Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Message Board Group Hike - Saturday, September 15

September 15th? Dang! I am stuck hiking 11 miles up some mountain in the area called Whit something or another with my wife of all people! Alas, the poor timing once more. Wrong date, wrong time, wrong place. Honey, I wanna do Langley...can we go? What? What was that? Honey, why are you turning red and there are horns growing out of the side of your head? I better go...with my wife that is! Maybe another date?

Langley is indeed a long hike, and that last few miles coming out is dreary. I ameliorate the latter problem by hiking on the old trail that starts around 9600', instead of the Cottonwoods Lakes trailhead.

Some people, especially those driving a distance, might prefer something less demanding than Langley or the MR. For the Cottonwoods: Cirque comes to mind. And for the North Fork: Carillon or Thor. Onion Valley: University (for this crowd I would suggest the Bench Lake route).

Maybe you could settle on the trailhead now, and orchestrate the final destination with those who show up on the day.

Posted before I saw Bob R's post above...

For permits on the MR, I was told earlier this year by INF people that hikers would be able to telephone the day before and arrange for a night pickup of an MR permit.

The idea of a service trip sounds good. Main trail cleanup? I am not sure how these things are managed by INF.

I definitely agree that if we do garner a large response that we need to find a mid-range mileage/technical route (I would suggest 12-15miles, no more than Class 2) that would cater to a broader range of participants. I like some of BobR's ideas, especially University. I also admire the service project. Hell, I've already carried someone else's wagbag off the MT, so bringing down some other trash wouldn't be all that bad!

-L

I plan on being elbow deep in infant excrement/diapers helping out the wife by September maybe in 08

Make sure you use a wag bag...

Ah, the joys of parenthood.

When are you going to be on the HST again??

-L

Yeah, I feel like I just got the son reigned in, and here comes the daughter! Heck, I should take the whole tub full of Wag Bags in preperation!!! Save a few bucks on diapers right?

I'm on the HST Aug 1-6. I think you were a week before or after right?

I would be into a hike/climb/clean-up/whatever in Sept. Would be fun to meet new people I already know.

Man, that would be tough to pass up; I've been collecting pictures and info to eventually give the route a try, but following a group would be incredibly easier than trying to figure as we went. If that's what you guys decide on, you may have a couple of us, my son and I, tagging along trying to keep up. 8^)

KMC: I start at the Portal on the 7th, so maybe we can High-5 it at the Pizza Factory on Monday night! Or I might come up to the Portal to hang out after coming out from Cottonwood.

Either way good luck with the kiddies!

-L

I say a hike up Thor.I've never done it and was planning on it the 8th,my b-day.It would be a blast to hike with the group of you where ever the hike is.

Thor

Darn! Sep 15 is the day I fly home from having spent 2 weeks in CA hiking the Whitney area and Yosemite. Even though I couldn't make it if it's on the 15th, Carillon offers some nice views, including of Tulainyo Lake. Just my .02.

By the way, is the "just after Labor Day" hike with Doug still on? I haven't heard anything about it since Sierra Snail first brought it up a few weeks ago.

CaT

I was planning on hitting up the Pizza Factory on Monday night! Have a look around if you're there and come say hi. I'll be the guy with the 8 month pregnant wife.

To all that have posted "Thanks".

The participation in this thread is overwhelming and I am happy that there has been so much interest.

As I mentioned some postings back, when I first started thinking about a group hike, I was hoping that what ever peak or location was selected, the trip would appeal to all and as many people as possible would join.

There have been a number of excellent observations as to the length (21 miles and maybe 10 -12 hours) of the Langley hike or the class 3 MR route hike with exposure above the notch and also the fact that it is mainly a cross country hike which causes me to worry a bit as to what would happen when a large group splits, or someone decides that they can’t go any further (and are not familiar with the area), or wants to turn around. All these are great observations.

Bob and MooseTracks (I love that handle and can’t wait to put a face on that name) made some really good suggestions. The one that stands out for me is Thor Peak. The reasons are many:

- located at the Portal which means easy access
- familiar location (Whitney region)
- later start time (?), or earlier finish time (?) equals Pizza Factory
- the hike is class 2, and fairly short (12 or less miles)
- round trip of 7 or 8 hours
- with a large group, this hike may be more manageable
- finally, a hike that is challenging enough, but not too challenging

I think that climbing Thor from Bighorn and exiting via the North Fork would provide a lot of people with climbing a very familiar peak, views of the main trail and MR route, staring Whitney head on sounds exciting. In addition, exiting the E ledges would give those people who haven’t hiked the E ledges first hand experience.

