Mt. Whitney or bust.

[Jay H]

Looking at Sequioa Nat Park's website, it appears Lone Pine, CA is the major base of operations for those hiking and hopefully summiting Mt Whitney, with another outpost(?) that is labelled Whitney Portal. There is a campsite closer to the mtn in Whitney Portal and I guess facilities and gear to be gotten in Lone Pine,CA if not the Portal itself. The question is, is it better to fly into Las Vegas and travel across Nevada or into LAX, los angeles, CA and travel across CA?

Any good campsites, cheap lodging in Lone Pine for perhaps the after mountain parties?

Jay

 

[sli74]

I drove into Lone Pine and picked up my permit, then headed up the road towards the trailhead and stayed at a campground a couple of miles from the trailhead. Self-service pay boxes were there and a metal bear box was present at each campsite for my use. The campground was beautiful and clean. I would recommend it. I also ate at a "diner" of sorts near the turn off for the trailhead on my way out and the food was good there. If you want specifics I will check my notes and email you.

Have fun, it was a fun trip.

sli74

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Looking at Sequioa Nat Park's website, it appears Lone Pine, CA is the major base of operations for those hiking and hopefully summiting Mt Whitney, with another outpost(?) that is labelled Whitney Portal. There is a campsite closer to the mtn in Whitney Portal and I guess facilities and gear to be gotten in Lone Pine,CA if not the Portal itself. The question is, is it better to fly into Las Vegas and travel across Nevada or into LAX, los angeles, CA and travel across CA?

Any good campsites, cheap lodging in Lone Pine for perhaps the after mountain parties?

Jay

Lone Pine is the ONLY access point to Whitney unless you consider the John Muir trail, and that's a topic unto itself. Lone Pine is a small town on US395 about 13 miles east of Whitney Portal, the primary TH for Whitney. For general info, start with the USFS website here. As sli74 said, there is a primitive campground (water & toilets) a few miles from Lone Pine on the way to Whitney Portal. Look at that USFS page and you'll see all the camping areas within about 100 miles. If you're wanting a place to acclimate, look at Horseshoe Meadows (10K' elevation).

There are no gear stores in Lone Pine to speak of, but you can get camping fuel at the hardware store in town. Whitney Portal has the Portal store, were you can get a few last minute items, like fuel, socks, souvenirs, gloves as well as rent the required bear cannister if you're doing an overnight. You can bring your own approved cannister. The Portal Store serves great burgers if that's your thing. As for places to celebrate - depends upon your tastes, but keep in mind that the Eastern Sierra area of California is a remote, sparsely populated area of the country.

In Lone Pine there are a few restaurants, including a McDonald's and a Carl's. A good place for pizza & calzones is the Pizza Factory, a small chain found in the West. The motels are rather basic, but south of town is a nice Best Western, and south of that a Comfort Inn. There is the Dow Villa Hotel/Motel in town, where all the old cowboy heroes stayed, as many Westerns were shot in an area known as the Alabama Hills. Personally, I like the Winnedumah Hotel, in Independence, about 11 miles north of Lone Pine. A funky place with great atmosphere and well-run - also quite reasonable.

The closest place to fly into is Inyokern (IYK), about an hour south. The next closest are Ontario (3 hours+) Las Vegas (4 hours), Burbank, John Wayne, and then LAX which is about 5 or 6 hours. Las Vegas may have the cheapest fares, but the rental taxes/fees on car rentals may make it a wash over the CA airports. Also, Reno is about the same distance north as Los Angeles is south. If your trip includes points in central or northern CA, look at Sacramento - good airfares, rentals, and it's convenient to points south and north. It's about a 5 or 6 hour trip over the Sierra from Sacramento to Lone Pine.

Kevin

Edit: I believe I understated the driving time between Sacramento and Lone Pine. The two times I've done this trip from Sacramento have been on flights where I could be in the car rental by 2PM, and then drove East, over the Sierra to US395. My destination would be the tiny town of Bridgeport, and would arrive there about 7 or 8PM, driving the remaining distance the following morning.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

When I climbed whitney, I flew into Vegas. The main reason for that was that my employer paid for my flight, because I was to attend a conference in Vegas. I drove to Death Valley, where I spent a couple days acclimating... and because I could camp there for free.

Then drove to Whitney portal, spent the night, climbed whitney, and drove back to Death Valley before heading to Vegas for my conference.

Oh yeah... After climbing whitney, I celebrated with a greasy burger at Carl Jr. before driving back to Death Valley. I got my supplies at an EMS in Vegas.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I went to the REI Pete mentions for the first time around Christmas (I know he said EMS but I think he meant REI) which is in the nearby suburb of Henderson. Boy! Was I in for a surprise. It's in such an upscale shopping area you're as likely to walk into Gucci's as REI - it's super upscale. Once inside though - same good stuff, fair prices, friendly, knowledgeable sales staff, etc.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I (I know he said EMS but I think he meant REI) which is in the nearby suburb of Henderson. Boy! Was I in for a surprise. It's in such an upscale shopping area you're as likely to walk into Gucci's as REI - it's super upscale.

