Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board porter for Meysan Trail in July

I know this is an odd topic, but so be it. I am trying to get my 74 year old father up Meysan Lakes trail one more time. He is in OK shape, but he is a diabetic. I am a 44 year old Marine and I will be hauling 3 nephews up as well..ages 15-19. What I would like to do is hire someone to haul some weight up the trail. I have been backpacking since I was 7, that was my first time up Meysan Lakes, and I dont want to get into the ethics or whatever of this concept, I just want my father to see his favorite place one last time.. Does anyone know of an individual who hires himself/herself out for this type of service? Figure 1 day of hire is what I am looking for.

I think that it's fantastic that you want to get your dad up there one more time. There aren't enough sons like you. Are you thinking of making this a day hike? If so, maybe each of you (it sounds like it'll be you plus three healthy young men) could carry a couple of extra pounds to lighten his load, yet he'd still have a pack on his back and feel as though he's carrying his weight. Whatever you decide, get him up there.

If each of you and three teens take an extra 8 pounds that would equal 32 pounds and your Dad carrying 10 pounds which he should will take care of the problem.

I had planned on spread loading his gear and chow around to the young dudes, but this will be the first time backpacking for two of them, and all three will be renting most of their gear from REI. I have enough high end gear to outfit my dad and me, I am a certified gearqueer. I probably am not giving my nephews enough credit in their ability to haul some weight.

Knowing from experience: it it NOT fun hiking with people who blaze ahead and leave you behind. I agree with the other posters - load yourself and the kids down so that they are SLOWER than your father and you'll guarantee he'll have a much better time.

Nice place to have as a favorite!

Here is another thought.

What you are talking about is not done, and I've not heard of anyone doing that. Not to say that it doesn't happen, just to say that I haven't heard of it. Technically, it is illegal, although I appreciate that is not the discussion.

My suggestion is that you hire a guide, which IS legal. My experience with guides on the Eastern Sierra is that they are a tough bunch, that can carry some serious weight, as they have to do on serious mountains. There is the added benefit that most are trained to a high level of emergency first aid: Wilderness EMT and the like. They also have high tech communication, such as Sat phones and Ham radios that can access help from most anywhere in the mountains.

They could meet you at a prearranged time to haul stuff in, make sure everything is set up, and take off, then meet you on the day you want to leave, and haul it all out.

With the added bonus that you don't have to worry about if they are going to show up or can do the job.

On the issue of hauling weight. My daughter has backpacked since was 7. At 11 she hauled a 30+/- pack for 8 days covering over 12 miles each day and on the last day summited Whitney and by the end of the day had traveled from Gutar Lake to the Portal. When I was in my young teens in winter we carried insanely heavy packs in the ADK.

Your guys should easly be able to do it. I would make sure that they are in condition and have broken in comfortable boots. My father taught my friends and I about pace by using weight, If we went to fast he gave us more till the fastest and slowest were traveling together.

Second issue, seems crazy to me that hireing someone to carry gear is illeagal. Have we gotten to a point where everything is that regulated? I have often thought that would be a great way for people to get out that otherwise would not be able to. Not asking anyone to be a guide or babysitter, simply carry gear to a location should be leagal.

Here's my .02 cents on it. Those free offers could be great. I did that once myself and won't ever do it again because the guy decided to bail last minute when a better offer came up (to climb with somebody prettier than any of us). After that I decided I would pay the porter to give them incentive to fulfill their commitment. Since then I've never needed a porter although we hired the Rainbow Pack Outfit for a trip over Bishop Pass once.

Packers don't go up the Meysan Lakes Trail so hiring a porter would be your best bet. Email Kurt Wedberg at SMI http://www.sierramountaineering.com. He has a guide service in Bishop. I've climbed with him before and he's friends with a lot of people on this board. He's on Denali now but his office should be there. I'll bet he or one of his staff could help you out, and tell a few stories of big climbs along the way

That's a cool thing you're doing getting your dad up there. Good luck to you!

How about talking to a Boy Scout troop? They have merit badge/advancement community service requirements. A couple scouts could satisfy those requirements with a grand adventure in the Sierra.

