[pct-l] Whitney Question

[AsABat at 4Jeffrey.Net (AsABat)]

> > Query 1: is camping allowed (or possible) at or near Trail Crest
> > junction? If so, where would you suggest?

There are a few ledges for camping at the junction to the summit trail. Head
up the trail towards the summit. As you climb, look down and you'll see a
few very exposed sandy campsites. No water, no shelter from wind and sun,
but great views.

In early June of 1978 I camped on the summit. After a restless sleep,
probably from not being acclimated, I awoke to a clear sunny day. My water
bottles were frozen, as were my boot laces. Jamming my feet into those
boots, I stomped down the trail towards Trail Crest. The last quarter mile
to the crest is a steep climb up, and as I approached I noticed a large
object in the trail near the top. Getting closer, it looked like a body.
Closer, I could see someone standing at the pass, and that the object was a
sleeping bag. Stepping over one sleepy camper, I greeted another PCT
thru-hiker who was nearly snow-blind from his long trek through the snow
without sun glasses. I questioned why they spent the night on the trail at
the pass when there was such a well-built trail heading down. The reply was,
"What switchbacks?" and something about a chute. Looking over the top, I
could see nothing but snow where the 97 switchbacks should have been. A
chute, about 2 feet deep and the width of a pack frame, led straight down
about a thousand feet. This was the answer to the lack of crowds on the
peak.

> > Query 2: I'm told the last reliable water is the two tarns at
> > 11,600 feet between Guitar Lake and Trail Crest.

A short steep climb above the two tarns leads to a small sandy flat. Water
sometimes flows here. There may also be water in small tarns to the south of
this flat.

> > Query 3: Are there any other water sources at or closer to Trail
> > Crest?

After Trail Camp the trail heads west, then switchbacks back and forth up a
slope. There is often water running across the trail here. The source is a
"spring" fed by snow melt above where the trail generally turns west again.

I'd suggest the Whitney Portal Store website for more info. They have a very
active message board.

AsABat