Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney Portal District

Hey you guys,

I tried to find an answer on these threads with no luck so far, so i figured i would cut to the chase and just ask. I am sorry if this is a repetitive question.

We have booked a few camp sights at the whitney portal but ended up not getting the hiking permits. I have read all over the sight that you can get permits the day before or even the day of but my question is :

What if we don't get a permit. how far out does the "district" go ? where is the closest area where we can hike from the portal that does not need a permit?

what is there to do if we are not allowed on the trail?

Thanks heaps in advance. I am very excited as this is my first trip:)

Caro

Just keep checking the boards. It's the Eastern High Sierras!!!! Limitless things to do. Just on the other side of the Owens Valley is the White Mountains, while down the road, Death Valley. The Sierras provides fishing, camping, hiking, boating, sightseeing, incredible opportunities for photography. You can even visit one of the best photo galleries around in Bishop, Mountain Light. You can catch trout, bass, bluegill, catfish and even Bulldogs favorite, Crawdads (I call them Crawdzillas.)

If you need more info on the Whitney Zone, go to REI or visit Tom Harrison Maps for a map of the area. The question is not what is there to do, but what can't you do.

You can go up the Whitney trail as far as Lone Pine Lake without a permit. From the Portal there is also the Meysan Lakes trail that takes off through the campground and goes up the next canyon south of Lone Pine Creek, no permit required for day hikes.

Dale B. Dalrymple

You can do a day hike up to Lone Pine Lake from the Whitney Portal. No permit needed for that.

If you're there for a few days do Lone Pine Lake in the afternoon and hang out at the wilderness center/permit office in the mornings trying to get same day or next day permits. You have a good chance of getting the permit depending on what day of the week it is.

Is a permit required to hike up to Meysan Lake? That would be another nice hike out of the Whitney Portal. I'd tend to say to keep the campsite. There's plenty to do in the area.

No permit required. It is a fantastic and beautiful hike. You will not be disappointed. Perfect substitute for those didn't-get-those permit blues.

Also, you may want to brush up on some geology.

At one time there was a huge glacier. As the earth warmed, the earth started to melt. The water collected over the years behind an ice dam. Rocks fell down from mountain onto the ice and water below. Ice melted. The the pressure of the water was too much and the ice dam gave way. Or was it a massive temblor that shook the mountains violently? Imagine a wall of water gorging out the canyon onto the valley below.

If you stop by Lone Pine Campground, you will get the picture. No, the Alabamas are a lot older than Mt. Whitney.

You can see those big greys on your drive to the Portal. All of those large rocks. How did they get there? Simple, they rode an ice sleigh. Some of those granite boulders have to weigh at least 20 tons. Water alone could not have transported those huge stones.

And when you hike up Meysan Lakes you can see the remnant of some prehistoric lake. Look closely at the rocks at your feet. Worn smooth by the constant waves on the shore.

This, of course, just my theory.

Have fun.

But do watch out for the psycho grouse.

Grouse = dinner...late July 2010

Take a look at the Inyo National Forest website, which has info on the Mt. Whitney and White Mountain districts. There are other trails besides Mt. Whitney, believe it or not! Bishop Creek, Big Pine Creek, and Little Lakes Valley (Rock Creek), among others.

Most other trails allow same day permit applications. I often apply for overnight permits in Bishop, at the White Mountain Ranger District office. Go in early in the morning (@ 8 AM), apply for a permit for where you want to backpack, then return at 11 AM for the permit. No guarantees, but there are usually openings. The rule is that if a pre-reserved permit is not picked up by 11 AM on the scheduled day of departure, it is freed-up for other people.

The MMWT is unique in the Eastern Sierra in that it is the only trail which require a permit for day hiking, if you want to go beyond Lone Pine Lake.

My experience is the chance of you not getting a permit cancellation are low. If you do not get one, there are so many places to go in the immediate area you will not leave disappointed.

My personal likes in the area are the Meysan Lake Trail and Cottonwood Pass/Trail Pass Loop. Meysan Lake Trailhead is within Whitney Portal and end at Meysan Lake some 5 miles away. I love the Cottonwood Pass/Trail Pass Loop with a stop on the 11,500' Trail Peak. This peak offers some of the best views in the Sierra.

I could probably take a side trip to bag one of those Tule Elk along the 395, next to Tinemaha. Grouse, Elk, potatoes and gravy :-)

I believe that last year, the chances of getting a permit walking in were greater than 92%.....actually, that is the percent days that were actually left with permits, when it was all over. Presumably, there WERE some walk-ins....which would push that number up considerably!

The chances were probably closer to 96%, and it's hard to imagine a better chance of almost anything than that!

There are so many places to explore in the Eastern Sierras it take a lifetime to see everything (a few lucky people do just that). But if I had to throw in my 2 cents then the Cottonwood Lakes area would be a must do. And if you were really ambitious a five day pack from there takes you to Whitney and permits are not part of the lottery process.