Mt Whitney Zone
Posted By: cmski11 Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney: TSX Challenge - 03/26/11 04:21 AM
Hi everyone, I'm new to posting on this forum, but I spoke w/ one of your regulars a few days ago and he suggested I put something up. We're trying to get the word out about a handful of trans-sierra treks we are organizing this summer. They are all based off the same hike that Mike Murphy, a 5th grade teacher in Clovis, has taken students and community members on every year for the last 25+ years. Some of you may know Mike.

The trip had a huge impact on me when I first did it in the early 90s, and I think it has an incredibly positive impact on just about everyone it touches. The goal this year is to extend that experience to touch more people / extend the opportunity for kids and families to do something challenging, rewarding and inspiring over the summer.

You can learn more at site we just launched...

www.tsxchallenge.com.

Appreciate your interest, feedback, questions, or comments - please feel free to share the link (or like us on facebook). After reading some of the threads on this forum, I may ping some of you directly to bounce a few ideas off of.
Posted By: Steve C Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/26/11 04:57 AM
Looks like a nice program.

One question, though. Is your description old, or are you really working on exiting to Whitney Portal. All the information I have seen is that if you start in Sequoia N.P., your permit is good to exit at the Portal, no special permit required.

Good luck with the organizing!
Posted By: cmski11 Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/26/11 05:12 AM
Thanks for the response. We have all our permits from Sequoia N.P., including commercial permit; but when we went down the commercial permitting process, they flagged us and noted that we would also need clearance from Inyo. We were told by Inyo that commercial groups weren't permitted to exit Portal. We're trying to work through Inyo's system to keep things clean, still waiting to hear back.
Posted By: + @ti2d Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/26/11 04:04 PM
Welcome aboardand welcome to the "family," Chris.

To think there are people who have lived in the valley all of their live have no idea what is out there in the "Gr8 Yd Opn," but would drive 6 hours to Disneyland.

My wife and I wanted to take underprivileged children and families just like the one aforementioned to the wilderness.

We are having a Whitney Westend Wednesday get together on March 30, 2011, at the Sequoia Brewing Company (north) around 6:00 p.m. You and your associates are more than welcome to join.
Posted By: saltydog Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/27/11 12:02 AM
Everything I have read (and am counting on for my HST hike, says you get one permit from the entry jurisdiction, even if you are exiting at Trail Crest, subject to the Trail Crest quota. Even what Inyo publishes says this. What's the story? Inyo is now requiring a separate permit for ENTRY AT TRAIL CREST????
Posted By: Steve C Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/27/11 02:46 AM
Salty, Inyo's Trailcrest Exit permit quota is the ONE and only place I know of where you are required to have a permit to exit the wilderness ...at a certain point.

Until this thread, the rules had always been that anyone entering from another Inyo National Forest trailhead was required to also obtain the Trailhead exit permit (quota is 25 per day). And the rules had also been that anyone starting from Yosemite or Sequoia N.P. (anywhere outside of the Inyo N.F. jurisdiction) did NOT need the exit permit.

It sounds like the rules are different for commercial operators. But it seems like a pretty fine line to me that private groups can exit free and clear, but the same size group, because they are paying someone, cannot.

On the other hand, it also may be true that commercial operators are not permitted to take groups UP the main Mt Whitney trail either (I'm not sure.)
Posted By: cmski11 Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/27/11 04:10 AM
I'd agree, its seems to be a pretty fine line / bit of a gray area. As far as I know, Inyo's restrictions for exiting Portal apply to commercial operators only.
Posted By: saltydog Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/27/11 10:56 AM
Steve: that has been my understanding and operating assumption for my HST trip.
Posted By: + @ti2d Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 03/31/11 09:46 AM
Steve C, wagga, and I met Mike Murphy at the Sequoia Brewing Company last night.

We were outside preparing to look at a PowerPoint presentation when Mike introduced himself to us in his Mt. Whitney shirt.

We chatted for a while. Another member of the Whitney Zone family and another "Westend" member to boot! Neener, neener, neeeeeeeeeeeeeener!

We look forward to the TSX presentation at the REI in Fresno on April 11, 2011.

We promise not to heckle you, Mike.

Nice meeting you, Mike!
Posted By: cmski11 Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 04/01/11 03:08 AM
Awesome! Glad you guys connected. Would be great to see you on the 11th.... thx for spreading the word.
Posted By: cmski11 Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 11/03/11 02:52 PM
Update to this thread - Mike and I will be giving a talk at Fresno REI on Nov. 30th, at 7.00pm, and in San Francisco at Sports Basement on Nov 29th, 6.30pm. If you're in the area, everyone is invited to come share some laughs and take in the scenery as we narrate you through a digital presentation and 2011 recap of our week-long trans-Sierra journey to the summit of Mt. Whitney.

