Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Any suggestions on travel to and from LA

I need a suggestion how to get from LA to Lodgepole and from Whitney Portal to LA. We will be in a group of 12 people. Most of the people will arrive from New York in LA around 11:00pm on Friday August 22nd and we have to be in Lodgepole on Saturday August 23rd. Than we will be returning from Whitney Portal on Sunday evening August 31st (Labor day weekend), as the plane to NYC leaves in the afternoon on Monday September 1st.
Do you know of any shuttle, charter van, etc that we can get to drive us from and to LA. Or if we rent full size van, is there any towing company that could tow the full size van to Whitney Portal.
Also, I was considering renting Uhaul in Lone Pine and driving it back to LA. But I do not want to be stopped by Police with people in the cargo area. Do you know if there is any agricultural inspection station on the way to LA where they could stop us and upon inspection find 10 people in the back.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Why would you need to be towed to whitney portal? It would probably be easiest to rent the van or 2 minivans or something.

You are asking for a lot since you have a large group and very little slack time planned into your trip. I would expect few places to be open late on Friday night or on Sunday evening.

Are you the only California person? Would you be renting the van in advance that Friday and picking up the rest of your party at LAX or would they rent something at the airport and meet you? Do you have enough time Saturday morning to caravan up to Whitney Portal and park your vehicle there before riding in the van to Lodgepole? Could one of your friends rent a second vehicle and also leave it at Whitney Portal? If so, you could have two vehicles at Whitney Portal when you end your hike and be able to drive one vehicle back to Lodgepole to pick up the van. Your group could stay overnight in Bakersfield while you and a willing partner drive up to Lodgepole and back. Then your group could drive back to LA on Labor Day.

Draft (and pay) a So. Cal friend or two to ride along to Lodgepole, then drive the vehicle(s) to Whitney Portal, drop them there, and then take public transportation back to LA.

With that many people, look into a charter bus company -- they could take you to Lodgepole, then come up to Whitney Portal at the end of your trip to haul you home. A small school bus could be the ticket.

Forget the U-Haul idea. No, there are no vehicle inspection stations, but you are driving through desert, in the summer. Be it day or night, the Mexicans try it all the time to smuggle people across the border, and they die back there. And yeh, if you are discovered, I think they will throw away the key after your are incarcerated.

Try calling the Mount Whitney Visitors center in Lone Pine for suggestions. I do not think there is a car rental agency in Lone Pine. However, there is an Eastern Sierra transportation system that might get you to, say, Bishop (the wrong direction if going to LA) which probably does have vehicles for rent.

Not sure if the bus dates work for you, but here's some research info. I've collected for my HST trip planning. Since I have not used any of the services I'm recommending, you should verify all the information for yourself.

1) Greyhound to Visalia, CA
  1a. Greyhound: 425 E. OAK Ave., Visalia, CA 93292
2) Sierra Shuttle from Visalia Convention Center to Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest Museum ($10/person).
  2a. http://www.sequoiashuttle.com/en/routes.php
  2b. Tel: 877-287-4453
  2c. 5 departures between 7:00AM – 1:00PM
  2d. ~ 2.25 hr drive
  2e. Convention Center: 303 E Acequia Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
3) Use Sequoia Nat'l Park internal shuttle to Lodgepole to pick up permits. Shuttle buses are free.
4) After hike, camp at Whitney Portal.
5) Next morning, have Bob shuttle group from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine.
  5a. Tel: (760) 876 1915 for a quote and reservations.
  5b. Note: Call Bob prior to starting hike to confirm. It’s alright to deviate from schedule, so Bob will provide his cell number to call. The Whitney Portal Store has a free land line to call with.
6) Catch Crest Bus from Lone Pine to City Hall in Ridgecrest ($15).
  6a. Tel: 760-872-1901
  6b. Operates only M, W, F
  6c. Departs Lone Pine 10:25AM; arrives 11:45AM at Ridgecrest City Hall.
  6d. Bus stop located at Statham Hall (138 N. Jackson Street, Lone Pine, CA)
7) Rent car from Avis, next to City Hall to drive back to Los Angeles
  7a. Avis (760-446-5556): 901 N China Lake Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555
  7b. Mon-Fri: 07:00 AM-06:00 PM, Sat-Sun: 09:00 AM-04:00 PM

Good luck!

Tung