[pct-l] Lone Pine to Ashland - Hike Whitney or not?

[Reinhold Metzger]

Yes Brick,
Many hikers have lost their food and had  holes chewed in their packs at that junction by
critters anxious to get their teeth on unguarded food.
Even on top of Mt. Whitney hungry critters are everywhere, anxious to get their teeth on
unguarded food.
Even Al Shaver, in 2006, had one of his three JMT record attempts go up in smoke by leaving
his unattended pack at the junction while sum-meting Whitney.
He lost all 22 of his Cliff Bars, most of his beef jerky and a lot more.
Some folks say it was Switchback, not the critters, he has been known to do those things.

That is where the  "Pre-stocked Calories" method of hiking, practiced successfully by
Switchback and Joe Kisner  has its advantage.
Pre-stocked calories are safe from the critters and are not at risk.
Another good thing about  "Pre-stocked"  calories is that they tend to balance your pack by
shifting some of the weight up front.

Just ask Switchback, he knows all about "Calorie stocking".

JMT Reinhold
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2012/1/2 Yoshihiro Murakami<completewalker at gmail.com  <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>>:
>/  Many people put their backpack at the junction of Mt.Whitney and Trail
/>/  Crest.
/
IMHO, it is a BAD idea to leave food inside an unattended pack at this
location (or almost anywhere.) There are a bunch of hungry marmots
there, and it is a good way to get a hole eaten in your pack.