Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Trail Camp or Outpost Camp

Can I inquire into folks opinion on whether to camp at outpost or trail camp on an overnight hike. Last time I went to summit I stayed at outpost and had a fine time, what are pros/cons of staying at one or the other

You'll get lots of different opinions on that question...but here's my $0.02 worth:

Outpost Camp is nicer but Trail Camp is a lot closer to the summit, especially in altitude. Trail Camp has its own barren (read rugged and rocky) beauty rather than still being in the trees like you are at Outpost.

Personally, I'd rather put more miles and climbing behind me on the approach day and cut that time off the summit day. There are enough sandy spots to pitch a tent comfortably at Trail Camp so if you can sleep at 12,000', I'd say go on up there rather than stop at Outpost. That's what we did when Nathan and I did Whitney back in 2001 and I'd do the same the next time. (Actually, the next time, I'd like to try the Mountaineer's Route but back in '01, I figured it was a bit beyond Nathan's abilities at age 12. These days, he'd be leading me instead of the other way 'round, so we'd probably opt for the more challenging climb.)

As they say on the 'net...your mileage may vary...you'll hear good arguments for doing the opposite and staying at Outpost. Your choice...understand the tradeoffs and figure out which will work best for you.

On the other side of the coin - I like Outpost. It is far nicer and I find it easier to sleep there, making me better rested for the summit. The best part is not hauling a tent, sleeping bag, etc, etc all the way to Trail Camp and then hauling it back down. Last year when my son was 12 we did an overnight from Outpost. This year at the ripe old age of 13 we just day hiked it.

Trail Camp might work better if you were to three day it - Portal to Trail Camp, Trail Camp to Summit and back to Trail Camp, then out the third day.

Like Alan said, there's arguements for each side - go with what you think works best for you............................DUG

Outpost Camp
quieter
lower altitude
fewer marmots (I think)
better nights sleep
less windy
less exposed
fewer campers
can start late in the day
more bears

Trail Camp
summit day is shorter & easier
much more scenic
fewer bears
louder
more marmots

There are other places to camp slightly off-trail as well. Not going to say where, but if you do enough research you'll never stay at either of these =).

I climbed Whitney a few weeks ago and was reluctant at first to be camping at Outpost Camp but it was better than Trail Camp. No marmots or bears. The ground is more soft with a nice dirt/gravel, and the shade from the trees was extremely nice. It does make summit day longer, but not as much as climbing with a full pack. I dont believe one can acclaimate to high altitudes in one day and thus sleeping at 12,000 feet is meaningless.

I would suggest another alternative. When I returned to the MWT at the end of July, our group camped at Consultation Lake instead of Trail Camp. Our site was off the main trail on a ledge overlooking the lake, less than 10 mins from Trail Camp, and the view was outstanding!
For me, this was the perfect campsite to base a summit bid from. I did have to walk down the trail to the stream crossing (it took less than 5 mins)for water, but it was worth the peace and quiet and overall experience. It took us about 20 mins to reach the 9X switchbacks from our site.
Plus the fishing at Consultation is excellent!