[pct-l] hiking whitney

[JohnDRandall at aol.com (JohnDRandall@xxxxxxx)]

You have better odds getting permits to leave from the Onion Valley trailhead 
hiking over Kearsarge Pass, then down to the JMT/PCT or from Horseshoe 
Meadows/Cottonwood Lakes trailheads.   Both 4/5-day hikes are more rewarding than 
climbing from Whitney Portal.  The west side of Whitney is a lot easier, plus 
you have 20 miles to the south and 30 miles to the north of wilderness hiking.   
The views are terrific.  Of the two, my favorite is the Kearsarge to Whitney 
hike.   You get the Kearsarge Lakes basin, the wide-open climb up Bubbs Creek 
to summit Forester Pass, then a 360-degree view of the center of Sequoia NP on 
the Bighorn Plateau.  It's a very rewarding hike and Whitney stamps are 
easier to get if you come from the west side, especially if you can leave/arrive 
during a week day.

john randall
birmingham