Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Portal Road Status

Excuse my absence I have worked my "rear-end" off today complying with bureaucracy,it is tax time.
First off Steve,thank you for your honesty,restraint is a difficult thing and I personally don't believe that this issue is your fault,it appears that you were doing your job by posting a relevant and hot topic.Most people are firmly on one side of this gate or another.
Take a good look at most No Trespassing Signs,in many areas they are full of bullet holes. Strong passions indeed.
If I could ask one favor of someone that uses his full name on every post,please stop the cut and paste partial quote thing.Most of the posts on this blog are quite thoughtful. I would much rather hear what your own experiences have been. Everyone has reasons,I would love to hear more of your story.
So it appears that the work is continuing on the Portal Road, this is good news because of so many budget cuts. I was worried that the repairs and upgrades would stop completely.

He's mentioned her before.

Which is why he's nothing more than a tease.

And I don't want to discuss girlfriends (most of them in my life brought me more grief than good )

But I DO want to know what the fine was for the friends parking at the Portal.

Bam!

OMG!!! I cannot stop laughing! Wow, now this thread is gonna get real good :-) I do love it that she has a psychology book and you have a guitar......

And please, others are encouraged :-)
p.s. Burchey, you're over your PM limit.... I tried to write you.

This thread has become toxic.

Also, I deleted a few messages. Yeah!

Toxic? <insert eye roll>

It'll flame itself out on its own.

But as for actual information:

The road is being cleaned and cleared, people are driving past the sign, person got ticket for passing the sign, others complained about it.

Toxic, indeed.

anything new about the road? Will it be closed all the way up till May 1st?

I know the whitney portal campground does not open until May 16, does this mean the road is offically closed until that time?

Also do people camp at whitney portal while it is closed, or do you just park there and start hiking?

New update from Inyo Natl Forest:

4/14/2012 There is no vehicle access via the Whitney Portal Road,to the Mt. Whitney Trailhead. Experience with snowshoes, crampons, and ice axe is essential. Recent, heavy snow on top of existing snow and ice may create avalanche hazards, and makes conditions that even experienced winter mountaineers should approach with caution. Not recommended for inexperienced hikers until conditions improve. Snow and ice will be deeper at higher elevations and on north facing slopes. Obtain a current Weather Forecast and Avalanche Advisory before visiting. Do not underestimate the severity of winter storms.

No change from the 3/30 update...no idea what it's actually like up there - any locals or people who were just there want to give an update?

Keep in mind, with the conditions report / warnings - they have to speak to the lowest common denominator (90% of the users on the whitney forums)

They'd rather scare off a few folks that would have been just fine, then rescue / recover a few folks that were in over their heads.

Word from Inyo National Forest is that there is word from the Inyo County road department that, if all goes according to plan with road crew work schedules...

    The Whitney Portal Road should be officially opened Friday, April 27.

Doug wrote this afternoon (4-20-2012)


It would be fun to pop in for one of his famous giant pancakes!

Noted. Maybe I'll have some Lone Pine patients next week!

I heard from a friend, who sent a bit more on the tale of the Portal Road and those parking tickets, along with an image of a ticket.

The ticket is a moving violation/Notice to Appear ticket from the CHP officer -- the kind the officer hands you and asks you to sign. The fine for the ticket was reported to be $345!

Looking at the image, the violation is "21462W.E. - Failure to comply with regulatory control device (Road Closed) 'construction'."

Word I got: "some guy had gone up the road and managed to roll his car driving around a big boulder. The car ended up on the road, but upside down. He contacted a tow service, and they told him no way--to contact CHP. So CHP went up, saw the scene, got pissed, then immediately started issuing tickets. Before they were done they had ticketed 34 cars."

Wooo Hooo, California Budget Crisis SOLVED!!!!! Thank you Gov Brown for using your enormous Noggin! Tickets, and as Jon Lovitz used to say on SNL....."yea, that's the ticket".

p.s. I actually got out of a speeding ticket in Pearsonville (395) a few years back..... Yea, it helped my girlfriends dad was head of the Northern Section of the Highway Patrol and asked the officer, "do you know Spike?" (the head of the CHP at the time)..... the officer just looked over at her and said, "you know Spike?"
Drove away feeling really, really lucky.

GREAT NEWS!! Did not see this post till this morning. We are heading up to Lone pine tonight to get a good meal for dinner, then will sleep at the portal and leave in the early morning hours for UBSL tomorrow. Thanks to everyone Especially Steve for all the information. Will be back Friday to post a thorough trip report by this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to get interesting, wish us luck!

~Gobble Gobble

I was asked to post any updates I received about the Horseshoe Meadow road. I just spoke to Inyo County Roads, and they said they had hoped to open today, but because of all the rock that still needs clearing, it won't be until next week. (I am very bummed -- I had hoped to get over Cottonwood Pass this weekend!)