Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Hitching a ride

We're going in at Horseshoe Meadows 7/2 (Thurs) & coming down from the summit on 7/6. I want to leave our truck at Whitney Portal. Looking for advice on how much of a hassle it will be to hitch down from the portal & back up to HSM.

Also, this is our 1st time in bear country. I heard that canisters can be rented at the Vistor's Center. Do I need to reserve? What kind are they? Heavy? How much?

Thanks.

The Portal Store and the Whitney Portal Hostel rent/sell Garcia canisters. See Bear Canisters.

DLab... A16 in Mission Valley rents the BearVault.... very reasonable rates... 619-283-2362

Thanks, SCG. A16 looks like the way to go so I can make sure all the food fits ahead of the trip & the money comes out to almost the same.

Anyone have experience with the hitch hiking up & down?

DLab,

Hitching between Lone Pine and the Portal is pretty easy. The road to HSM tees off of this road, so getting to the HSM Road junction is therefore also easy. But getting a ride to HSM is a little spotty, and getting a "direct" hitch from the Portal to HSM is even more difficult. There just isn't a lot of traffic to HSM.