Hey, it's Vegas! Yes, it was REI not EMS. I confuse them because they're spelled so similarly.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks all for the advice. I started to think that because we're doing Boundary Peak in NV that Vegas would be the best but then BP is about 100miles north of Whitney or so, so it's not exactly a cut and dry decision... It'll probably be whichever is cheapest. Since this is a multileg flight as Terri and I have to fly to Portland next, I'll have to spend some time comparing the two cities. I'm more partial to flying to Vegas cause I've at least been there before. I have some questions on Boundary but that's another thread.

Jay

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Jay -

A friend told me of a deal he got by renting a car thru Alamo and pre-paying the rental. He got a good rate, a 15% discount for the pre-pay, and no extra charge for the dropoff. In this case he's picking up the car in Vegas and dropping it in Sacramento about a week later. I thought I was a bargain hunter, but this is a better deal than I've ever found. Occasionally, depending upon the cities, you can avoid a dropoff charge on a multi-destination trip, but usually it's at least $150. This can be a good deal if you're weighing your time/extra motel/meals/gas/etc into the equation, but in the above case, it's a no-brainer.

 

[Jay H]

Hey Kevin, our journey after Whitney and Boundary peak takes us to Mt Shasta, which is pretty far north CA... (I like to search for Weed, CA... Ha, a town in CA called "weed" ), I don't think it's really an easy drive from either whitney/boundary Peak to Mt Shasta..Google maps says it's 479 miles from Lone Pine, CA to Mount Shasta, CA....

Welll....hmmmm, the plan was to rent a car to do Whitney/Boundary from say Las Vegas and then fly from LAS to PDX (portland) to drive to Shasta... Hmmm.. it's something like 380 miles from PDX to Mt Shasta...Hmmmm, makes me wonder if it's just as easy to drive to Shasta, rather than drive 4 hours to las Vegas, fly XX hours to Portland, OR, only to have to drive again 6 hours or so down to Shasta....Hmmm...

Let me see airfare... and drop off charges..

Jay

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Jay -

Your trip sounds similar to one I'm arranging - about a dozen of us will be hiking Whitney in early June and then heading north to do Shasta. Have done this routine several times, so here are some things I've found.

1) After leaving Whitney, drive north on US395 - it's 70 miles to Bishop, and you can make it before crashing. Sleeps are pricey in Bishop, cheapest place is Motel 6. Fanciest Motel 6 I've seen. They have wireless internet included. Next place in terms of cost is probably Super 8. Actually, there is a place cheaper, called the Elms - caters to fisherman. Cheap, clean, no AC, no phone. If you need gear, stop at Wilson's in Bishop - south end of town, on the east side of the street. Nice little organic foodstore in Bishop also.

2) Drive from Bishop to Shasta - 420 miles the next day. Driving is slow thru the Reno area, watch the speed limit once you re-enter CA on US395. Lots of accidents in this area, and CHP patrols it heavily. They WILL give you a ticket - been there, done that. There's time to stop at Sierra Trading Post and REI in Reno if you don't dawdle. Take US395 to Susanville, then 44 & 89 to Shasta. 89 has eye-popping scenery. Mt Shasta has many motels but is pricey. Stay a few miles north at Motel 6 in Weed. Some rooms have extraordinary views of Shasta. Has telephone dialup service for internet. Up the street is a great place for coffee, danish and sandwiches. Hi-Lo is good family restaurant, as is Moose Tracks or something-Moose. Also has a Pizza Factory. Drive 30 miles north towards Klamath Falls on US97 - you'll see observation pullout for Shasta. Best shots of Shasta taken here - Shasta is the largest volcano in the lower 48. Rainier has more glacier and is a few feet taller, but Shasta has more mass. Check out the 5th Season climbing store in Mt Shasta.

3) If you have 2-3 extra hours in Lone Pine, go north 10 miles and visit Manzanar, site of one of the largest Japanese-American internment camp during WWII. They've been doing lots of site restoration in the past couple of years, and the USPS now has a presence there. Good reminder that we're not that far away from repeating that travesty.

4) After Shasta, if you've got couple of days, spend the night in Grants Pass, OR. Work your way over to the coast, stopping in Jedediah Smith Redwood SP. Later drive south on US101 to Arcata. Lots of redwoods along this coastal drive, but best views are within that JS SP forest. From Arcata, turn east and drive 299 along the west branch of the Trinity - its got a wild and scenic designation - stay in Redding that night. Full day, but worth it.