I was also thinking that we could provide some service as suggested by cleaning up Lower Boy Scout as we leave or we could reverse the hike and clean up Outpost Camp.

I think this hike would give us a good idea as too how the group dynamics and logistics work out for next year.

Please comment.

Thanks to all

Paul

Mt Langley is kind of a long hike and except for the beautiful Cottonwood lakes area, the summit is not that great. It is a huge flat summit which I am not sure is worth all the effort.

Mt. Whitney up the MR is certainly worthy, but it is a difficult hike for a large group with varying abilities. Also going up the MR coulour above Iceberg lake gets a little tricky with loose rocks flying down on the many hikers below.

Thor Peak is a perfect choice. It is a medium hike, 4-5 hours up 2 hours down, with a great view and a real sense of some cross country. The summit area can see both trails and the whole Whitney crest. It is by far the best alternative.

Cirque Peak over near Mt. Langley is a little further and harder, being further away from the car. But it is a nicer pyramid summit with a great view of the Cottonwood lakes area. That would work well. Perhaps the Rockwell route off the Cottonwood Pass trail with a return trip down the Southfork lakes trail.

Mt. Carrillon would be my third choice. A little between in effort between Mt. Whitney and Thor Peak and certainly off the beaten path.

Obviously, I like that Paul's leaning toward Thor. I say obviously, because there must be a reason I go up so often.

The Bighorn Park / Mirror Lake route has quite a bit of looseness--almost 1000' of it. Not too bad for descending, but a little wearisome going up. Also, technically you need a Whitney trail permit for it. I know Kashcraft will put in a plug for the nearby SE couloir route (no permit required).

From the North Fork, there is (1) the route straight up from LBSL, and (2) what we call the Smiley Face that swings up from near UBSL. I like the latter best, because there is not an inch of loose terrain on it. Class 2, but there are a couple of short class 3 variations for the adventuresome, a few hundred feet below the summit.

Lots of choices for the descent, of course, and loop trips are always more enjoyable for me.

Last I knew, there was a party size limit of 15, although I doubt there will be that many.

Paul, I hope you can decide where the clean-up project will be soon, so I'll know where to leave my trash and WAG bags in the meantime.

Thor Peak is the perfect choice and actually, Paul, I think Bob R.'s recommendation of going up the NF makes sense. Going down to Bighorn on loose rock would make it easier. A great loop and I hope to make it. If not, I'll see you next time you're in town, Paul (my younger brother).

Bob, you are the most perceptive person I know, next to my brother. And, of course, your trash will be the first to be picked up (wag bag not included).

Ok, here is what we have:

- the climb will take place on Saturday, September 15th
- we meet at the trail head (Bob, what's a good time to start?)
- we will ascend the NF and then Bob's smiley face route
- decent to be determined on the day of the hike (?)

Since this climb up Thor is my first, Bob, your expertise would be invaluable and I would greatly appreciate your help in guiding (trail blazing).

Does this work for everyone?

If the group stays pretty much around 15 - 20, the beer and pizza is on me at the Pizza Factory after the hike with two conditions, a lot of stories and laughter by all... and maybe some good roasting.

I guess this means that we all will need to get permits for which I am sorry.

Paul

If this is a service trip to pick up trash, etc., any chance the rangers would issue a larger group permit?

Paul, given your current plan, here are my thoughts. The elevation gain is 4000’ no matter which way you go. The Smiley Face has the most mileage, because you hike almost to UBSL before turning sharply back to approach it from the NW. It generally takes me 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours to get to the top, and about 2 to get back to the Portal by one of the more direct routes. So ~8 hours round trip might be good for planning purposes.

I usually show up at the ranger station for a permit when they open at 8:00, so am on the trail by 9:00 and back to the Portal by 5:00. But we can certainly call the day before and have permits left in the night box, so an earlier start is very easy to do. Besides, no standing in line.

So there is an option here. A 9:00 start works, but 8:00 is probably better for many (but a teeny bit more complicated). You all have more distance to drive than I do, so that is a factor.

When you have a better handle on the numbers, a couple of us could each get a permit for, say, 8 people—either for the night box or in person the morning of—then everyone else could go directly to the trailhead.

Your idea of deciding on the descent route on the day of the climb is a good one. We can discuss the pros and cons of each when we’re there. Going down via Bighorn Park would take the longest, but it is nice to finish on the regular trail. Going down to LBSL is quicker, and would allow people a second encounter with the Ebersbacher Ledges. Going down the SE couloir is nice, too, and reasonably fast.

Of course there is no reason to cast this in stone now, unless you want it that way. I won’t be surprised if you decide to do something completely different.

Here are pictures of my last climb of Thor, up the Smiley Face and down the SE couloir.