Re pitching a tent with rocks: you just look for decent sized rocks that you can tie out your tent to. Bigger than a softball, smaller than a bowling ball, should do it.
Your tent should have loops around its base. Attach lengths of ropes to these loops. Then wrap the other end of each rope around rock or a bush, etc. For a really good tie out, you can wrap some of the loose end of the rope around a tent stake, and then wrap the whole thing around a rock, using the tent stake to wedge the whole thing solidly.
If it really windy, you can also place rocks in the corners inside your tent (maybe weighing 6-10 lbs each) to prevent it from blowing away.
If you camp at Trail Camp, you may want to do all this. Usually, you can get some stakes in the ground but need to supplement with the rock method. Plus it can be windy there. If you camp at Outpost Camp, you'll probably be able to stake out the tent in a traditional way, and wind will be less of an issue.
Re bear canisters. I have an Ursack (white), a Bearikade, and a Bear Vault, and use them all, choosing among them depending on where I am traveling and for how long -- so I am an Ursack fan (and an even bigger Bearikade fan). And yet, if you are new to Ursacks and traveling in a bear intensive area like Whitney, it is not the device that I personally would recommend (assuming they are indeed legal). I don't want to wade into this debate again (it reappears ad nauseum on this and other boards) so I am just going to say that Ursacks are prone to user error which leads to a lot of problems.
I'm done debating wag bags and bear canisters (the same issues just keep recycling), but if you have any other questions I am happy to weigh in.
