Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Horseshoe Meadows to Whitney Portal info?

Hi All! I am getting ready to head out that way in September and wanted to know if anyone could provide some updated info on the Horseshoe Meadow to Whitney Portal route. This will be my first time hiking any parts of Whitney, so I could definitely use some advice!

Here are some specifics:
1. What are the water sources like? Are they reliable in early September throughout the route or should I be prepared to hike with more water (i.e. more than 100 oz)?
2. Are there bear lockers at the campsites? I am getting different details from different people. I have an approved canister and will bring no matter what, just curious on additional options.
3. Average temperatures? Would a 15 deg sleeping bag be complete overkill? I am trying to avoid buying another one right now.
4. Has anyone heard of major issues with bringing unscented deodorant? The group I am hiking with is split between no deodorant and won't hike without it.
5. Should I get bear spray?

Thanks to all for the help! I have hiked in bear country before, but mostly CO and TN, so want to make sure I am prepared. This forum has been awesome to read so far!

Welcome, Shawna! September is a nice time to hike in the Sierra. It is usually a month with lower precipitation, lower visitors, and pleasant days.

You will be fine with that 15 deg bag. You might need to unzip it at times. How heavy is it?

Deoderant: Let people bring or not, whatever is their personal preference. Just bring the tiniest container possible, and keep it in the bear canister overnight. I once broke off a piece of stick deodorant, and carried it in a snack-zip-lock. ...but now I don't carry any. Older guys don't generate smell like younger ones. ...Or maybe my nose is just worn out.

Don't bring bear spray. Calif bears are not aggressive ...unless you try to bother them after they already have your food. (I did that once  )

Thank you, Steve!!! That is really helpful! My bag is 3 lb 10 oz.

We may skip deoderant if it doesn't fit in the canister....

Looking forward to it!!!

I was also looking into the bear spray(just getting back into backpacking after a 30 year absence), just in case, until I found out it is illegal to possess in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. They just aren't a problem and only want your food. No grizzly's at all in the park, only black bears(which may be brown and other colors as well.)

I want to do an overnight starting from Horseshoe Meadows, so I look forward to hearing how it is!

I've done this trip/variants a couple of times, and am off next week to repeat.

1. Water sources - last year on 6/7 Sept the following were flowing well: Creek in horseshoe meadows 1.3mi in, Chick spring lake 4.5mi in, creek 0.5mi before lower soldier lake (I took the rock creek trail version of this route rather than the dry dusty route on the PCT to rock creek), lower soldier lake, rock creek (all the way to mile 14.5, guyot creek (16mi), creek in crabtree meadows all the way up to guitar lake, tarns, small trickle maybe 0.5mi after the tarns on the left, small spring at the cables, then the usual sources down the main trail. If you hike the 'true' PCT through rock creek then chick spring lake to the small creek 0.5mi before rock creek is a 9mi dry stretch.

2. Bear lockers are at lower soldier lake, lower rock creek lake, rock creek, crabtree meadows (lower and upper). HOWEVER officially the first 3 of those boxes are only for PCT thru hikers. Clearly this is ridiculous - there are about 3-400 thru-hikers a year, almost all in June/early July, and the PCT does not go to lower soldier lake or rock creek lake, yet the boxes there also have this designation. The idea that a wilderness resource is restricted to a tiny tiny subset of users is somewhat inequitable. I cynically think its all a plot to remove these bear boxes by claiming almost nobody uses them (because almost nobody is officially allowed to use them). The latest draft wilderness plan suggests as much.

3. Depends when in Sept, how cold you sleep, what kind of tent you use etc. etc. I use a warm tent and sleep warm so use a 25-30deg bag for most things.

4. I use deodorant, and used it for a whole PCT thru-hike. Makes a big difference to smelliness.

5. I don't carry in the Sierra, even when hiking with kids.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice! It has been very helpful! I will post pictures and results when we get back!

I'm just back from doing this route last week - will post TR in a few days, but to confirm - all the water sources I listed are running.

In addition, there is good water AFTER the last tarn on the west side of Whitney (traditionally indicated as the last water), at precisely 3700m elevation. There is a big stream to the left of the trail, and a spring to the right where the source is about 10ft from the trail and the water can be seen bubbling from the ground. Personally I don't understand why anyone would fill up at guitar lake in ascent as the spring saves you carrying water up some of the ascent.

There was also water at the cables on the East side (as there has been on my previous 2 trips in late season). This doesn't seem to get much mention from other people, although the presence of ice at the same point suggests it probably only flows as liquid water in the afternoon when its a bit warmer.

Overall its a beautiful route, and I highly recommend taking the Rock Creek trail rather than staying on the PCT above Siberian Outpost. Very pretty, with good water sources, probably our favourite stretch of trail. Rock Creek Lake has a good (grey rather than brown) bear box about 20ft from the trail to the N (right hand side as you descend) just at the end of the lake.

PS if you're thinking of camping on the descent on the east side, consultation lake was gorgeous and empty. Trail camp was a crowded, noisy, dusty, windy zoo. I don't understand why anyone camps there.

Are you kidding? Nobody camps at Trail Camp anymore; its too crowded.

The trip turned out great! The water sources you all mentioned were flowing well, except for the creek just before guyout pass. It was really low, but we were able to pump. We decided to fill at guitar instead of the streams, just for time (and we forgot about the creek until we were there--ha). The spring at the cables was still frozen when we came through after summit, so we couldn't get any water until we passed trail camp. We chose not to pump there....saw a wag bag weighed down by rocks in it. Thanks to that a-hole who was too lazy to carry it out. We camped above consultation lake, which was great, just had to dodge people's "bathrooms." Trail camp was way too crowded for our tastes.

The trail was great...just really dusty and warmer than the forecasts stated. We didn't have a single bear or marmot issue, but we were careful at each campsite. Someone always stayed with packs/ food when we had things open.

My 15 degree bag was just right. The first night I just slept on top of it, but by the time we got to guitar, it was chilly, so the bag was really helpful.

Thanks to everyone for the help!