Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board What's The Ranger Situation?

Since California is in pretty much bankruptcy are there any rangers on the Whitney Trail to check permits? Not that I'm going to try and skate through without a permit. I can go on weekdays and have no problem snagging a one-day one-person permit. But if one were to get in trouble on the trail, are they there? Haven't had a chance to go up this year, last month I got chased out of the Portal by cops due to the (really faraway) fire. Looking to go this week or next. Just curious. Anyone seeing any Rangers?

The rangers work for the federal government not the state of California. So yes there are rangers, but the budget problems could have an effect on Sheriff, CDF, and CHP which are all state run.

Met Ranger Dave at Trail Camp when we were there a week ago. It was early evening and he was doing the rounds and reminding folks about the need to pack out our used WAGs. I asked and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was staying up at TC! The rangers have a tent cabin up there that I never noticed before! Ran into him again at the windows area the next day.

And if you do happen to see a ranger, tell them "thank you" for all the work that they do----a lot of it is complete grunt work that goes entirely unnoticed by the usual tourons...

Getting back on my high horse about the North Fork...

I ran in to Ranger Nathan on the way down from Thor Peak on Sunday and thanked him for the work done in trying to contain the masses to one path up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek. (I had seen him and Brian a week earlier at the Portal Store with gardening gear and "restoration area" stakes on their packs.) He informed me that most of the credit for that work belongs to Ranger Dave Kirk.

I'll be sure to thank him the next time I run into him. (If you read our reports from a few weekends back, you'll see that poor Dave had to climb up the right side of the MR Couloir to retrieve a Wag Bag that someone dropped up there. Not fun duty!)

I ran into two rangers (don't remember the names) last Wednesday about 1:00 PM coming down between the Summit and Trail Crest.

Indeed. I have been up the NFLP creek trail twice this year, (June & August). Both times I ran into Dave K. Both times he was camped up there, and hard at work doing trail maintenance. Thank you Dave!

My wife and I ran into a ranger between Cottonwood Lakes and HM. He took the time to talk with us about anything we had questions about and all I could say was "thank you" and "boy what a life you lead" and he agreed.
Any rangers on this site, THANK YOU.

You better watch yourself now! He ain't gunna cut you no slack on the permit issue!

Most of you probably know this, but Ranger Kirk is also a watercolor artist. His paintings of the Sierra can be seen at the Hostel and espresso bar in LP. He has a true affinity for the area he serves.

The Local Yokel Law Dog.

If looks could kill.

Book 'em, Bob!

Have fun.

and the starting pay is around 30-37 thousand a year depending on what type of Ranger (law enforcement, general, etc...) one is.

My point is they don't make a lot of money for the hard work they do. It's a thankless job IMO.


Hiiker

Had a nice talk last month at Mather Pass with Ranger Rick Sanger.Thanks Rick.

Re Rick: The obligatory spoonerization comment.

Hope that was a root beer in your hand in that last photo, Bob...

About two weeks ago, on a Thursday, we passed a Ranger on the MMWT between Portal and Lone Pine Lake (my apologies, I cannot remember his name) who checked our tags and had a chat with us about how things were going.