Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Question about the North Fork trail up to the E-ledges

In late July of 2016, I summited Whitney via the main trail with my 26 year old son. A hike to trail camp with that same son in June of 2016 and a solo hike to mirror lake by myself in November 2016 are the total of my hiking experience.

I have a trip planned to hike White Mountain in early August 2017 with 6 of my kids (ages 14-26). My 26 year old son who summited Whitney is the only one going that has any hiking experience.

For acclimation and because I wanted the group to see the Mt. Whitney portal area, I have several nights reserved at the Whitney portal campground prior to the White Mountain visit.

Amazingly, I got lucky and was able to find 7 Whitney Zone day hike passes for a couple days prior to the White Mountain hike. (What a bonus)

I was originally planning to just take the group up to outpost camp and then turnaround but I just read that the Whitney Zone passes are also good for the mountaineers route.

Now there is NO WAY we are going to hike across
the E-ledges but I'm considering taking the group up the North Fork to the base of the E-ledges because I'd really like to look up and just see the E-ledges.

My questions are: 1) Do we even need a permit to just go to the base of the E-ledges because it doesn't look like the Whitney zone starts until around lower boy scout lake? If no permits are needed, then I might just release the 7 permits so someone else can use them?? 2.) Other than the stream crossings with higher than usual water run off (from high snow)and the small possibility of losing the trail from the north fork sign to the base of the ledges, are there any major dangers to turning up the North Fork and hiking to the base of the E-ledges and then turning right around and heading straight back to the main trail?

No permits are required to hike up to Lower Boy Scout Lake on the North Fork (mountaineers route approach). On the Main Trail, not required to hike up to Lone Pine Lake.

The hike up the North Fork as far as you are talking is not much more than a "bush whack", only it is a pretty good trail for never being actually built as such. It goes through the trees and bushes, and has some steep climbing on the slope opposite the Ebersbacher Ledges. Other than getting up to look across at the granite, there isn't much of a "destination" objective to do what you propose. A good view of Mt Whitney doesn't come until you are almost to LBSL.

As for question 2, the stream crossing is the biggest obstacle. I think the "trail" splits at one point where you can climb that steep slope, but both splits climb it.

I took my 11-Y-O daughter up the E-Ledges last May to Lower Boy Scout, and she thoroughly enjoyed it, but then she really loves heights and exposure. We ate lunch at LBSL and then returned to Whitney Portal.

It would be a more rewarding hike to hike to Lone Pine Lake, since it offers a pretty lake where you can stop. Though it would take longer. Your detour up the North Fork and back might take one (2 maximum) hour from the Main Trail.

Is there a way to approach the E-Ledges by staying close to the wall, and never crossing the creek, in order to avoid the bushwhacking? When I was there two weeks ago, it looked like there was a use trail of granite pieces hugging the wall, but I didn't get a chance to try it.

Yes, there is. In 2012 I did hike the North Fork (Mountaineers route), and the day prior I hiked up to the e-ledges to see if I could find the "North Side Route".
After you depart the Main Trail you start up the North Fork trail (AKA the Mountaineers route). The "North Side Route" departs from the "usual" route just prior to the first crossing of the creek, and goes up against the wall, and up onto some fairly slim ledges. However, I never found the way up to those ledges, and the Elephant's Ear, so abandoned that option. You can see pictures of the route on this web page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rockwellb/albums/72157629515359016/with/7105926837/ The "North Side route" starts at image 13, and hooks back up to the "normal" trail at image 21. Watch the lower left side of the pictures, and you will see the image numbers with brief comments.
These photos are from Bob Rockwell, and this route is also known as the Rockwell Shortcut.
Not sure I would recommend it in the dark. Particularly if there is any moisture. Getting your feet wet would be way better than a slip.

Edit: Steve has been up this way several times, so he will likely chime in with better information than mine. Here is a video he did several years ago showing more info about the North Side.
http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads...videos#Post8189

I've been up the North Side route 3 times: First time with Bob Rockwell, next taking those videos, then last May with my 11 y-o daughter. Here are pictures from that trip: Rockwell shortcut

Last August, I came down that route, and decided I wouldn't do that again. Carrying a backpack, the narrow ledge is rather intimidating to down-climb. It is surprising how much easier it is going up!

Before going up last May, I had to review the videos to refresh my memory of the route. The several places where you need to climb up the granite to a ledge above are key to making it through easily.

I'm curious about this North Side "shortcut. I enjoy the path less traveled. The time signatures on your videos suggest the shortcut takes about 30 minutes from the place you leave the South Side route to where you rejoin that route. If my memory is correct, that is about the same (timewise) as the South Side.

Well, you're still climbing the same elevation, and the distance isn't really much shorter, so certainly not much time advantage, if any.

The main advantage is not needing to make the two stream crossings, and no threat of wet shoes.

Steve and all-
Thanks for the great advice.
All new hikers should post their plans and get advice from the experienced hikers on this forum. That would certainly reduce the number of botched trips and SAR incidents.
I think what we will do is take the main trail up the north fork,turn around at the ledges, back to the main trail and then towards lone pine lake. I'd like to make outpost camp but we can just turn around whenever as the group gets tired. I'll save the shortcut route as a surprise for the way down.
Related, im really glad we booked in early August based on input from this forum because i just read another post that estimated the road to the white mountain gate might be blocked for several weeks. Whole trip would have been ruined if we couldn't make the locked gate due to snow.

Jeff