Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Trailhead circa 1956

Anyone remember this sign at the trailhead? I found this in a box of my mother's stuff dated 1956, that's my mom, her dad and her sister.

What a great picture!!!! (I don't remember the sign, though)

Great photo, I remember being able to self issue a permit at the trail head.

Very cool picture! I'm guessing that was taken at the "old" trailhead near the bridge. Interesting how the distances after Mirror Lake suddenly get longer than the current trail, adding an extra 2 miles before Trail Crest. I've seen an old map of the trail from that era, but I can't recall how it deviated from the current configuration. Seems like it wound further south before joing the switchbacks? If I recall correctly, that was when pack animals were still allowed on the trail and the design had that in mind.

Agree with everyone else... cool photo!

Bob R's first climb was '52, so he would probably know. Doug Sr. knows the history of the place, so he would also know.

Hi Very cool! We call it big rock also where Bogart died in High Sierra , just behind the sign was a bathroom and the start of the trail ( second main trail, the first went straight up and then left the "old trail" now goes right. The Main trail now was the stock trail that went back to the pack station which is now the store. I have many pictures of the old store and talked with many people that lived and worked in the pack station. Tnaks for the great photo . notice 13 miles ? Doug

I was there in 1954 and 1955 and kind of remember the sign but it might have only been in 55. Since Rosie summited in 1959 it would appear that the sign was taken down between 55-59.

I do remember the pack station being there in 55 and also I believe in 1961 when I did a climb over Labor Day weekend and got in heavy snow on Sunday night and Monday am.

Actually Ernie, it could very well have been there... I was only 7 years old at that time, and was way more interesting in things like rocks, trees, chipmunks, birds, and trying to finagle hard candies from my brother Ken than reading a sign

So the current store site was the old pack station? Didn't know that. Guess that makes sense, though, since the current trailhead was the old stock trail. We're eating better at that location than the horses/mules ever did . . .

Cool photo! Informative thread...

Thanks for sharing! The sign looks like a recent installation.

Self-registration. Now that brings back memories.

My first summit was in 59 and I think I remember that sign.....I know there were 97 switchbacks! I don't think the trail has been moved much, if at all (except at the beginning), think it's just been measured more accurately, though it certainly felt like 13 miles to the top!!
Labor Day 61 and 63 summit hikes were interesting - several hundred people camped at Mirror Lake (there was NO vegetation then) more in Outpost, only a few at Trail Camp. We hid in the bathrooms at Mirror Lake during downpours each year, but made the summit just fine. The sign at the top said 14,495.811 ft.

The sign references Whitney Pass. If the old trailed crossed the crest there, would that have added the extra miles?

Too late to edit, but make that Labor Day climb 1962 and not 61.

Jwest, we camped at Mirror Lake on our 1959 hike also!

The picture we had on the summit shows the back side of the sign... I always assumed it was an elevation sign, but wasn't sure. In this picture I'm on the left (age 7), my brother Ken (age 6) in the middle, and my older brother Dan is on the right (some of you have met my brother Barry - he and Dan are twins).

Hi Yes the old pack station is the Kitchen and the room to the west. In 1997 winter/spring 98 we added the front to cover the old store/pack station if you check the floor in the new section the pack station floor remained.
Some intertesting things happened that winter , found a guy on the floor one morning almost dead. Doug and I were living in a camper and going to town about every third day for showers and food , we didn't know it at the time but were on a downward spiral not getting enough food or sleep and started loosing feelings in our hands and vision drifting. One of the rangers came up every week to check if we were OK. Later she told us she was thrilled to see us moving when she came. In the spring we shoveled the road 8 days to ge to the store and had moved most of the finish material up on sleds cut the material at the last point we could drive bto and had lunch and sled the cut material up and install repeat each night and morning. During one of the trips we see three guys stuck in the road. They were drunk and sitting on the tailgate of a very beat up truck. We ask if they needed help they said no they were going to bury a buddy and sleep awhile THE pORTALS YOU LEARN A LOT. Thanks everyone for added your stories

Why, it's Becky, Tom and Huck!

Nice "marmot knife."

... and effective! You don't see any marmots around!