For those who missed it yesterday, the New York Times has the, uh, poop on the absence of the privy atop the highest peak in the lower 48.
For those who missed it yesterday, the New York Times has the, uh, poop on the absence of the privy atop the highest peak in the lower 48.
Who amongst us has climbed Whitney? Wouldn’t that be a fantastic goal for next summer?
I think they’re about a year behind on this story: Listen to The Poop on Mount Whitney from late October, 2006.
If you’re going to climb Whitney, I would vote for a 3-5 night backpacking trip to apprach it from the back side, as recommended by almost every local in the area.
When I was on Whitney a few weeks ago I joked that I did it the ‘easy’ way – by hiking there from Yosemite. By the time I got to Whitney the altitude issues were gone and I was a hiking machine, making the hike to the summit far easier than it was for the poor folks starting in the wee hours of the morning from Whitney Portal.
At the very least, I second Steve’s recommendation of the backpacking approach from the backside – either from Cottonwood or from Kearsarge (I prefer Kearsarge, you also get to cross Forester Pass that way). It gives you extra time to acclimate, and I loved the hike to the summit from the West approach. Watching the sunrise over Guitar Lake is a scene I’ll never forget.
Oh, I still have my (unused) WagBag – it’s all in the timing folks.
Posted by Rebecca: “I still have my (unused) WagBag.”
These are even more useful, and environmentally important, for winter camping. I’m sure you’ll find an appropriate place to use it this winter if you visit the most popular snow-camping areas.