lodge just outside the park.

You're correct on the distance to TM. It's more like seven miles one way from Tioga Kiosk. So then up from 395 and then out to TM for your first night it there are tracks already cut.