Whitney portal message board hiking conditions, reports. Join fulbright scholar and retired national park ranger dr. Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national forest, mammoth and whitney portal areas. The mt whitney permit process for backpackers campsite vibes. Went on past the lower meadow and to the ranger station. The eastern sierra visitor center in lone pine is open daily from 8. High sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar. The walkin permit process is pretty straightforward. During other times, a selfissued wilderness permit is required which can be made at the mount whitney ranger station in lone pine, not at whitney portal see mountain conditions section below for the ranger station address. At the store, we keep last minute supplies for hiking, camping, fishing, and related items for the portal visitors. The sierra nevada is a mountain range in the western united states, between the central valley of california and the great basin. Looking at the map and calculating, i knew it was a relatively short distance, only the elevation gain was considerable.
Deciphering the inyo national forest permit system ingas. Devils postpile ranger station is closed for the season. Whitney ranger district inyo nf big pineindependencelone pine area. Getting a permit starting from whitney portal is very. Then there will be a short time enjoying the view and i will enjoy the walk back down, making it back to whitney portal about an hour after dark. October 17, 2019 lone pine, ca on our way to death valley.
I have gotten a last minute overnight permit from whitney portal on a thursday to hike it on saturday. Inyo national forest eastern sierra visitor center. The ultimate guide to backpacking from onion valley to. Immerse yourself in the natural history of the sierra nevada. There we checked in and left dennis and mary to enjoy the afternoon. If you continue north on this loop you will tun off the jmt at piute creek and head to north lake. Inyo national forest inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall. Mount whitney ranger station cultural feature building in inyo county. Whitney ranger district is the southernmost district in the inyo. The eastern sierra interagency visitor center is located at the junction of us highway 395 and state route 6, one mile south of lone pine. Although, id check with the ranger station before setting out.
Over the last several years, yosemite national park has noted a significant increase in demand for permits to hike the john muir trail jmt. Home forums campfire posttrip reports horseshoe meadow to whitney portal 820 to 824. Mount whitney ranger station is a cultural feature building in inyo county. Cottonwood pack station hiking with pack stock, mt. The ranger even listed the camp sites for me on the application. The uphill is relentless for a while and feels like it will never end.
John muir and pacific crest trails yosemite national park. The white mountain ranger station visitor center is open mondayfriday, 8. Located on the eastside of californias beautiful sierra nevada mountains, the mt whitney trail starts in inyo national forest at whitney portal, 8,300 feet above. Permits are required for ascending the trail and are available on line or at the mt. Lone pine ranger station lone pine, california local. Main street bishop, ca 93514 7608732500 open 85 dailyclosed winter weekends holidays mammoth lakes welcome center 2500 main street mammoth lakes, ca 93546 760 9245500 open 85 daily. They are doing a lot of construction on the portal road so i wouldnt bet on being able to park on the curb. In contrast, from the front, whitney portal, side, the summit is 11. At the eastern sierra visitor center you can view mt. Usfs campgrounds listed here are within the mt whitney ranger station district. Forest service inyo national forest and inyo county sheriffs office major rockfall on whitney portal road spring reopening may be delayed.
Note that camping is restricted to one night between woods creek and glen pass for jmt hikers. Overnight permit for the north fork of lone pine creek trail. For more information see deciphering the inyo national forest permit system. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree.
The increased number of jmt hikers has made it difficult for nonjmt hikers to get wilderness permits for other trails within yosemite national park. All five of us hiked together, which was the first day my wife and i had company on our hiking day. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national. Climbing mount whitney via the cottonwood lakes trailhead. Beyond lone pines city center is the whitney portal trail that leads to the summit of mt. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest. Oct 30, 2018 high sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california. Cottonwood pass trail to whitney portal hiking trail, lone. Cottonwood lakes to whitney portal mount langley, mount muir, and mount whitney. John muir trail resupply and meal planning are some of the most difficult parts about getting ready for your thruhike. There is a ranger station in lone pine you should stop by and get a parking permit.
