[pct-l] JMT - VVR to Whitney (Transpo Issues)

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

> We'll have one vehicle to leave at either Whitney
> or VVR but still debating at which site to leave it.

I HIGHLY recomend avoiding VVR as a car drop location.  The road into 
VVR is like something out of a horror movie.  Its completely insane: 
one TINY lane, trees growing on the edge of the road, no shoulder, no 
guard rail, cliffs everywhere, blind curves, steep hills, huge pot-
holes, crumbling in some spots, etc, etc.  Its REALY a bad road.  None 
of the dangers of the road bothered me at all, but the excruciatingly 
SLOW speed required is what really got to me.  Honestly, there are 
several sections of the road that could be hiked faster.  I don't 
remember the exact time that it took us to drive the road, but I 
remember that it was some stupid amount, like 2 hrs for 18 miles or 
something like that.  IMO, it would really be a huge waste of your 
vacation hours to drive that road twice.

> 1)  Vehicle security any better at either site?

Of course, anything can happen, but I have parked my car at the whitney 
portal for days and nothing has ever happened to it.  I have also done 
the JMT twice and left my car at Yosemite for 10 days straight with no 
problems (If you leave your car at Yosemite, you are more likely to 
suffer a break-in by a bear than a person).  In general, I have found 
that security/crime along the JMT is not an issue.

I highly recomend just leaving your car in Yosemite and either hitch-
hiking back to Yosemite from Whitney, or taking the Eastern Sierra 
Shuttle and/or YARTS.  I have hitch-hiked back from Whitney to Yosemite 
three times and its never a problem.  There are so many tourists/hikers 
who are planning to go to both locations that I've always been able to 
find someone willing to take us (I also always offer gas money, which 
probably helps).  Also, I am quite outgoing and not afraid to walk up 
to people and ask such things.  :-)

good luck!

peace,
dude

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