NW: Are you planning on doing Whitney as a day hike or as a backpacking trip?

Are you looking for a back-up option that is outside the Whitney Zone in case can't get a permit to enter the Whitney Zone?

As far as 14er's in that area: Russell is a nice day climb once you get on the ridge (as Gary said, it's easy Class 3 via the East Ridge but the exposure bothers some people). Russell is in the Whitney Zone; so you'll have the same permit issue as for Whitney.

Not too far north and out of the Whitney Zone is Mount Tyndall, which is fun via the North Rib (Class 2/easy Class 3) and can be done as a really long day climb if you're strong, but (IMO) it's more enjoyable as a multi-day trip. A harder option would be Williamson near Tyndall and an easier option would be Langley (Class 1) to the south of Whitney and also out of the Whitney Zone (Langley can be a long slog but is works better as a day hike than Tyndall or Williamson because it's easier).

Have fun!

NW wrote:I'm definitely liking the look of Russell. That one's definitely going in the back up plan, who knows, maybe even an add on... Langely has some nice scenery from the pictures to, I like Class 3 though and think it would be a good class for my first 14er. I do enjoy a good scramble! What about wildlife to watch out for? I know about the marmot population and all their fun but is there anything out in that area that I should watch out for (I'm more referring to things like snakes or something)? I'm not scared of things like that I just want t know about possible aggressive things or poisonous things.

PROTIP: On a day that just includes Russell you can skip the Whitney zone permit. It isn't justified Whitney Zone or not. If it is a worry for you, you can go up Cleaver Col just north of Mount Carillon, drop down to Tulainyo Lake, and ascend the ridge from there. Leave the trail just before Lower Boy Scout Lake and head up the drainage on the topo to the small lake. That route pretty much avoids the entire zone anyway. And I would recommend that route regardless, less of a sand slog and the Tulainyo Lake is scenic. Then do the sand slide down the more direct standard route, if not concerned about the Whitney Zone.

You'll like Russell.

Animals are not a worry, just protect your food from bears overnight with an ursack or cannister if backpacking. Inyo NF rents them out cheap if you need one.

Side note: my friends call Whitney "the Blonde" 'cuz everyone wants to do her. Russell is the more fun sister, though...

Not to pick at straws, but there is a finger of the Whitney Zone that extends east of Carillon through the upper Carillon Creek drainage. It exists to stop specifically what Chad is suggesting, an "end-around" on Whitney. Cleaver Col is indeed a shorter sand slog to get up and over the Crest (and the CC drainage is really gorgeous), but it is much looser with the larger boulders. If you hit it with snow its perfect.

Obtaining a walk-in permit is really not difficult. NW, if you'd like more ideas or input, please drop me a line.

-Laura

If you don't get a permit for the Whitney Zone, consider heading up to the Bishop area and hiking into the Palisades. There are half a dozen 14ers accessible with a day's hike of the NF Big Pine Creek Trail (Middle Palisade, Mt. Sill, Polemonium, North Palisade, Starlight Peak, Thunderbolt Peak) and lots of thirteeners, not to mention the 13K+, miles long Sierra crest connecting those 14ers. Most of these are also accessible via the Bishop Pass trail. This is one of the prettiest and most rugged areas in the Sierra. You'll have a choice of anything from class 1-2 hikes to alpine class 5 to alpine ice + class 5 rock to get to the summit.

The reason I suggest skipping the permit is because it really isn't worth it for a finger of the Whitney zone over Cleaver Col, specifically designed to encourage less people to enjoy the wilderness. There won't be any others around, especially rangers, so it is hardly of any consequence.

If you are around Lone Pine midday sure- stop by and see if they have a permit. But for most folks who don't live in the area, the open hours really make it infeasible. If you arrive after it closes it isn't worth waiting until 8:00 AM for them to reopen, when you could be well up the peak by then instead.

So just curious, anyone know what's the fine and chance at getting popped for not having a permit? Is there a ranger sitting half way up the trail counting and checking permits? If the fine wasn't too much I would almost consider gambiling. I mean Las Vegas is close so why not press my luck. NO WAMMIES, NO WAMMIES, NO WAMMIES.... STOP!