May 18, 2017 new campground openings in inyo for the weekend. Whitney approaching from the west and returning to the jmtpct vs exiting mt. And finally, if all else fails or youre just spontaneous, you have the option of a walk up permit. Sierra nevada is situated 3 miles northeast of crabtree ranger station. I think a better option would be to start from horseshoe meadow, hike to crabtree ranger station near the jmtpct junction via cottonwood pass or cottonwood lakes trail. Crescent meadow to whitney portal is a 59 mile heavily trafficked pointtopoint trail located near three rivers, california that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Nov 01, 2018 high sierra trail day 6 crabtree ranger station to guitar lake sequoia national park, california. Mineral king to whitney portal, july 2014 day 6 7 day 6 was my big climb to discovery pinnacle from crabtree lakes. Provides transportation to trailheads including whitney portal, onion valley. The lot does fill up pretty quick, so the earlier you get up there the more likely you are to get a spot. We planned a trip from bishop pass to whitney portal, so the first day of our vacation was logistical. Updates on road and campground openings in inyo national. These trips allow guests the opportunity to climb mt.
Inyo county roads reports that they have made excellent progress on the whitney portal road. On my jmt hike, my friend brad and i took 22 days to hike the trail, and we resupplied three times, including stops at reds meadow, muir trail ranch, and onion valley. Others just like to camp at the trailhead to acclimate, as it is at 9200. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center is the only location issuing the following permits. This is a good place to have a resupply, as it is only 8 miles to reach the jmt from onion valley. Mt whitney trail condition reports from the folks who live and work on the mountain. Hiking the high sierra trail junction meadow to crabtree meadow. Substantial snowfall from an atmospheric river event in midjanuary has led to a major rock fall on whitney portal road, causing significant damage to an approximately 100foot stretch of road. Most jmt hikers will make the full push from guitar lake down to whitney portal, but there is the option to camp at trail camp or outpost camp on the way down. The day before my hike i relaxed, hung out at whitney portal and reserved my energy. They will move the closure uphill to the middle gate for this weekend and estimate that the road will be open on 426 for fishing opener. Ranger stations, inyo national forest, sierra national forest, sequioa national forest, mammoth lakes city concierge, a guide to the mammoth mountain resort, skiing, fishing, hiking and all sports, travel, lodging and real estate information for active vacations. Sierra rec magazine national forest access updates may 18, 2017 the sun is out and the weekend ahead looks great in the sierra, so here are the important facts on current openings for camping or exploring in the inyo national forest region. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger.
The whitney portal store, located miles west of lone pine, lies next to the mount whitney trail head and has operated by permit from the inyo national forest since 1987. Youll come to a wooden fence that looks like youre not supposed to pass, but we do. We are closely monitoring the situation and working with our participating agencies to respond to current conditions. Our sixth day on the high sierra trail was kind of as casual as it gets and as beautiful as it gets. Whitney ranger district us forest service lone pine. Whitney from the west side and explore the sequoiakings canyon national parks and the golden trout wilderness. State of the inyo national forest update sierra wave. This trip is operated by rock creek pack station dba as mt. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Whitney ranger district, po box 8, lone pine, ca 93545, 7608766200, for additional information about this trailhead. Lone pine, ca 93545 7608766200 white mountain ranger station 798 n. Whitney day use permit overnight permit for the mt. Camping in the lone pine area lone pine chamber of commerce. Whitney trail is by lottery during the month of february.
Here is the long overdue report on the bishop pass trailhead. So we decided to chance it and drive up to the eastern sierra death valley ranger station in lone pine for walkin permits. Box 749 lone pine, california 93545 760 8764444 eastern sierra interagency visitors center 760 8766222. When planning out our high sierra trail logistics, on our sixth day we initially aimed on hiking nearly 12 miles all the way through from junction meadow to guitar lake at the western base of mt whitney. Certain areas in mono county and the inyo national forest require permits.
Each day is full on and at high altitudes, but it affords you amazing views along the john muir trail plus you get to cross over 3 diffe. Whitney portal, whitney portal trailhead, cottonwood lakes pass trailhead, horseshoe meadow equestrian. Turn onto the trail to whitney, following whitney creek and passing the ranger station before joining the john muir trail in 1. If its really important to you to start from whitney portal then yes, a midweek start date will have better odds than a weekend one.
