Quick trip report on very traditional 2 day Whitney hike staying at Trail Camp. This report is probably more interesting about the lead up to it than the trip itself.
When the Inyo Creek Fire broke out we were concerned since we were on a two week road trip (longest vacation in ages) that was built around Whitney. The two weeks leading up to the 7/1 lottery date was an absolute roller coaster. We had a reservation for a spot at Whitney portal campground for the 30th -> 1st and that was cancelled. We followed this forum (and posted a couple of times) and we followed the facebook and twitter conversations. I live in a fire area of Washington State and watch wildfires get fought a lot so I know how quickly they can get out of control and how quickly they can get put out. I also know how unreliable information on containment, etc, is with respect to how bad a fire is or is going to be. This turned out to be very important.
We got a backup trailhead permit (Mosquito Flat to Pioneer Basin, in case anyone is interested - it was best available we could find) and we continued to ask the USFS as much as we could to get information. I tried calling phone numbers - never a response. My other half of our 4 person party (they had a long drive too) gave up and felt we weren't going after the campground spot was canceled, so it would be just my wife and I. We went to the Mono Lake ranger station on the road trip on the 28th to get our backup permit printed and asked there. We heard there that firefighters were largely clearing out giving us some hope. That hope was dashed when the road closure was extended due to thunderstorms. We later were camping at Mammoth in Devil's postpile before Whitney and there were horrible thunderstorms a few days before our trip date. Again we felt we were unlikely to go, particularly by now they had announced road closure extension due to thunderstorm risk. We went to Devil's Postpile ranger station to do our daily ask on status and there wasn't anyone there. We asked the nice lady at the Devil's Postpile road pay station by the Minaret Overlook on the 29th and she told us that the rumor was that the road might open soon but that might not open the trail.
Then when we woke up on the morning of the 30th, I checked my email and the USFS sent me my whitney permit (valid the next morning). I knew it wasn't an automated emailed permit because the filename misspelled my name but the permit was fine. I also saw on this forum that others had gotten a permit. We immediately went to the Mammoth USFS and the lady told me that my hike was a no go and that the permit wouldn't help. This forum was saying that others were being told a 6pm opening if T-storms weren't bad. I didn't believe the USFS ranger person and planned on going to Whitney anyway.
We left the next morning and got to the portal in beautiful weather. The fire damage was obvious and it crossed the portal road in one or more places. The hike was great! There a few people there but it was lighter than my other two whitney trips. We got up to the summit yesterday (7/2) and there was a good group there. No wind, no clouds, not cold. 'Crazy Jack' was there doing his 198 summit and we had a nice conversation with him on his way up. He said he was doing his 200th on September 3rd. There was lots of water, some snow on trail but it wasn't where you put your feet, if that makes sense. It should be gone this week. Water is still on the 24th (or so) switchback. Least amount of snow on my three trips on whitney.
Some notes. This forum was the best source of info *by far*. Others said posts on the facebook page were being rejected as rumor. The USFS was not helpful multiple times including telling me 'no' 18 hours before we would start hiking. The rodents are very very aggressive food scavengers at trail camp. Nothing is safe. If they learn to open bear cans it wouldn’t surprise me (/s). My pack was 37 lbs at start and 29lbs at end (no water). My wife’s was about 23 lbs at end.
Last edited by sdm; 07/03/21 11:19 AM.
