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General advice
#36246 05/05/14 09:26 AM
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awfybig Offline OP
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Just doing some research and stumbled across this forum. I'm coming from the UK in July and have a midweek overnight permit for Mt Whitney. I'm in good physical shape, reasonably experienced and have climbed at over 10,000 before. There will be two of us. We will be doing the Whitney Trail.

Here's my plan so far. Would welcome any advice/pointers:

Day 1 - stay in a Lone Pine motel - already booked.

Day 2 - Drive to trailhead and do a hike to get acclimatized then camp overnight. I can't figure out whether Whitney Portal Campground and Whitney Trailhead Campground are the same thing? Any advice on camping options would be appreciated. Any good hikes - read somewhere about the arches in the Alabama Hills?

Day 3 - hike to Trail Camp and stay over. What time should we set off to get to Trail Camp? I read it gets busy in summer.

Day 4 - hike to summit, return to Trail Camp, pack up and get off mountain then drive to Bridgeport - motel already booked (have to be in San Fran next day). Is this doable in a day? I'm assuming an early (5am?) start is needed.

Thanks in advance.

Re: General advice
awfybig #36252 05/05/14 10:22 AM
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Welcome, awfybig!

The trail head is in the same location as Whitney Portal campground, the campground is just half a mile below the trail head. I've not seen it called Whitney Trailhead campground.

I might modify the itinerary this way:
1. Lone Pine motel.

2. Day 2: Go to the Visitor Center a mile S of Lone Pine and pick up your hiking permit. Drive up to Whitney Portal just to explore. Find the trailhead, visit the portal store, etc. Drive back down almost to Lone Pine, take Horseshoe Meadows road up to Horseshoe Meadows (elev. is 10k', ~1 hour from Whitney Portal). Day hike to Trail Peak. Consider camping overnight at Horseshoe Meadows, pretty much always spots available. You will get better acclimation sleeping there.

3. Drive to Whitney Portal and start your hike. Trail Camp is a 4,000 elevation change above the trail head, so it is a full day's hike. If you are feeling the AMS, consider camping instead at Outpost Camp (about 10,5k). The summit can be reached from there, just get up earlier. Sleeping there is easier on the AMS symptoms.

Day 4: Hike to the summit, get down, pack out. (It will be easier to pack out if your gear is at Outpost.)
Driving: Stop overnight in Mammoth Lakes. Much closer than Bridgeport, lots of lodging available in summer (it is a big winter ski resort.) Get up early, drive up to the Mammoth Crest overlook (just 15 minutes above Mammoth Lakes), get another spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada -- It is different there than the Whitney View.

Then, drive through Yosemite and Tioga Pass (Hwy 120) rather than farther north. Tioga Pass is a spectacular drive, you should not miss it.

If you have time, (Get up EARLY in Mammoth!) drive down into Yosemite Valley (~2 hours from Mammoth) stopping at the turnouts and snap pictures. It's only 1 hour (round trip) out of your way, but with stops, longer.

Drive the Hwy 120 to San Francisco. ~4 hours from Yosemite Valley.

Re: General advice
Steve C #36257 05/05/14 01:21 PM
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awfybig Offline OP
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Cheers Steve. Thanks for the tip on the Horseshoe Meadows. Sounds like the winner.

Re Trail Camp or Outpost - I guess it depends on how we feel, so take that one as it comes.

Re Yosemite - we actually drove from Lee Vining to the Yosemite entry gates a couple of years ago but about turned to head to Death Valley coz we were running out of time. The road up to Yosemite was excellent. Ideally we'd have a bit more time this visit and stay in Yosemite a couple of nights but the delights of San Fran beckon. California is a bloody big place. Maybe next time.

Ta.

Re: General advice
Steve C #36258 05/05/14 01:48 PM
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I thought there were two campgrounds. One down below (Whitney Portal Family Campground) that Steve mentioned and another smaller walk-in campground right near the trailhead that is used on a first come-first served basis?

I hear the walk-in campground fills up rather quickly.

