JWolf, I didn't have a chance to read your full TR since I was busy in the Sierra and doing Whitney on the 14th/15th, but I just finished it - congrats on the summit! Great TR - enjoyed it a lot. Quillansculpture and I both had 32-pound packs as well when we started up on the 14th, and we had the same stroganoff dinner. I'm ambivalent about most of the backpacking pre-packaged meals, but the Backpacker's Pantry stroganoff isn't too bad.
Glad you ran into some helpful rangers on the mountain. For future DV reference, I've never paid to drive through the park when doing Vegas to Lone Pine and back, and I've never seen a ranger on the roads there, despite this being my favorite winter hiking/camping destination, and having been there probably a dozen times. Don't get me wrong - I always pay the fee when I use the park to hike or camp, but never driving through. It's kind of assumed that through-traffic ignores the fee-area signs - which I guess is why they have no entry gates anywhere.
Again, great TR and congrats on a fine trip, despite the weather.
