Llama Rama Fast & Dirty Whitney

“Would anyone be interested in doing a trip up Whitney and then back down to rejoin Mel for the trip back out over New Army Pass? I've been rehashing the Miter Basin solo trip and I still want to it but I'd consider doing the walk over to Crabtree if maybe it was possible to do a daypack climb up the mountain. Mel would I have to have a permit to do this? And if so, how do I get one? Can you get a permit for that route in Lone Pine the day before we leave out?”

“Sol - You might as well join the 7 day group!

You missed all the threads on trying to find a shortcut from Crabtree to Whitney! We were discussing the possibility of scrambling up Discovery Pass from the upper Crabtree Lake. Word is that it is a very difficult climb (class 2-3) and, consequently, takes longer than the regular trail. There may be a route from Mitre Basin that can be done as a day hike, but someone else will have to tell you what it is.

You need as special "Whitney Zone" permit to go there. It costs extra. Those of us going to Whitney paid $10 additional, I think. Whitney zone permits are hard to get by mail now. I think they reserve some for walk-ins. Whitney is heavily patrolled by the Forest Service, regardless of their laxity elsewhere.

Sol - Instead of asking someone to join you, why don't you join us??

BTW. I can get Backpacker Cache bear cannisters for $58 at the Mill Creek Ranger Station with my Forest Service discount. I can pick one up and have it for you when you get here. Just let me know by June 28.”

“Phil,
Thanks for the imput. I caught all the Discovery Pass thread stuff and even your rightclick stuff over on the yahoo site.
I like the idea of doing that hike or better yet, sitting up on Crabtree Pass taking photographs of you guys trying to make it up the slog! I could yell over to you and tell you about the cold beer I was drinking LOL!

As far as me joining the seven day group, I'd might do it but I really like the idea of staying the full ten days. It's a long way from the Carolinas. I wanna be in the high sierra as long as I can. I could hike up to the top with you and then come backdown to hike somemore with Tonto. To me that would be the way to do Whitney. I like the idea of climbing up there with just a daypack, food, and my camera.

I think SARboy would do it with me. He talked about climbing Whitney last year.”

“I'll let ou know about the bear cannister. We have to have one if we go into the Whitney zone right?”

“Bear cannisters are required in the Whitney Zone and HIGHLY recommended elsewhere.”

“Hi, Boys..

Bear canisters are required (I think) only if you plan to stay anywhere east of the top of Whitney.

Bears have been making forays up as far as Trail Camp pretty frequently (so I hear) the last couple of years and there are no bear boxes up on that side of the top.

Bear canisters are NOT required of anyone hiking the JMT/PCT who stay west of the crest.

Through hikers are exempt from bear canister rules.

As long as there are bear boxes in bear areas along the JMT, mandatory canister possession should only apply to people hiking loops where boxes don't exist.

Hiking loose (for short periods of time) from the general TT group may be possible.

If you are WITH a group and do a dayhike "On your lonesome because some wild hair made you do it" is not a ticket-able offense.

People (tourists) do this a lot....

"Gee Mr. Ranger...I didn't know that, I'm only day hiking"....

from the westside (back) of Whitney just because they "forgot" or "missed this" in the regulations listed on the Whitney Permit.

Your biggest worry about meeting a ranger would be east of the top, below the 101 switchbacks above Trail Camp, or MAYbe down around Upper Crabtree Meadow where the ranger has his house.

If you were to do Whitney as a dayhike without a permit, FROM THE WEST SIDE....

You might be able to get away with it.
I'd say the chances are 80/ 20 FOR you.

"Gee Mr. Ranger...

My friends are just down the trail with the permit, and here's who they are.....
And they went fishing, and I didn't want to go, and I was bored, so I thought (innocent look on your face) I could just make a fast run up and back before anybody knew!"

This is how you cheat.

You didn't hear this from me.”

“Yes Mr. Ranger, I Always day hike with a 50 lb pack, tent and sleeping bag!”

“Sol and Phil--

I am one of the folks trying to evaluate the possibility of climbing Whitney as a day hike from Miter Basin. So far I've found no reports of anyone doing it, not even failed attempts. From the map (http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=11&n=4046098&e=385516&s=25), it looks like it might be possible to traverse from Crabtree Pass to Whitney Pass. Secor says the Main Whitney Trail used to go to Whitney Pass and then up the ridge to Trail Crest. There may be remnants of the old trail, which makes the approach via Whitney Pass more tempting than a traverse to Discovery Pass. But it's still all speculation.”

“Rand - Thanks. I also agree the map makes it seem doable. Secor 2nd Ed. doesn't say anything encouraging about Whitney Pass or indicate the route from there to the summit is passable.

The one solid reference I found about Discovery Pass was that the people who went that route took as long as those who went around. I guess it was rather difficult.

I am guessing it is all class 2-3 hiking and takes a long time to go over and up.”

“Rand - Is that your last name? My mother's maiden name was Rand.”

“Phil--

Rand is my middle name. It's an old family name from Nova Scotia. Are you related to Silas Tertius Rand?”

“Rand - I don't know. My aunt is into geneology, but I don't think we can trace the Rand side back more that a 100 years or so. Never heard of any Canadian ancestors.”

“There ain't no fish on the top of Whitney! If you want to fish Wallace Lake again just say so Sol.LOL”

“yikes....this trip is only 6 1/2 weeks away....!!!!!!!!!!!!
speaking of fishing...do fish guts attract bear? waht do you do with fish guts when you clean the fish you catch?”

“I think you put them in the fish gut container...”

“yuk!”

“You feed the other fish.”

“You feed the other fish.

Flip - Sorry I missed you last week. Hope you had a good visit.”

“Toss the insides in the lake or the stream up here. That's what the wilderness rangers tell you to do.

Sol wants to do this as a day hike, so he won't be carrying a load that makes him an easy target for the ranger back there.

Flip...

We'll fish Wallace again.
No problema.”