Summiting with out your packs

lesper4 · Post by **lesper4** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:48 pm

So some freinds of mine are going to do Whitney this year from Cottenwood Lakes / Horseshow Meadows. I am sure this happens everywhere but we were wondering if it is OK /safe to summit Whitney but leave our backpacks at the junction. Anyone have any experiance doing this on any other peak?

Anyone else doing Whitney, according to the regulations as long as you are not begining and ending at Whitney you do not need to go though the lottery. I hope to schedule our reservations this week or next for late July.

Thanks

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:55 pm

It's California, it'll probably be ok but who knows

I for one would not without locking it up or having someone to stay with the gear.

pacsafe is very good but where you'd lock it up? I couldn't guess
http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php?_r ... tail&id=48

titanhangman · Post by **titanhangman** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:07 pm

I had the permits for that exact trip this past Summer but had to cancel due to work. The quota is for exiting Trail Crest to the Portal (I believe) and as long as you go to, and exit the summit from the west side you don't have to mess with the lottery. Another problem I ran into was that trip is 60 miles round trip, and nobody wanted to do it with me.. lol.

As for whether you can expect your gear to go unmolested I don't know, but I spent a lot of dough on gear and I would hate to lose it to buggers or bears.

lesper4 · Post by **lesper4** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:20 pm

The trip I am following is similar to this one, 45 miles of so (no peaks except for Whitney) http://infolab.stanford.edu/~crespo/Pictures/Langley03/

When we did San G the guy suggested we stow our stuff behidn a rock at teh junction but non of us wanted to do that so we went to the peak. Granted that distance form the junction to the peak is MUCH shorter then the Whiteny one.

That is a great net but I would hate to carry it up the mountain. Looks like more for urban areas.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:35 pm

lesper4 - We have dayhiked Whitney 5 times, the last being 2009. Every time, we have seen packs stashed at the junction while the owners bagged the summit. So, it seems to be a common practice.

AlanK · Post by **AlanK** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:42 pm

I call the junction of the JMT with the Whitney trail "the Grayhound Bus Terminal" because there is always luggage there -- it looks to me like someone should be stowing it under a bus. So, yes, lots of people stow packs there while going to the summit.

When we were finishing the JMT in 2006, my son (then 15) got chewed out by a guy who was unhappy that he was not stowing his pack. We took our packs to the summit because they contained things like lunch. And because who cared about carrying, for an extra couple of miles, depleted packs that we had already carried for over 200? An odd thing to get worked up about one way or the other. But some people love to mind other people's business!

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:11 pm

In my experience, I'd say that the vast majority of hikers coming up from the JMT ditch their big packs at the junction Alan mentioned, and carry either a small pack, or even just a bottle of water, from there to the summit.

It's your call, but I doubt anyone bothers the packs. After all, if they do take something, it's a LONG way to carry it down, regardless of which way they go.

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:26 pm

lesper4 wrote: ↑So some freinds of mine are going to do Whitney this year from Cottenwood Lakes / Horseshow Meadows. I am sure this happens everywhere but we were wondering if it is OK /safe to summit Whitney but leave our backpacks at the junction. Anyone have any experiance doing this on any other peak?

Anyone else doing Whitney, according to the regulations as long as you are not begining and ending at Whitney you do not need to go though the lottery. I hope to schedule our reservations this week or next for late July.

Thanks

You will need a permit if you are following the map you posted in your second post, coming and going by way of the Whitney Portal on either the outbound or the finish is considered the "Whitney Zone" and permits are required. If on the other hand you plan to go from Cottonwood Lakes area, you will need a permit to overnight in that area (same vistors center will issue both) and return that way, in that case you could leave the big packs way away from the main trail before you get to Trail Crest (which is the PCT on that side I'm fairly certain) and take day packs to the summit and not have to worry about leaving your packs at the JMT and Trail Crest junction, everytime I'm there I see at least four or five packs, furthermore it's typical that the rangers will be right at that junction as they come from both the Portal Side and the Crabtree Meadows side (they rotate turns) and they set up shop at that junction to catch people on both sides of the mountian coming and going, that way they can check all the permits - have a great trip whatever you decide.

lesper4 · Post by **lesper4** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:06 am

Thanks all. As long as their are others I am sure we will feel better doing the same. I do plan on geeting a permit, just trying to avoid the lottery.

PackerGreg · Post by **PackerGreg** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 1:16 pm

As a donkey-wrangling canyon guy I will say that I have had a lot of experience packing without a summit, but no experience summiting without a pack.

lesper4 · Post by **lesper4** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:26 am

Leave it up to the a** to put a wrench in it, lol.

lesper4 · Post by **lesper4** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 9:45 am

I have one other question about Whitney. They have a Wagbag that you have to take your human waste out of the area in. Is this just for Whitney Trail specific or any of the sourounding areas. Leaving at Horseshoe Meadows / Cottenwood Lakes do we need to pack a wagbag?
thanks

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:45 am

lesper4 wrote: ↑I have one other question about Whitney. They have a Wagbag that you have to take your human waste out of the area in. Is this just for Whitney Trail specific or any of the sourounding areas. Leaving at Horseshoe Meadows / Cottenwood Lakes do we need to pack a wagbag?

I don't know where the wagbag is required, but I know it's not required out of Horseshoe Meadow and Cottonwood Lakes.