Re: General advice
awfybig #36259 05/05/14 02:22 PM
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awfybig: You're not saving any time going up to Bridgeport to cross the Sierra on the way to SF. You might as well cross via Yosemite and say you drove through. (I suppose you would save the $20 park entrance fee by skipping it altogether.)

If SF attractions are the draw, then skip the side trip into Yosemite Valley proper. (Just make a right turn instead of left at the Crane Flat junction).

Re: General advice
Steve C #36261 05/05/14 04:31 PM
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Originally Posted By: Steve C
awfybig: You're not saving any time going up to Bridgeport to cross the Sierra on the way to SF. You might as well cross via Yosemite and say you drove through. (I suppose you would save the $20 park entrance fee by skipping it altogether.)

If SF attractions are the draw, then skip the side trip into Yosemite Valley proper. (Just make a right turn instead of left at the Crane Flat junction).


Awfybig,

I've been back and forth between the Bay area and Lone Pine many times. Shortest and fastest route is via hwy 120. I endorse Steve's recommendation to stay in Mammoth Lakes, and simply take 120 through Yosemite Park, and as he indicated turn right when you get to Crane Flat (this avoids the park "proper"). Hwy 108 is scenic, but torturous. Google maps is not correct when it shows shorter time via hwy 108(IMHO).

John

Re: General advice
awfybig #36266 05/05/14 05:59 PM
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Here's an opinion...

1. Motel...Cancel the reservation. Save your money and spend it on a good meal or something. You've got the gear, camp at Whitney Portal or Horseshoe Meadow.

2. Acclimatization...it's stinking hot in the Alabama hills in the summer months. If you go to Whitney Portal, head up the Meysan Lake Trail. You will be going up the MMWT soon enough.

3. The trip to Trail Camp...Leave whatever time works for you.
It's six miles, +3,600' to 12,000'. You can go exploring, if you get to Trail Camp early.

4. Travel...16 mile day and drive 150 miles more or less...I've done more than once in the Sierra. Don't know about the SF thingy...I'm a SoCal.


Re: General advice
John Sims #36275 05/06/14 12:35 AM
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Originally Posted By: John Sims
I've been back and forth between the Bay area and Lone Pine many times. Shortest and fastest route is via hwy 120... Hwy 108 is scenic, but torturous. Google maps is not correct when it shows shorter time via hwy 108.

Aha! Here's a Google Maps route between Lee Vining and Oakdale. It's even 20 miles farther on their preferred route!

It must be that the posted speed limit in Yosemite is 45 mph, and on Hwy 108, it's 55 or 65. That may be the official speed, but there are very few places to actually reach that. The 108 is waaay slower traveling than 120. In Yosemite, it's a chore to keep your speed down at the limit.


Re: General advice
Steve C #36276 05/06/14 01:58 AM
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Oh, yeah: 108. I took that route once as a change of scenery. Too bad it took so long that about half the drive ended up being after sunset. I would only take that route if you just had time, and more time to kill (yes it's pretty, but really, the views from 120 aint so bad, either)


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: General advice
Bee #36277 05/06/14 03:43 AM
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awfybig Offline OP
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Cheers guys.

Sounds like Mammoth overnight then 120 through Yosemite is the way to go.

Re: General advice
awfybig #36279 05/06/14 07:10 AM
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Sounds like the best plan. Highway 120 from Lee Vining through the Yosemite high country is beautiful, and you have the option of a side trip into Yosemite Valley - spectacular. Highway 108, Sonora Pass, is very pretty, but very narrow and slow.

Just after the Lee Vining turn-off at 120, there is an excellent deli, the Whoa Nellie Deli, at the Mobile gas station. The Tuolumne Meadows store will be open.

A couple of days ago I met another couple from the UK, while hiking the north fork of Big Pine Creek, who were following an itinerary back SFO to similar to yours, but with a side trip north of San Francisco to the Redwoods.

Have fun in the California sun! So much to see - come back again.

Re: General advice
awfybig #36320 05/07/14 08:42 AM
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I like June Lake, it's quieter, but that's me.

The aforementioned Whoa Nellie is a great idea and the Double Eagle Resort for breakfast with its view of a waterfall coming off of Carson Peak is always a treat.

Last edited by wbtravis; 05/07/14 08:45 AM.

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