Planning on hiking from Horseshoe Meadows to the Portal in Sept. Looks like I'll be going solo (friends all bailed) so I need some low cost options for getting up there. I contacted http://www.mtwhitneyshuttle.com/ but they're asking a bit more than I want to pay. Any other options...hitchhiking maybe?

So I found a reasonable shuttle - $50 from Lone Pine to Horseshoe Meadows and $85 from Portal to Horseshoe Meadows. So now the question becomes is it worth trying to hitch hike to Lone Pine from the Portal after dropping off the car? Is it difficult to catch a ride down into town?

Super easy to catch a ride from Portal into town (assuming reasonable hours, in season, etc). But for an extra $35, maybe a nice direct route at the end of the hike is worth the extra money....? Different people might value that differently....

Last time I hitch hiked from the portal the 2nd car stopped and I had a ride within 30 seconds of putting up my thumb.

A few years ago we brought bicycles on our car to the portal and rode them down the hill to the horseshoe meadows junction and waited for a ride there. We hid our bikes in the bushes and retrieved them a week later. The ride was fun but not necessary because it's really easy to get a ride from the portal. Horseshoe meadows is another story - way less traffic on that road. It took us an hour to catch a ride and that was just for 2 of us. If you have the time and get to the junction early, like before noon, you'll get a ride. You could hang around the hostel and bribe a hiker with a 6 pack and 20 bucks for a ride up the hill. We met 2 guys on our hike that left their car at horseshoe meadows and hiked out with us down the MMWT and we gave them a ride at the end of the hike. Start chatting with hikers around Crabtree and Guitar lake and you'll probably find someone who will give you a ride.

I forgot to mention I'm heading up Cottonwood pass next Saturday Labor day weekend and I'll give you a ride. We're camping 1 night and hitting the trail Sunday.

Thanks for the offer but I'm not driving up until the 14th of September (finishing the 18th). Sounds like it won't be too hard to catch a ride down to Lone Pine though - it would be my first time hitching, which is why I think I'm a little nervous about it. Just set up the shuttle to go from Lone Pine to HSM, so it should be fun catching a ride down.

we are looking for a shuttle from whitney portal to horseshoe meadow on Sept 11. How do I contact the $85 shuttle service?

everything is here

http://www.mtwhitneyshuttle.com/

I just called Mt Whitney shuttle and was quoted $225 for the shuttle from Whitney Portal to Horseshoe meadow. Who gave you a quote of $85? I would like to use them. Please respond.

I just called Mt Whitney shuttle and was quoted $225 for the shuttle from Whitney Portal to Horseshoe meadow. The other post was quoted $85. That is a huge difference. There must be other options? know of any?

Hi Wendy,

I'm using the shuttle at http://eastsidesierrashuttle.com/. However, the $85 is just for one person and then I think its around $25 for each additional person.


Jeff

$225 sounds quite high, while $85 for a service coming in from Independence sounds low

in 2010 I paid $375 to bring 3 people from Whitney Portal all the way to Tuolumne Meadows. I also paid just $70 to be picked up from Sawmill Pass trailhead and back to Lone Pine in 2009, although he was on a run to drop some folks up there anyway. All this was with Bob from Whitney Shuttle.

I will have to check out the outfit from Independence. Competition and more choice is a good thing, though. Having another number to call when you arrive at some trailhead you didn't plan to exit is a good thing.

I hiked out with a couple of guys to Whitney Portal, and they were getting a shuttle (someone out of Mammoth) from Whitney Portal back to Crescent Meadow (HST start in Sequioa N.P.), and they were paying $800 for two hikers.

I called the visitor center & was given 2 numbers for shuttle service. Mt whitney.com wanted $225 for up to 4 persons. Then I called David Sheldon (760)876-8232. He will shuttle both of us for $80 total from Whitney Portal to Horseshoe meadows.