Box 429 lee vining, ca 93541 7606473044 sierra national forest. If you have a reservation at a location that closes, youll receive an email with more. Crabtree ranger station map tulare county, california. Onion valley to whitney portal tag mount whitney, the lower 48s highest peak, during this 42mile trek into sequoia national park where theres more acreage of wilderness than youll know what to do with. Whitney pack trains, offers riding and hiking trips originating at cottonwood pack station. To find the driving direction from lone pine to whitney portal which is 18 by road, click on show directions after entering start and end locations in the calculator control. Lone pine is the landscape, and the landscape is lone. Whitney traveling west to east and exiting at whitney portal.
Turn up canyon toward mount whitney, passing out of the trees at timberline lake and finally stopping at our camp above guitar lake. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree ranger station sequoia national park, california. It takes around 21 to reach lone pine to whitney portal. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states and plan. There are two trails that begin here that can connect you to the jmt near mt. Eventually, you make it to the uphill part which consists of a series of switchbacks over a pass near mount guyot. Inyo forest wilderness permits reservations are accepted up to six months in advance of the date of entry for all trails except the main mt.
Went to the ranger station and got a new permit which included a whitney exit permit that afternoon for the next day. Once you pass sandy meadow, you will find the trail to crabtree meadow and the crabtree ranger station. To reach the trailhead from lone pine, which is the nearest city, turn left on whitney portal rd. The trail drops you right at the ranger station in beautiful le conte canyon. Keep in mind that it can get very cold and windy as you ascend, so be prepared for that and also for the possible weather changes. You can also check the whitney portal store message board for people who have extra openings on their permits. High sierra trail day 5 junction meadow to crabtree. Nancy muleadymecham for a once in a lifetime chance to learn all about these mountains and the nature within them. It is all geared to protect the forest while allowing as much traffic as it can take before they deteriorate. The whitney portal road, a turn west at lone pines only stop light, will take you up to 8300 feet to the portal where there is a store and restaurant, a pond and a magnificent waterfall tumbling out of the sierra nevada mountains. A light covering of new snow mostly falling on fri afternoontemperatures will be well below freezing max 8c on sat afternoon, min 17c on fri morningwinds decreasing strong winds from the ne on fri night, moderate winds from the nw by sat night. Whitney allowing you to hike the entire jmt, cottonwood lakes trail and cottonwood pass. The ranger station the ultimate ford ranger resource since 1999. The ranger station your ultimate ford ranger resource since.
This unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Signed permit must be in group leaders possession during the trip and must be presented to rangers upon request. Inyo county reports that they are starting to clear roads. I flew in on a wednesday into vegas and rented a car. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, ice climbing, and backpacking and is best used from april until october. They report snow of course and rockslides that will need to be cleared, so there is substantial work ahead.
Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental u. We enjoyed an extremely leisurely breakfast at crabtree before breaking camp around 10 a. Box 148 mammoth lakes, ca 93546 7609245500 mono lake ranger station p. Trail camp out whitney portal about 8 miles follow the mount whitney trail east from.
From whitneys summit its 11 miles and 6,000 feet of descent to whitney portal via trail crest. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from may until october. There is a ranger station there across the river, and we thought it would be a good idea to stop in and. Bishop ca 93514 760873 2500 mammoth ranger station p. We drove first to parchers resort at south lake, near bishop. Then youll pass a ranger station which is a great spot for a snack. Your permit does not cover overnight stays in this area. Leaving from independence on the eastern sierra, the onion valley trailhead is a popular alternative to whitney portal as a means to get to the summit of whitney. The primary coordinates for mount whitney ranger station places it within the ca 93545 zip code delivery area.
If you only have one vehicle, youll need to use a shuttle to arrange transportation from the end of the hike at mt. If you begin at whitney portal, in inyo national forest on the east side of the sierra nevada, you should apply for a mt. The whitney portal area is not part of the wilderness and contains developed campgrounds, a store, a fishing pond, and picnic area. Eastern sierra interagency visitor center sierra nevada. A backcountry ranger station is located at rae lakes, as are bear boxes and lots of bears.
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