Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Group Permits available?

I'm interested in taking around 10 kids from a high school youth group up Whitney this summer. Is there any provision for group permits or would everyone just have to enter the lottery? I think this is in Feb? I'd love to do the trip, but this permit sounds like a hassle. If anyone has done a group trip on another mountain with a route similar in difficulty to the Mountaineers Route, I'd love to hear about it too. Thanks,

Brian

Brian, I do believe the main trail is all lottery, but...a few summers ago we took a group to the top starting at Horseshoe Meadows and proceeded the 40 miles around the back--through Crabtree Meadows--Guitar Lake--and up. We did it in 7 days and it worked out well. The only red flag is New Army Pass and whether or not it is open that early in the year. There is usually a 40 foot cornice to negotiate--not too bad but it does present a obstacle. Other than that one place, the boys all did it well. We had no problem obtaining permits fot this route. There are lakes every day and no long days of hiking. Good way to acclimate too--easy stages.

BK - You can submit a single entry into the permit lottery for your group of 10. The lottery for next year starts in February, 2004. For more information, see this web site:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/wild/whitney.html

If you take the Mountaineers Route you don't need to worry about the lottery...only if you want to climb the main trail. Quote from a Forest Service FAQ: "In addition, if you wish to access Mt. Whitney by entering from any other trail (i.e. Shepherd Pass, Kearsarge Pass, North Fork of Lone Pine Creek/Mountaineer's Route, etc.) you do NOT apply for the lottery. " However, if you want to go up the Mountaineers Route but down the main trail I believe you then need to get in the lottery.

Not entirely correct. Unless this changes beginning in 2004, not only do you not need to participate in the lottery to go up the MR and back down the main trail, but you do NOT need a permit to do this either. Your entry point determines the permit type and necessity, not the exit trail. This has been confirmed by myself and a few others throughout 2003 (I had a very detailed conversation with one of the folks in charge at the Lone Pine Ranger Station earlier this year about this very thing).

Thanks for the clarification...that makes it even easier!

Bk, I'd just caution you about what you proposing. Assuming that you are not taking up 10 kids from the High School for the Mountaineering Arts, this is a serious undertaking, a before dawn to after dark enterprise. Not that it can't be done, just a trip with a real potential for trouble. As long as you know what you are getting into. I personally wouldn't do it without a number of experienced adults. A virtual certainty that some will have to turn around due to altitude illness, and you'll have to split the group at that point. Serious rockfall danger, with such a large group moving up the chute. Check this out, carefully.

Having been up the Mountaineers Route before, I once agreed to take a group of 5 leaders and 6 high school aged Scouts up the MR on a day hike. Lots of things happened. Two gave up at the Ebersbacher ledges. Two more gave up at Lower Boy Scout Lake. A few more threw in the towel just before Iceberg Lake, and two stopped due to Altitude sickness at Iceberg Lake. Of the group, three summited.

The MR is rigorous and unpredictable for a large group who has not been there before, often with many different abilities. It becomes a problem...who keeps going and who stays behind with the youth you will be with. In the end, most likely some won't make it. My last trip with had some problems with one of the youth being afraid on the top section above the notch.

I think Markskor has the best recommendation. Start at Horseshoe meadows and access the back side over either New Army pass or Cottonwood pass. Then swing down and come up from the back.. Could easily be done in 5-7 days and would increase your chances the whole group will make it. Permits are also much easier. It is a little further but much better on adjustment and altitude.

BK - The Mountaineer's Route is permit-free only if you plan on doing it in one day. If you intend to camp overnight, then a camping permit is needed. Camping permits on the MR are not part of the lottery, but are like all other Sierra trailheads: 60% of the trailhead quota is available through advanced reservations and 40% is available on a walk-in basis. Again, the Inyo National Forest web site will have the details.

I have takn a group of HS kids up the Mountaineers Route and do not recommend doing it as a 1 day trip if your objective is to get most of them to the summit. I would reccomend 3 days, camping one night at lower boy scout lake and 1 night at iceberg lake. You will need a permit to do this and I believe that they only give out 10 per day (and only 6 pre reserved).

My comments above assumed a day-hike up the MR and down the main trail. Others who commented after my post above are correct in saying that you will need a non-lottery permit if you stay overnight (or longer). Sorry I didn't clarify that earlier.

BK,

There are only 12 permits available for overnights on the Mountaineers route each day. 7 of these can be reserved upt o six months in advance, 5 are available at 11 a.m. the day before you would like to enter. However, these permits can be issued at any Inyo National Forest Ranger Station. Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead was mentioned as an alternative, this is a beautiful trail. Also, Kearsarge Pass out of Onion Valley is another alternative route.

Thanks for the advice everyone. For a little more background, we're planning on having approx 4 leaders, all of whom have summited the MR at least once (although not in the summer). Unfortunately we also only have 3 days. I was initially planning a 2 day excursion (camping at lower BS Lake and then summit and down (possibly the trail) the next day. It sounds like my real problem is going to be permits though. If I can only get 7 in advance, there's no guarantee that we could all go until the day before. Thanks again for the help! One more question, would you recommend helmets in the chute? How bad is it in the summer?

We are talking seriously bad in the chute.
Helmets are a must.