Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Onion Valley to Whitney questions

I'm starting to plan a hike for me and some friends for next year. We are somewhat experienced hikers and have done a lot of weekend hikes and a few week long hikes. I just wanted to ask a couple questions for now and will probably have some more later down the road.

My understanding is that when I request my permit for Onion Valley all that I will have to do is tell them that we will exit through Whitney Portal. Will this auotmatically allow me to exit or will I also need another permit for the Whitney trail?

Is Guitar Lake the best place(closest) to camp the night before we summit? Do you think it would be better to leave camp set up at Guitar Lake and return for a night then hike out from there the next day or leave our gear near Trail Crest and start down the east side after going to the summit? I assume that leaving our stuff at Trail Crest and then hiking to Trail Camp is the best way to go.

Thanks'

Welcome, Gary! I made that same hike a few years ago, even camped overnight on the summit of Mt Whitney.

As for permits, you need a Trail Crest Exit Permit to head out via Whitney Portal. That is the ONLY place in the Sierra where you need a permit to exit. However, since you are planning so far in advance, you are in great shape -- permits are available by phone six months before your start date. So if you can plan your hike dates that far in advance, just call on the 6-month date and get the permits, both to start at Onion Valley AND to exit at Trail Crest.

If you call in later, the quota may be full -- Kearsarge Pass has a daily quota of 60 (36 reservable), and the Trail Crest exit permit quota is 25 (15 reservable). I would imagine the exit permits go the quickest.

The non-reservable permits are held back for walk-in people, and become available at 11 AM the day before the hike date.

Definitely take your gear up to the junction and leave it there while you summit and then go down to Trail Camp for the night.

No reason to make the climb twice!

I did this route for the second time (1996 and 2010). I'd recommend going just above Guitar to the small lakelets above. In the picture taken from Whitney, you can see the shape of Guitar Lake and the green area above it. There are small lakes and streams just west of the trail (not talking about the larger Hitchcock lakes at the base of Mt. Hitchcock.



This next picture shows campsites at these small lakes. There are numerous ones scattered around, some at a lake, some nearby. Importantly, fewer people than at Guitar itself. Harvey

Thanks' for the reply's and suggestions everyone.

Pictures always make things easier to understand, at least for me. Like I wrote above I'm just starting on the TOPO maps and trying to figure milage, campsites, and travel times. Like I'm sure some of you know as soon as you say you are planning a trek everyone says "I always wanted to go there, can I come". I put a cap on at six and figure at least a few will bail. I really don't mind because the research and planning is half the fun, or at least it makes my winters more tolerable. I'll be asking for more info and promise a TR with lots of pictures after we are done.
Thaks again,

Hi Gary,

Are you coming from Lancaster, Penn? (I do not know if there are a bunch of "Lancasters" out there)

My bet is Lancaster, CA, near Palmdale. Got stuck there one night a couple of years ago heading to Death Valley from LAX. High winds had closed CA 14.

IP address is in San Bernardino, south of Lancaster.

Here is a tool you can use. Note that I used my own IP - it shows I really am in Fresno, but not exactly where I live.

Bulldog is right, I live in Lancaster CA. There is quite a few Lancasters around the country.

I did this trip in 2009. I found it to be a better than the Horseshoe Meadow options, which I had taken 3 times.

To answer your questions...

1. Additional permits...you will need an exit or Trail Crest Permit. If they don't have the day you want go fishing until you catch one. We did this one year. No one really cares when you exit at Whitney Portal.

2. Guitar Lake...No, it isn't the closest. There are numerous campsites above Guitar Lake. However, most stay at Guitar, I never have. We go up to the tarns about 1/2 mile above Guitar.

3. Trail Crest...Actually, it is Lower Trail Crest where you leave your pack. There is plenty of room to do so. I counted 30 odd packs there one year.

4. Summit...I will assume you mean leave the packs at Lower Trail Crest and go to the summit, rather than Trail Camp is what you meant, yes, you leave your gear there and go on.

About leaving gear at that lower Trail Crest trail junction: Marmots can tear into packs at that location. Be SURE all your food, etc. is in a bear canister. I'd leave the canister outside the pack, so they don't smell food anywhere near the pack.

As for those "I always wanted to go" friends:  If they are inexperienced, maybe take them on a shake-down hike a week or two before Whitney; somewhere like Cottonwood Lakes and Langley. If they don't invest the time and energy to go on that one, they will have trouble doing Whitney.

Yes, it is the lower trail junction that I was talking about. Thanks about the marmot warning, I had heard something about that before and was going to ask about them.
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I've left my pack at Lower Trail Crest 4 times. I've neither taken the BRC out of my pack nor opened all closures and there has never been a hint of marmot activity. The fact is I've never seen anyone leave a canister outside the pack.

I agree with Steve, head to the Sierra about a month before and hike at these elevations. This will give your friends a lot of clues...not just "I'm not ready for this" one. We had a friend bailout at Horseshoe Meadow because of AMS this past June. In August, we stood on top of Mt. Pickering (13,and a lot'), both of under the influence of Diamox.