Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Permit Question

Yet another question from an annoying newbie. I have a 3 day permit for mid-July. On the back of the permit notice form, it seems to require me to designate where I will camp each night. I may camp at Outpost if I am dragging due to the altitude, or I may continue on and camp at Trail Camp if I am feeling good. Can I leave my options open, or must I designate where I will camp each night?

When I did my trek last summer, the rangers had me give them a rough idea of where I might camp each night so they could have a record. It's basically so they might know where to look if you are overdue. Since I ended up reversing my entire route, it ended up being a moot point. But it's not something that's set in stone.

-L

See Note 3 at the bottom of Wilderness Permit Options. You can spend up to 14 days in the wilderness on a single overnight permit. Writing down your locations helps the Forest Service compile usage statisics. It also documents your intentions in case you do not follow your plan.

Just put your best estimate down for each night, and then whatever happens on the trail, happens.

CaT

Thanks for the quick answers. My biggest worry is staying at 12,000 feet and either not sleeping or waking up with AMS. So, I may stay at Outpost. Anyhow, I appreciate the help.