Some ranger encounters during the quota season this past year :

- Little Lakes Valley, August : near one of the Gem Lakes on our way up to Bear Creek Spire, a ranger asked to see our wilderness permit and checked that we had a bear canister (required for overnight trips).

- South Lake, September : a friend headed in to climb one of the area couloirs as an overnight trip without a wilderness permit. They were luckily not fined, but the ranger asked them for their driver's licenses and radioed in their names to put them on some kinda database watch list for permit violators (!)

YMMV

rice wrote:So just curious, anyone know what's the fine and chance at getting popped for not having a permit? Is there a ranger sitting half way up the trail counting and checking permits?

No clue on the first question, and I have asked it myself . . . uh, just out of curiosity, not that I would ever consider breaking the rules.

For the second question, yes, I have seen rangers on the Whitney trail checking for permits. They were not at the same place each time. It was (only) about 2 or 3 times out of my 22 times on the trail in summer.

If the fine is really big, other questions arise: What happens if you don't show them your identification and just give them a fake name? I often carry my wallet with me when I hike, but it's not mandatory; this isn't Soviet Russia.

Or what happens if you just say "F you, ranger" and keep walking (or start running -- LOL)? Are they really going to put out an APB for some guy who violated the stupid Whitney Zone restriction?

Okay, neither of those is the type of thing I would want to experience on my day out hiking, so I have always done Whitney with a permit. But I'm just curious.

I've never gone backpacking or hiking with a wallet. Very little to buy out in those hills.

mrchad9 wrote:I've never gone backpacking or hiking with a wallet. Very little to buy out in those hills.

Exactly. When I carry it, it's usually for two possible reasons: I'm worried about losing it if my car is broken into (MLC SC, SP porn hate crime and terror, etc.), and in Death Valley we do canyons that require a car shuttle, so we often get dinner at Furnace Creek before retrieving the drop-off car (which would be my car with my wallet).

> I've never gone backpacking or hiking with a wallet. Very little to buy out in those hills.

I never go into the backcountry w/o my wallet- esp on an extended outing.

Ever had to bail out to a trailhead other than the one you started?
Very nice to have some cash, ID, and a credit card, and a cell phone at that point.

I had a ranger check our permits at 14300 feet on Whitney. They do carry radios.

The Whitney zone requires big obvious permit tags be affixed to your gear, and I've been stopped and checked myself when mine wasn't visible.

I've seen rangers in another national park escort someone who was breaking a park rule (dog on a trail signed "no dogs", where the guy admitted he read the sign and ignored it, and said he didn't have a wallet) back to his car so they could produce ID and be cited.

I did a little research on the web and it looks like NPS has authority under 16 U.S.C. § 3 to charge people in violation of park regulations with misdemeanors that carry up to $5000 fines and six months in jail. Among the regulations is failure to obey the lawful orders of a park officer. I saw at least one case online where someone was sentenced to jail for failure to stop when ordered by a ranger, and the sentence was upheld in Federal appeals court.

You might get a fine if you were caught without a permit, but if you tried to run for it and got caught you could spend time being someone's "special friend" in prison. A lot of the rangers carry radios, and some are law enforcement officers and have guns.

On a completely different note, if the OP wants to climb a California 14er and not worry about permits, there's always Mt. Shasta. It's a great climb, and a shorter drive from SFO than any of the Sierra 14ers, though a lot farther from LAX.

fedak wrote:Ever had to bail out to a trailhead other than the one you started?
Very nice to have some cash, ID, and a credit card, and a cell phone at that point.

Never went out a different trailhead unless it was planned, but I have taken cash and a credit card on longer or one-way trips before. But never ID, I still don't see how that would come in handy when you have cash and credit.

Just to be clear- I am not suggesting anyone climb Whitney without a permit. I am saying for Mount Russell they are completely unnecessary.

> But never ID, I still don't see how that would come in handy when you have cash and credit.

Try getting on a plane w/ cash and credit.

Only had to do that once- when I had to abort a JMT trip when hurricane Rita snuck up from the gulf and dumped a foot of snow on us.
Ended up hitching a ride to Ontario and then hopping a plane back home from there. Car was up in Yosemite.

So the wallet goes in the pack- or at least my ID, credit card, and cash.

Also helps to have your insurance card in the unfortunate case you need it. Had that happen once too