Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Additional permit the night before group permit

Me and some friends have a permit to climb Whitney for the weekend of May 30th through June 1st. We'll be climbing all three days; East Buttress, Mithril dyhedral, and maybe East Face. I was interested in going a day early and camping at Iceburg Lake to acclimatize as I'm coming from sea level and am not in as good of shape as my friends due to a recent minor surgery about a month ago that has made me unable to workout much. I looked up the permits, and there are plenty available the night of the 29th (34 out of 60). I tried to register, but the system said my email was registered under another account.

My question is: can I get an overnight permit to go in a day early, and then join up with the permit I am on for the weekend? Should I use the account my email is registered in to get this additional permit, or should I avoid the confusion and just register a new account with another email account (like my work email for example). Not trying to break any rules here, just trying to see what my options are. Would really like to get up there a day early.

Dyl, you should call Recreation.gov and get your email address situation worked out. ...or use the website, and its "Forgot Password" link. I believe they will just email you a new password. You must have signed up with them for another trip. Using a second email is ok, but you should really straighten out the original one.

As for permits, you are looking in the wrong place. You need a North Fork Lone Pine Creek permit (Inyo's number is J34). That permit is for overnight trips up the Mountaineers Route area, which is where you are headed. There is a quota of 10 per start date on that route, 4 are held back for walk-in requests, made available at the Visitor Center a mile S of Lone Pine at 11 AM the day BEFORE you start up the trail. No-shows become available at 11 AM the date you start up the trail.

If you do get the permit, your friends can drop you from their permit, since yours is good for as long as you want.

Steve, thanks for the very helpful reply! I did check for the JM34 permit for May 29th, and there are none left. I guess one option would be to show up thursday at 11am and chance getting a day of permit, or take an additional day off work and try for the walk in day-before permit route. If I don't get the day of permit, it looks like there is a different permit system to camp at Lower Boy Scout Lake? It that true or is it the same JM34 permit? Looking at this map, it looks like a different permit would be needed for LBSL:

https://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5347548.jpg

No, same permit. The map you're looking at is the "Whitney Zone" map. That map shows where you need a permit even to enter as a day hiker. The day hiker permits are part of the lottery, and the same Day Use permit is required to go up the Main Trail as well as the North Fork Lone Pine Creek. If you day hiked to Lower Boy Scout, no permit is required -- that is all that loop/finger around the lake means on the boundary line.

By the way, the North Fork Lone Pine Creek IS NOT a trail!!! I just can't figure out why they keep calling it a trail. There are some use-paths, and lots of people know about the Ebersbacher Ledges, but if you don't know the route or study the route before you go, it's nearly impossible to find your way. Do you know that route??

You need the North Fork permit I wrote about above to enter that area if you camp overnight, anywhere in that drainage. The first decent place to camp is Lower Boy Scout.

Dang, I was hoping that wasn't the case! Completely understand about the "trail" not being a trail. I have never hiked the North Fork Lone Pine Creek path/trail/drainage/etc but I am very familiar with climber trails and understand that it will not be marked, it will be difficult to follow, and that proper study of a topo will be needed in advance.

I guess my best chance would be to take the additional day off work and try for the day-before option. If that doesn't work I'll try the day-of option. If both options fail, I guess I could just go to LBSL for the entire day in an effort to get as high in elevation as possible. I'm just a bit worried about my sea-level lungs and trying to do technical climbing at 14k feet! I hike/climb/ski in the Tahoe region frequently without a problem, so my body is pretty used to adapting to higher elevation. I also climbed Bear Creek Spire last year (13,700) via the 5.8 route. That kicked my butt pretty good, which is why I'm a little worried to add almost another 1,000 feet this year, and not having the time to properly train. I'm going to Tahoe this weekend and next and will be trying to hike and camp out around 10,000 to get my VO2 up.

Thanks for the help!

Dyl, here's what I would do:

Day before, 10:45 AM, get in line, get into the 11 AM mini-lottery (drawing names out of a hat), lowest number gets first access to the counter, this includes ALL trails, reservation holders AND people like you) You will likely get one of the 4 available walk-in permits for the North Fork. If not (or maybe regardless) be SURE to ask about any no-shows for the current-day--the become available at 11 AM, too.

If you get the permit for next day (or if you don't get one), day hike up to LBSL and back. Learn the route, and the Ebersbacher Ledges. See link below.

If you get the permit for current day, go to the store, buy extra food, pack up to LBSL and camp. Take your time and acclimate.

If you get the permit for next day, after day hiking to LBSL and back, drive down the road, take Horseshoe Meadows road to HM, camp overnight at 10,000'. Relax and acclimate. Next morning, drive back to Whitney Portal, pack up to Upper BS Lk or farther to Iceberg Lk. Spend the night, relax, acclimate. With two nights at altitude, when your partners show up, you should be ready to climb!

If on the first day you get neither a next-day walk-in permit nor a current-day no-show permit, drive back down from Horseshoe Meadows, and get in line again at 10:45, and try again for another no-show permit for THAT day. I am pretty sure you will get a permit in one of the above scenarios. PLEASE do report back what works for you!