When in July? If I'm around (work travel obligations - and a 17-day Sierra trek late July) I'll also try to meet and accompany you. Maybe you should arrange for 3-4 volunteers with the understanding some will have to bail.

FWIW: a few years ago coming down from Cottonwood Pass I met a nun who was up there with her parents - giving her aged father one more look at the Sierra, where he spent so much of his youth. Pretty moving - and a great idea.

You can hire a porter at Sierra Mountain Center too. Guide Aaron does portage on occasion.

Well, if you want to run a commercial operation on federal land, yes, you do have to have permission to do it. They do require some things, such as liability insurance. The Forest Service is required, by law, to regulate activities on FS land. If they do not, that opens THEM to suits, such as when they got a little liberal with packers, and a hiking group sued them in federal court, won, and cost Inyo and Sierra NF's about half their budgets for several years. The issue is money changing hands, which makes it a commercial operation.

I vaguely recall that Laura got some hassle a few years back carrying a resupply for someone over Kearsearge, needing to convince the ranger that she was not doing it for money.

That's how I understand it, anyway.

FS regulations for special uses

Upon further discussion with my dad and nephews they have balked at the idea of help. They assume as an active duty Marine that I can haul the world up the trail, I know better That being said, as I have gone over my newer lighter gear, I figure I can haul both my gear and my dads gear up and still be under 50lbs. I have hauled heavier loads over longer periods before. The nephews will have to carry the food and we will go with more freeze dried and less comfort food than we would normally carry on this type of trip. I have climbed the Meysan Lakes trail at least 15 times over the years, and my dad has been there just as many I am sure. I guess my biggest concern is the diabetes which can have odd effects on him when he exerts himself too much.
Thanks a ton for the offers of free help.. you folks are golden. I used to know a lady that used goats to haul her gear.. wonder if I could find a goat somewhere

Yup, a little strange I know but it is a phenomenon that I've experienced as well.
The folks at Rainbow Pack Outfit were excellent. They're family owned, are super friendly, and provide excellent service. I'd use them again if I had a trip where that was appropriate.



You obviously don't know Kurt Wedberg like many people on this board do. He has a father who is 80+ years old who's a legend. He's been up Baldy more times than most on this board combined and been all over the Sierra. Kurt knows a thing or two about going on trips with older folks. Kurt isn't like other guides either. He's humble and patient and truly loves being around people and helping them out. There's no arrogance like there are with other guides. I won't hire anybody else. Also, he's not a "Sierra Hiking Service" as you put it. He's a mountain guide. He climbs all over the Sierra and has climbed Everest twice and many other big peaks all over the world. If you met Kurt I think you would retract your earlier comments about him and his "Sierra Hiking Service".

When I was a paramedic we would get a few calls for people with diabetic issues that were involved in competive sports. Most were very careful about their sugar levels and had called because they did not feel right. For you father I would recomend that he do some training to have a sense of his bodys needs and frequent sugar checks on the trail. The dificult part is sorting out whats going on when someone dosent feel right and they are a diabetic outside their normal activity zone. I would think that if he stays hydrated and takes it at a easy pace he should have no trouble. There are quite a few doc's on here maybe they can give some feedback.

Type II Diabetic here. I have learned to hydrate more, be easy on consuming sugars and carbs, and avoid exertion to the extreme. Been doing this for many years now and climbing alot of 14ers without side effects, at least that I am aware of. My blood glucose and the A1C tests seem to stay about the same & I can definitely feel when I have overdone either the sugar/carbs or the exertion levels.

Well everything went very well. We camped half way up the first night.. something we havent done in a long time, but dad needed to. The top lake was mostly frozen, which was a bit of a bummer, but still, overall, it was great to get my dad up there one more time. Here is a video of the trip..it is a bit long, the last couple minutes are the best.

youtube

great video slide show.

I went up the Meysan Lake Trail a couple of weeks after you. Much less snow and the lake was completely unfrozen.

The place where you made your first snow crossing is one of the places that got washed out in the monsoon.

my photos
https://picasaweb.google.com/105800731492356952460/MeysanLakeAugust56

That video is "priceless".....Good job!

Thanks, Great video, I would like to shake your hand.

Great job with that video guys! Very well done. You captured some very special family events that you'll no doubt cherish for many years to come. Good on ya!!