You can reserve your spot on the REI website - http://www.rei.com/event/31397/session/39251

You can RSVP for Sports Basement (Bryant St., in the Mission) here - https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254402384612409

or checkout www.tsxchallenge.com

There'll also be a chance to win some cool free gear from JanSport. Hope some of you can make it!
Posted By: Steve C Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 11/03/11 03:05 PM
Thanks for the note. I just registered. 34 slots left.
Posted By: Steve C Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 12/01/11 03:09 AM
Chris, you and Mike have a nice presentation. We enjoyed it.

I hope you fill your trips this year. It looks like everyone on your trips has a great time.
Posted By: cmski11 Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 12/01/11 03:33 PM
Thanks Steve! Glad you and wagga were able to make it.
Posted By: EPS Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 12/01/11 03:46 PM
cmski11,

Was there a video recording of the presentation on 11/29, or of other like presentations of yours? I live too far away from any of the locations where the presentations occur. I would like view one if I could by other means. If you could let me know I would appreciate it, thanks.
Looky what I found! One of the TSX Challenge participants posted a YouTube video of their recent trip. Glad to see these folks continue to run their trips.

TSX: Trans-Sierra Xtreme Challenge website:

TSX on Facebook


Here's the video:

I saw their terrific presentation at REI up here, which gave me the HST bug (though I realize they do a different route). Sadly, just as my planning was to come to fruition, the Fish and Chagoopa Plateau Fires appear to be requiring deferral. Working on that silver lining!
Posted By: lynn-a-roo Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney - 08/29/13 10:09 PM
Hi cmski11,

I really like this trek you have shared on the WZ. I am going to share this trek with my friends to see if they want to do it too. Of course we would have to wait until next year.
Steve C, thanks for posting the video! Delanie did a great job piecing that together.

We just released our trek dates for 2014 for anyone who'd like to join us next year.

2014 TSX Challenge Trek Dates

Or if your interested in the trail in general, you can download our eBook for free from Amazon this weekend (9/7-9/8). Its pretty simple, but will help familiarize yourself with some details if you'd like to try this route on your own.
eBook: Hiking Mt. Whitney, A Guide to the Ultimate Trans-Sierra Trek

Happy to field any questions about the trail if you're giving it a try.
If anyone is in Fresno on the 2nd of Dec or the Bay Area on the 4th of December Mike and I will be giving short talks on our past trips this year taking the trans-sierra route to Mt. Whitney. The talks are pretty fun, informative and hopefully inspirational. Good info if you're considering an approach to Whitney from the west next summer - where permits are easy to get. I know a few of you have joined us for talks in the past and we appreciate your support! ...and photo shop skills wink

Fresno talk at REI Fresno Dec 2 at 7pm - Free
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rei-fresno-a...ets-13390745079

Bay Area talk at Sunnyvale Sports Basement Dec 4 at 7pm - Free
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sports-basem...ets-13390149297

Originally Posted By: cmski11
If anyone is in Fresno on the 2nd of Dec or the Bay Area on the 4th of December Mike and I will be giving short talks on our past trips this year taking the trans-sierra route to Mt. Whitney. The talks are pretty fun, informative and hopefully inspirational. Good info if you're considering an approach to Whitney from the west next summer - where permits are easy to get. I know a few of you have joined us for talks in the past and we appreciate your support! ...and photo shop skills wink

Fresno talk at REI Fresno Dec 2 at 7pm - Free
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rei-fresno-a...ets-13390745079

Bay Area talk at Sunnyvale Sports Basement Dec 4 at 7pm - Free
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sports-basem...ets-13390149297

Thanks for posting. I'll try to be there in Fresberg. Will there be any Grand Canyon pictures?
Posted By: Ken Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney: TSX Challenge - 10/24/14 04:42 PM
"Everything I have read (and am counting on for my HST hike, says you get one permit from the entry jurisdiction, even if you are exiting at Trail Crest, subject to the Trail Crest quota. Even what Inyo publishes says this. What's the story? Inyo is now requiring a separate permit for ENTRY AT TRAIL CREST????"

Salty, I did not know that you were setting up a commercial operation for climbing Whitney. Congrats!

Or perhaps not, and you are a recreational climber.