Consider taking Diamox (acetazolamide). You need an Rx from your doctor.

Now: Study the Mountaineers Route access (North Fork Lone Pine Creek): Mountaineers Route info and links Topo study alone will not show you the way to the E-ledges, or show you how to stay out of the Clyde Meadow brush between Lower and Upper BS Lakes. By the way, do your friends know the route?

Steve, you are awesome! This is exactly the kind of optioned plan I was hoping to formulate. Thank you so much for lending your expertise. That sounds like a great priority list, especially the back-up plan to camp at HM and still be able to get some elevation sleep in around 10,000.

I will be sure to report back with what I end up doing.

One friend might know the approach as he has been climbing regularly in the Sierras for over a decade. I wouldn't be surprised if he has climbed Whitney before. Him and another in the group are experienced climbers, back country skiers, backpackers, etc. I have little doubt that they will be able to successfully navigate to Iceberge Lake. Whether they are able to navigate to IL and then climb the East Buttress, all in a single push...we'll have to see about that.

Hey Steve,

I talked to the group last night, and I just need to clarify an important point. If I am successful in getting a permit 1 of the 3 options that you mentioned (Wed day-before, Wed day-of, Thurs day-of), would this allow me to stay on that permit until Sunday?

The reason being, we have another friend who was not part of the original group permit (30th-2nd) that would like to join, if it happens that my place in the group permit opens up.

So my question is: 1) Can I stay until Sunday on my newly acquired permit? and 2) Can I transfer my spot (I am not registered as the trip leader) on the permit to another person? The potential game plan would be for him to be packed and ready for my call. If I do get the early permit, I would call him and tell him to come on down with the other guys, and I would change my place on the group permit to his name.

Thanks!

1. Yes. An overnight permit is good for the entire season if you stay in the backcountry and only come out for less than 24 hours, and re-enter where you exit (this accommodates re-supply needs). The other rule is that you cannot stay in one place for over 14 nights.

2. I don't think your name is currently on the other permit. ...or does Recreation.gov ask for all the names? Regardless, when the group leader picks up the permit, he can cross you off and add the friend's name. If you get your own permit, the friend's name goes on the group permit.

I think the friend should plan on going. You will most likely get a permit of your own.

Hey so just wanted to report back with a mini trip report.

Me and said friend left early wednesday (5/28) morning around 6am from Sacramento. Said friend had called days earlier to the lone pine office to ask about the permit system, and was told we could pick up permits at Lee Vining, Mammoth, Bishop, etc. Turns out, that wasn't correct, as the people in Lee Vining informed us (and called to confirm with lone pine) that they were not able to give out mountaineers route permits at their facility. Oh well. They said there were 5 same-day permits available (from the website), and that maybe nobody will take them before Lone Pine. We went for it.

We arrived in Lone Pine a few hours later, and there were still 4 same-day permits available. Woohoo! Grabbed a bear canister, extra supplies, and eventually hit the trail at 5:30pm. Since we had gotten a late start, and I had managed some unintentional swimming in the first river crossing, we stopped at Lower Boy Scout Lake a little before sunset to allow a little time to dry out my clothes.

We met a couple climbers coming down, and we asked them about the snow conditions. They reported that they had just come down in trail runners and poles. We decided to do the same, which allowed us to ditch out crampons, mountaineering boots, and 1 ice ax at LBSL. We kept one ax to bring up, just in case.

Thursday (5/29) we hiked to Iceburg Lake, taking a break at Upper Boy Scout Lake for lunch. Arrived around 2pm (got a late start debating on methods on stashing our gear, plus my boots were still damp and drying) and set up camp.

Climbed East Buttress of Whitney (5/30) and Mithril Dihedral on Russell (5/31). Hiked out 6/1.

Attached are a few pics of the trip.

BETA: There is very minimal snow from Upper Boy Scout Lake to Iceburg Lake. as for the approach to the climb, if you start after the sun comes up, the snow is pretty soft to the approach of Whitney. We left camp at 9am, and we started the moutnaineers route back down around 6pm. It had been pretty windy during the night and also during the day. Nothing too bad, but the forecast had said 45mph gusts. When we came down the mountaineers route the snow was solid. Due to plenty of traffic, however, the trail was completely boot packed and easy to get down in hiking boots, or even trail runners. Hiking poles were VERY helpful and made going down much faster, much more useful than an ice ax. However, if the trail was not already boot packed, you would have definitely needed crampons.

Water: Rock about 12ft from shore has a gap between it and the ice, easy to get water.

For Russell, you have to cross a snow field (400ft?) to get to the notch over the pass, and onward to Russell. Snow was similar on Saturday (6/31) as the day before. Soft and able to kick steps if needed in the morning after the sun came up. In the evening (returned to camp in the last minutes of daylight), the snow was solid, but the footprints from everyone else made it super easy. No snow after pass, and minimal snow on the descent.

1) First pitch on East Buttress



2) Crossing the snow fields on the way down from Whitney, before reaching the notch.


3) Shot of Iceburg Lake coming down the mountaineers route.


4) Shot of Whitney in the evening, with climbers coming down.