5) If you have 2 days after Shasta, then before doing the redwood tour, drive from Grants Pass towards Crater Lake NP, savoring the Rouge River. There's a 30 minute walk in a little SP there worth taking along the Rouge (also wild and scenic designation). Crater Lake gets tons of snow (it's at 8K') so check ahead of time to see if it's open. Lots of times you can see part of it, but snow prevents a total tour around it.

6) Consider using Las Vegas or Reno to fly into, and leave from Sacremento (avoid Oakland or SF - traffic is awful.) Have also used Sacramento to fly in/out of - just a little longer to drive from there to Whitney - maybe another hour? If you do, drive over the Sierra at Monitor Pass to Topaz.

7) Renting a car in either OR or WA and then driving into CA can be a nightmare - some rental agencies wouldn't allow it, and sometimes those that do will charge you .$25/mile premium, and some allege they have a GPS in the car to monitor your travels. Ugh. The rational is that CA is so big that if they allow you to enter that state you'll drive all the way to San Diego and back from Portland - 2,000 miles. Don't laugh - some do. But, most car rental agencies in CA or NV doesn't have problems with you taking the car to OR or WA - go figure.

8) If you still have time/energy after Whitney/Shasta/Boundary, a great dayhike is Lassen - you can see it on your way from Susanville to Shasta. It's the southernmost Cascade - about 10K'+. Actual elevation gain is about 2K', so it's an easy dayhike. They get a PRODIGIOUS amount of snow, so make sure you can even get there. But, if you're in Reading, it's mostly on the way to Sacramento, and a most fun way to end your California tour.

And, if you're looking to fill out another day, ask me about the Bristlecone Pine Forest, near Bishop.

Kevin

 

[Jay H]

Hey Kevin, thanks for the wonderful beta.. I've looked at various options and I think the car rental from NV (las vegas) to OR is a bit more than if I selected a CA starting point. The flights to any of the cities Ive tried (L.A., Sacramento, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Inyokern are all roughly equivelent.

Inyokern - Car rental here is very expensive due to the small market. Not worth the proximity to Lone Pine for price.

Las Angeles - Cheapest to fly, pretty much on par with Las Vegas, car rental is cheap, not hard to find a non-stop flight, but rather not deal with traffic.

Sacramento - roughly $80 more to fly to than L.A., car rental is on par price wise but there's a good bargain now on a midsize Sonata vrs the economy car for the same price. Further away than Las Vegas/Reno.

Bakersfield.... Wow, this is the like hidden gem I think, it is closer than LA and seems easy directionwise to get to Lone Pine, 4 hours driving time. Airfare is on par with Sacramento but the car rental is great or perhaps it has a good deal going now. I found a one-way car rental from BFL to PDX for a good $120 cheaper than either LAX or SFL, and no traffic like LA as far as I know.

I think I'm going to start looking at coupon codes for car rentals, and see if I can knock the car rental costs even lower but I think I'm going to be booking a flight to BFL, we'll drive to mt Shasta and fly out of Portland.

Jay

 

[lamerunner]

From the East Coast, flying to LAX, renting a car there and driving up is probably the most straightforward. I have done that and driven to Bishop CA ( close to an hour north of Lone Pine) in 4-5 hours. If you land in LA mid-day, it is not that bad. You can get very cheap flights to LA too.

Good luck. I did the East Face Mt Whitney rock climb a few years ago, in way too much snow ( June). I think we camped at Upper Boy Scout lake or similar near the base of the rock climb.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Bakersfield.... Wow, this is the like hidden gem I think, it is closer than LA and seems easy directionwise to get to Lone Pine, 4 hours driving time. Airfare is on par with Sacramento but the car rental is great or perhaps it has a good deal going now. I found a one-way car rental from BFL to PDX for a good $120 cheaper than either LAX or SFL, and no traffic like LA as far as I know. Jay

I agree - this might be a gem. Have never flown there, but it's a low traffic area. Big agricultural shipping area, as it sits on the end of the huge San Joaquin Valley. One minor caveat - if traveling from Bakersfield to US395/Inyokern/Ridgecrest area, give yourself a good 2 hours, even though it's less than 70 miles. Beautiful drive coming thru the Kern River, but steep, twisty road to Isabella, so often slow. Less so from Lake Isabella to CA14/US395, but very beautiful still, and LOTS of Joshua trees after you crest Walker Pass (PCT crosses here) and head down into the Indian Wells Valley (where I live).

Kevin

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Kevin... I believe most of the flights arrive early, especially with the 3 hours timeshift, we should have all day that day to get to Lone Pine and we'll probably even have a day in Lone Pine/Whitney Portal to organize gear, shakedown hike, aclimate, etc.

Should be a fun trip!

Jay