Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Campsites Lone Pine Last Minute Trip to Cirque

Hello,

Have a last minute trip planned to hike Cirque Peak this weekend as prep hike for Whitney in August. Understand can only stay at Horseshoe one night; in the event too tired to drive back to SO CA after Saturday's hike, can anyone recommend a campsite in the area where a space may be available on such short notice?

Also, any other tips for Cirque/Langley (hope to do soon too)? Have been training weekly above 10k in the past 6 weeks, and this will be our first time above 11,500(San G). Looking forward to it. many thanks! Yvonne

Also, can Lubken Canyon Road be driven to Horseshoe Meadows Road from the 395 to bypass Lone Pine when driving up from SO CA? Just want to shave time off if at all possible. thx again.

Thoughts:

1) You could be a heroine & find the lost pack (http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/31785/LOST_backpack_near_Cirque_Peak#Post31785).

2) Don't try to make up time by speeding on 395 - it's well patrolled.

Although the official limit is 1 night at Horseshoe Meadow, I have not had it enforced. Of course, that depends on how busy it is and if you are a responsible/polite camper.

I have spent 3 consecutive nights at HM without a issue. But, the campground was no where near to being full and I didn't have a lot of gear spread out all over the place.

So if you need to spend a extra night, and there is space, it should be ok.

Will def keep eyes peeled for a missing blue backpack, that's a bummer. Will have 3 sets of eyes on deck, so you never know. Good to know about staying at HSM if not full. Just not sure how wiped we're gonna be at the end of the day. Thx for driving tips too, always helpful

> Also, can Lubken Canyon Road be driven to Horseshoe Meadows Road from the 395 to bypass Lone Pine when driving up from SO CA?

Yes, definitely. Nice shortcut if you don't need anything in Lone Pine. Watch for the Boulder Creek RV resort -- it is across the road from Lubken Canyon road.

Wagga,

That pack is well off the beaten track to Cirque. The normal cut up to Cirque is well beyond where those folks cut up...I've done Cirque more few times from CP.

Also a bunch of squiggly lines ain't worth a damn. Without waypoints is is a waste of effort.

Yeah, Horseshoe Meadows is a one night only but it not paid attention to. Someone from the forest service comes up once a day to collect fees, if that.

I've stayed there many times and do not remember seeing someone from the forest service in any of the campgrounds.

wbtravis,
Looking at those squiggly lines, it appears they are a gps track created by the hiker's gps unit. ...and it looks like all their wandering was done while looking for the pack -- in an entirely different area than where they climbed.

If that is the case, it appears they went up on the right-hand line, but started looking for the pack in completely the wrong part of the mountain. If one would climb on the same track the ones who lost the pack did, I'd but the pack would be encountered.

Anyone going up that way could contact the people who lost the pack, and use their gps track.

Steve,

This way off the beaten track...I mean way off. No one who did any studying would go up this way...why go up something really difficult when you can wander down a sandy undulating trail another 1/2 mile or so where you can see your destination and the only bouldering you have to do is at the summit. Most are interested in the destination not the process. The only thing that would put people in this area was if they wanted to do all the bumps down that ridgeline after they summitted Cirque...and there are not a lot of those. Also, most summitting Cirque will do so via New Army Pass after the snow clears because it is much easier...I've done both ways.

Many moons ago, I dropped my backpack, not day pack, on the slopes of Charlton Peak and headed over to San Gorgonio to complete the Nine Peaks before heading over I waypointed the pack know full well I would not find it without having this information. Even with the waypoint it us 20 to 30 minutes to find our packs.

Without specific waypoint information, this is impossible.

Sorry to report we did not get in the area of the missing backpack after Cirque was reached late in the day on Saturday. We downclimbed the SE side into the gully to xc back to the trail back to CP TH. I didn't make Langley, but that's ok, another party did in our group, so all in all a great day up in the Sierra's. Great weather. Took New Army Pass, will try Old Army pass up to Langley another time. Thanks for the info all!