Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board S.B. solo on JMT-satellite phone? parking lot?

Hello, I'm planning to drop my car at/near Whitney Portal, shuttle to Yosemite and enjoy the walk back. My wife wants me to take a satellite phone, in case of emergency. Anyone have actual experience with Global or Irridium along the trail? Also, since I'm planning to leave my car for 20 days, I concerned about human thieves. Are there any parking areas near Whitney that are either a good or bad idea?

Kiss your wife goodbye until you return. Or take her with you. Leave the phone in the car. Talk to people on the trail and enjoy the friendships. Trust the people at the Portal; other people trust you. Use the bear box; the bears are your greatest threat. Pray for a good trip and for others on the trail and in the rest of the world. You are never alone. Walk in the mountains and enjoy the Spirit...

David - I hiked the JMT two years ago and took a stallite phone with me... I think it was irridium - I rented it from a company in Texas.

Honestly, it was way more trouble than it was worth - I only tried to use it a few times but always had problems making connections. When I finally did make a satelite connection it was almost always lost before I had finished my conversation. I could understand it if I was trying to make a call in a canyon or area with limited "sky", but even in places like Big Horn Plateau I had trouble staying connected.

Then, of course, there's the weight issue - I "upgraded" to the smaller version, which still weighed a couple pounds. The batteries were huge, so I only brought one... which probably would have been fine, except that I kept draining my battery life every time my call was lost and had to re-dial (sometimes several times).

I'm hiking the JMT this summer again, but this year I'm bringing a "SPOT". It's got limited message capability: "I'm OK" and a 9-1-1 emergency function.... but, really, that's all ya need. I've read that the SPOT is sometimes unreliable in certain conditions.... but so was my satellite phone.

Have a great hike... when are you going?

Kind Hikers,
Thanks for the input (I especially like the thoughts on prayer- an extended time in the wilderness can be a season of spiritual renewal). . . don't have a permit. And am planning to get a walk-up permit from Tuolemne Meadows -probably on a weekday in late July or early August. But my schedule is flexible.
I shared your info. about the satellite phone with my wife, she is still worried (I'll check out the SPOT device).
Years ago my son and I ambled from Onion Valley to Whitney and we spoke with other hikers every day. So, I'm not concern about getting stranded with a broken ankle.
Perhaps I'll see you along the trail.
respectfully, David "stocky" Stockbridge

David:
My parents were quite concerned when I left for my little trek into the backcountry last summer (12 days). What I did was have mini-business cards made up from a company called Moo.com . On the front were pictures of me (on a few of my adventures over the past summer), and the back was my parents name/phone number, then a little paragraph that said: "I met your daughter, Laura, at ____ on _____ (day) around _____ (time). She wanted me to tell you she is doing great and loves you!" I handed these out to people I met on the trail who were going to be heading out and getting to a phone before I was. Out of the 10 I handed out, I think my parents got 2-3 phone calls, and then they were able to send an e-mail to my friends saying I was OK.

The packets of cards come in 100, I think, so I have plenty more for the next time I head off on an adventure!

-Laura