[pct-l] Whitney Permit

[Jim Banks]

Accessing the Whitney Portal means after you have hiked to the top of Mt.
Whitney you descend to the east about 16 miles to the Whitney Portal (just
means the trailhead).  This is the main Whitney trail that climbs Mt.
Whitney from the east side.  There is a store/cafe there where you can get a
burger/fries and a beer.  However, most PCT through hikers do not descend to
the east, they turn around and go back down the way they came up, i.e, back
towards Guitar Lake and back to the PCT on the west side of Mt. Whitney.  To
hike to Mt. Whitney you actually get off the PCT and get on the John Muir
Trail.  Very few PCT through hikers exit out the portal to resupply because
it is a huge climb back with a full pack. 

So a typical north bound PCT through hiker will exit the PCT at Crabtree
Meadows and get on the JMT.  Hike east bound on the JMT past Guitar Lake
(Guitar Lake or the tarn just above Guitar Lake is a good place to camp the
night before you do Whitney) to the top of Whitney, turn around and hike
back the way you came on the JMT and then rejoin the PCT (from that point on
for more than 150 miles the PCT and the JMT are the same trail).

I-Beam

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Vimal Golding
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 4:02 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Whitney Permit

Hello fellow PCT-ers!

I was filling out my PCT permit and was a little confused about the
part where it asks if I plan on accessing the Whitney Portal. I am
planning on going up Whitney (can't just walk right by the highest
point in the lower 48 without popping up for a quick view), but my
research indicates that there is a perfectly feasible route from the
PCT itself. I would really rather avoid the Whitney Portal if at all
possible. Am I required to go there? Does "do you plan to access the
Whitney Portal" mean "do you plan to climb Whitney"? Thanks for the
help!

P.S. Melanie, Reinhold and company: You guys are cracking me up!
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