There are a LOT of people who are interested in doing a guided climb of Whitney. Kurt has told me that he gets such requests very frequently. However, Inyo has decided that they do not want to remove from the recreational hiker permit pool the large number of permits that would go to commercial users. So, NO commercial operators are allowed to use the vastly overused main Whitney trail, it is entirely reserved for recreational hikers.
Ken, Salty is not involved with the TSX people. This thread started 3 years ago. And you're right that commercial trips are not allowed on the Main Whitney Trail. (They could descend the "Easy Walk-off" Mountaineers Route though smile  )

I visited the www.tsxchallenge.com website. I see they have added three-day Spring Break trips to Grand Canyon. NICE! I should take my daughter!
Posted By: Ken Re: Trans-Sierra Trek to Whitney: TSX Challenge - 10/26/14 08:20 PM
Thanks, Steve. I'd missed the timeframe.

It is an interesting concept, though. Basically a part-time guiding job that generates $12,000/ a trip (minus costs).

One could generate some very interesting trips, which would be fun, but at the same time could generate some funds for, say, a website.
I was always told by fs people and guides, no guided trips were allow on the MMWT. So, what NP people say makes sense to me to a point. The principle is entry point. Usually the jurisdiction you enter rules apply for the trip...trips starting in the parks do not require a exit permit. I am not familiar with the commercial rules but based on what you have been told it appears to be some co-operation between the Park and Forest Services.

I would ask for a copy of the forest or park order that covers this type of thing...just to have my bases covered.

Also, you can exit via a Horseshoe Meadow Trailhead but that would make the trip one to three days more...figuring you would not exit the day you summit.
To follow-up, we do exit over Cottonwood and Horseshoe meadows. Originally I thought this was a bummer as it adds an extra day and a half to the trek, but we've got it down to a science now where we camp at this amazing location on the high desert plateau 2 miles above Rock Creek with an awesome view of Mt. Langley and others... here is a pic of our last group at camp in August this past year. Note, its a dry camp! We carry water up from Rock Creek.

like!

Bring her! Did that GC hike last spring and it was so inspiring I had to share... If there is any place that can give the serene and tranquil grandness of the Sierra a run for its money, it's the Grand Canyon.
Just wanted to let others know our 2016 trek dates are up - 4 trips planned if you'd like to join an inspirational trek across the Sierra to Mt. Whitney next summer. We have a dedicated youth trek this year as well.

http://tsxchallenge.com

If you're curious about doing a trip like this on your own, we'll be giving an informational talk at REI Fresno on Dec 6th (link below) or feel free to ping me in this awesome forum. Glad to help.

http://www.rei.com/events/hiking-mt-whitney-with-tsx-challenge/fresno/130988
The GC itinerary via the Tonto Trail provides an interesting alternative to the popular "rim to rim".
Agreed!
Hey guys! Updating the thread here for those interested in learning more about hiking Mt. Whitney from the West (so much diversity, a lot less people, and easy permits). If looking for some inspiration and info as you plan summer treks, REI has invited me back to give a series of talks on "Backpacking the Sierra to Mt. Whitney." The talks are geared to inform, enable and inspire all ages.

A few of you have attended past talks and I appreciate the support - still using your Starbucks slide!

RSVP for a talk here (dates listed below): https://www.eventbrite.com/o/trans-sierra-club-7513511981

We organize a handful of Trans-Sierra treks ever summer, for all ages and experience levels. Early trips will be pretty intense with the water and snow... can't wait! More info here: http://tsxchallenge.com

REI Oregon
2/13 - Portland
2/15 - Salem
2/16 - Clackamas

REI So. Cal
2/21 - Wodland Hills
2/22 - North Ridge
2/23 - Manhattan Beach
2/24 - Tustin
3/7 - Encinitas
3/8 - San Diego

REI Nor. Cal
3/14 - Santa Rosa
3/15 - Corte Madera
3/21 - Fremont
3/22 - Berkeley
3/23 - Mountain view
3/28 - San Francisco
3/29 - San Carlos
4/4 - Saratoga
4/5 - Concord
4/15 - Dublin
Friendly heads up that if you're interested in backpacking Mt. Whitney with an organized group in 2018, there's an important deadline looming February 1st.

In November, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park went through a new permitting process restricting the number of groups that can operate on Mt. Whitney, and the number of client service days allocated to each operator.

Here is the list of approved operators:
https://www.nps.gov/seki/getinvolved/guideservices.htm


Here is some additional information - and how we're approaching the deadline...
https://tsxchallenge.com/mt-whitney-important-feb-1st-deadline/

Bottom line is that deciding to join an organized group to summit Mt. Whitney after Feb 1st will be difficult to do, and likely more expensive.
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