Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Quality of sleep at the portal

Excluding anxiety/excitement/nervous energy, what are peoples experience with quality of sleep at the portal. Can some distinguish beteen camping vs sleeping in tne car?

I have done all the above and find that my own factors of excitement were the greatest cause of poor sleep. Of course, there was no bear around for others campers to hoot and holler at.

As I prepare my own countdown for the MMWT hike this next weekend with a night at Horsehoe and another night at the portal campground, I am thinking of the impact of poor sleep.

My first night out's sleep is always poor no matter where I am. Not being in my own bed, unfamiliar sounds and anxiety are all to blame.

What I learned from many years of traveling for races (running, bicycle, triathlon, some 24 hour+ events) is to get good sleep the night before the night before. Most people can function reasonably well on little sleep the night before an event. But restless sleep two nights in a row can make a significant difference.

Get your packing and planning done early. Then have a long, good rest the night before you leave for the Portal or wherever. I think it's actually possible to "bank" good sleep. Then, don't worry about how much sleep you get the night before....the very act of worrying can cause you to lose even more sleep......and you'll be good to go in the morning.

Maybe get a pill to knock you out really well. I know a lot of people like Tylenol PM too. I usually take a Xanax in such situations and it helps me sleep through the night fairly well.

Next to your conditioning up to a big hike, I don't see any other physical factor nearly as important as sleep/rest. If I don't get enough sleep, I really don't enjoy myself much while hiking and definitely have performance issues.

Like Mtntrailrunner, I don't sleep well my first night anywhere away from home. Now when I have a big hike the next day, I always do what tchiker does -- take something to help me sleep.

Tylenol PM is just the basic acetaminophen with diphenhydramine (Benadryl) added. So I just get the drug store generic for benadryl and take one (or sometimes two) pills. I have also tried prescription sleep aids, too -- the all work about the same for me.

When the alarm clock goes off, I get up knowing I have had enough sleep to get me through the first day of hiking. Based on the reports of all the noise around the Portal, I think I would try what some of my friends recommend, too -- ear plugs.

I've always found that my best bet to get a good night's sleep before a hike is to camp near the trailhead. I always bring two sets of earplugs in case I lose one. I use Hearos which are rated to 32dB. What doesn't work well for me is to stay in a motel or lodge. The stuffiness of the room, uncomfortable mattress, noise from refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters, etc. makes it hard for me to fall asleep. When I stayed at Dow Villa last month before leaving on my week long backpack out of Onion Valley, I was unable to fall asleep until 4:30 am. I wanted to camp at the trailhead but I wasn't able to obtain a reservation for a campsite. I had the same problem last year when I went backpacking on the west side of Kings Canyon NP. I stayed at the Wuksachi Lodge and was only able to sleep for an hour. I've found that whenever I camp near the trailhead, I'm much more relaxed. Psychologically I feel as though I've already started my trip and I sleep much better. Instead of 1 to 2 hours of sleep, I get around 5. The pre-trip excitement is still a problem, but 5 hours of sleep is a world of difference from 1 to 2. One last thing is that when I camp near the trailhead, I try to get a campsite that is away from the road.

I spent 3 nights at the portal campground, it was great, quite, perfect temps, no bugs, etc. I alrady spent one night so slept great the second night before the hike.

Try Ambien. It works for me. I have taken it every time before Whitney, even when I stay at the Dow I have a difficult time sleeping the night before. Especially when I go to bed much earlier than normal for a Whitney dayhike. I used it up ther in late August with no problems. It is a prescrption sleeping aid, but I'm sure most doctors will probably have samples or give you a small prescription for your hike. One nice thing, as long as you get 6 to 8 hours while taking it, the effect will wear off by the time you hit the trail.

I sleep very well at the Comfort Inn, about a mile south of Lone Pine. It is very clean and much quieter than the Dow or the other hotels in town. Good amenities at the Comfort, too. Fridges, microwaves, free breakfast and internet.

I agree with Wes. I have learned over the years that I know I will not be able to sleep at altitude on the night before a hike (I used to get up there and just lay in my sleeping bag with my heart racing and my eyes wide open for half the night). For the past several years I have popped one Ambien right before bedtime. I sleep like a baby.

I prefer to sleep at the campground near the trailhead because of the aclimation benefits as well as the time saved in the early morning.

I take an Ambien at 8:00 pm, and wake up at 2:30 - ready to hike.

A glass of wine usually helps me, and no, I'm not being facetious. I'm not drinking the whole bottle, and I keep plugging away at the water while I have the wine, too.

As for camping or car, I do both. When I put the seats flat in my Element, it fits a full-size air mattress. Cozy with my own pillows and blankets!

The Portal campground was quiet, bug-free, and beautiful. Would definitely camp there again!

-Laura

I don't sleep well at all outdoors, which is why I wound up being a more of a day hiker than a backpacker. I've found though, that proper acclimitization has a large effect on how sleepy or awake I feel the day after. Recently I day hiked Langley after 2 car campground nights out and had a great day, with no problem driving home afterward which took until 11 p.m. The key seemed to be that I followed best acclimitization practices on that trip ("best practices" being whatever worked most successfully for me in the past to adjust to altitude). There's an old adage that if your body really needs sleep you will fall azzzzzleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz