Question:
time. But you have a more serious problem because the weather (3/31) can either be sunny and warm or howling with winds over 100 MPH. Either way, the road head won’t be plowed to end, meaning an extra approach day. There might be avalanche hazard, and you might be going a lot
You are scaring them. If you drive up in the early morning, you can make it all the way on the hard frozen snow. Park on either blacktop or completely in the shade, and drive out early in the morning. Take chains if you have a 2wd. Also take 2 long-handled snow shovels and leave in the car. Most of the road is South or SE facing, so it melts off pretty fast. In my many drives up there, I have always been able to get to the 4th turn right before the final switchbacks, except for one time in December in the early 90s. The only problems are: 1. Problem: Hard debris like boulders or stuck vehicles that block the road totally. Solution: Park at the last turnout with front of car pointing downhil with rocks under the wheels. 2. Problem: Adverse weather and avalanches. Solution: Monitor the weather and snow fall for 1 month before trip. No snow at snow stations for 1 week prior to climb and clear weather with daytime temps above freezing and night temps below freezing in the teens indicate good snow settling and a good driveup. If more than 5 inches falls in the last week, but weather clears up, then you must go up and ascertain passability. Anything over 5 inches and another storm on the way is a big turnoff. Dont go up. 3. Problem: Cornices and steep traverses on the trail above the pass. Solution: Hike up and Bag Keeler or Third Needle or Muir, then go back down or traverse over to Whitney itself. In general, South of of the Palisades has not seen a lot of snow this year. You will need crampons and ice axes. If the weather stays like it is and you get clear days and nights, you’ll have a Great Time. -Austin Links: Realtime and summary Snowfall and temps: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/pillowplots/Kern.html http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/pillowplots/Kings.html Weather: http://www.intellicast.com/weather/usa/precip/ http://www.intellicast.com/weather/usa/pacsat/ 6-10 day predictions: http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/predictions/6-10_day/
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weather There might be avalanche hazard,
You are scaring them.
Fear is a gift, Austin. Golf shoes, really Austin. Triconi nails went out in the 30s.
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You should do what the Mongolians do with marmots, which is catch and cook and eat them. That way they won’t bother you. If you ever get a chance, watch the "Lonely Planet" video on Mongolia, shows the whole process. Yum yum. | I am trying to figure out the habits of bears and marmots around Mt. Whitney. I | am planning a summit on March 31. Being from flatland that has neither bears | nor marmots, I am a bit unsure as to what to expect. | | I have been told that the bears around Whitney do not truly hibernate, but | rather "den", and may come out any time, particularyly if the weather is nice. | In other words, at the end of March, there may be a bear after unprotected | food. Is that true? Also, I have been told that they like to stay a thousand | feet or so below the tree line, and _never_ go above the tree line. Also true? | | About all I have heard about marmots is that they can be anywhere, including | above the tree line. Are they also out in winter or do they hibernate? I hate | the idea of carying a 2-pound bear can up Whitney to protect the food from | marmots, but with no trees to hang a bag from, is there an alternative? | | | Jeffrey S. Boone | 314 654-8955 office | 314 878-8780 home | 314 654-3156 fax | |
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Being Sierra bound this summer myself, I am interested in canisters too. Do you know a place in, say, Bishop to rent one? How about a source to buy one? What kind of $$$ are we talking about in each case?
Besides other suggestions already posted, in Lone Pine you can get them at the reservation center (in the Chamber of Commerce bldg). In Big Pine, you can rent from the Ranger Station for $5/day, or from the sports shop for $5 the 1st day and $3/day thereafter. | NOTE: If you want to e-mail a reply, please strip | | off the letters "OOPS" from my address. Just send | —
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Not only bears and marmots, but the pesky mice and chipmonks can do lots of mischief and drive you nuts. Bears probably won’t be up at Trail Camp at 12,000 ft, but the rest will. You can try hanging stuff, but I can promise you a bear canister will be worth the extra weight. You can rent one or buy one. It may be cheaper in the long run, and if they get into your food, you can get pretty hungry. The aluminum one is about a lb less than the plastic one. Being Sierra bound this summer myself, I am interested in canisters too. Do you know a place in, say, Bishop to rent one?
Rentals shipped to your door (so it doesn’t matter if the trailhead shop has already rented its whole stock, and so you can pack it at home): ORBS Bear Canisters at http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/bc-homepage.html. $3/day. How about a source to buy one?
Did I already mention ORBS Bear Canisters at http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/bc-homepage.html ? $68 includes shipping to all 50 states and any sales tax. — Jeff ORBS Bear Canisters – $68 delivered in all 50 states, $3/day rental http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/bc-homepage.html ORBS Classifieds – Free outdoor classified ads http://home.pacbell.net/orbs ORBS Escrow – Affordable safety for online buyers and sellers http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/oe-homepage.html
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Being Sierra bound this summer myself, I am interested in canisters too. Do you know a place in, say, Bishop to rent one? How about a source to buy one? What kind of $$$ are we talking about in each case?
Panel 7 Bill, if you can’t wait got to dejanews for the group and find "7/28" and look up Garcia Machine. ~$70 + or -. If you want Bishop, look up Wilson’s.
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Not only bears and marmots, but the pesky mice and chipmonks can do lots of mischief and drive you nuts. Bears probably won’t be up at Trail Camp at 12,000 ft, but the rest will. You can try hanging stuff, but I can promise you a bear canister will be worth the extra weight. You can rent one or buy one. It may be cheaper in the long run, and if they get into your food, you can get pretty hungry. The aluminum one is about a lb less than the plastic one.
Being Sierra bound this summer myself, I am interested in canisters too. Do you know a place in, say, Bishop to rent one? How about a source to buy one? What kind of $$$ are we talking about in each case? Thankx, Bill
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I am trying to figure out the habits of bears and marmots around Mt. Whitney. I am planning a summit on March 31. Being from flatland that has neither bears nor marmots, I am a bit unsure as to what to expect.
What you really should do is call the Ranger Station in Lone Pine. You can look up the number on the web. Good luck. — Rob
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Bears can be found anywhere in the Sierra. From the sagebrush to the highest passes. They are usually not a problem. Check the message boards at the trailhead for local issues. -A – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – rather "den", and may come out any time, particularyly if the weather is nice. In other words, at the end of March, there may be a bear after unprotected food. Is that true? Also, I have been told that they like to stay a thousand feet or so below the tree line, and _never_ go above the tree line. Also true? About all I have heard about marmots is that they can be anywhere, including above the tree line. Are they also out in winter or do they hibernate? I hate the idea of carying a 2-pound bear can up Whitney to protect the food from marmots, but with no trees to hang a bag from, is there an alternative?
Response:
I am trying to figure out the habits of bears and marmots around Mt. Whitney. I am planning a summit on March 31. Being from flatland that has neither bears nor marmots, I am a bit unsure as to what to expect. What you really should do is call the Ranger Station in Lone Pine. You can look up the number on the web.
This is good advice from Rob. Bears have started to become a problem at 8-9K trailheads on the Eastern side of the Sierra. Marmots will just start to become active at this time. But you have a more serious problem because the weather (3/31) can either be sunny and warm or howling with winds over 100 MPH. Either way, the road head won’t be plowed to end, meaning an extra approach day. There might be avalanche hazard, and you might be going a lot higher than you think.
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I am trying to figure out the habits of bears and marmots around Mt. Whitney. I am planning a summit on March 31. Being from flatland that has neither bears nor marmots, I am a bit unsure as to what to expect. I have been told that the bears around Whitney do not truly hibernate, but rather "den", and may come out any time, particularyly if the weather is nice. In other words, at the end of March, there may be a bear after unprotected food. Is that true? Also, I have been told that they like to stay a thousand feet or so below the tree line, and _never_ go above the tree line. Also true? About all I have heard about marmots is that they can be anywhere, including above the tree line. Are they also out in winter or do they hibernate? I hate the idea of carying a 2-pound bear can up Whitney to protect the food from marmots, but with no trees to hang a bag from, is there an alternative?
Jeffrey S. Boone 314 654-8955 office 314 878-8780 home 314 654-3156 fax
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What you really should do is call the Ranger Station in Lone Pine. You can look up the number on the web.
Actually, that was the first thing I did. However, that was one person, and I often find that I get a lot of additional information in a forum like this.
Jeffrey S. Boone 314 654-8955 office 314 878-8780 home 314 654-3156 fax
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… You can try hanging stuff, but I can promise you a bear canister will be worth the extra weight. You can rent one or buy one. It may be cheaper in the long run, and if they get into your food, you can get pretty hungry. The aluminum one is about a lb less than the plastic one.
… Well, more like three ounces lighter, Geoff. The rest of that pound is from your lighter wallet, after spending the extra $40.30 (60% more than the $68 for a Garcia-brand ABS plastic canister). WEIGHT COMPARISON: Garcia canister, 2 lb 10 oz aluminum canister, 2 lb 3 oz canister difference, 7 oz special tool for aluminum canister, ~4 oz real weight difference, ~3 oz. COST COMPARISON: Garcia canister from ORBS (http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/bc-homepage.html), including shipping to 50 states and including any sales tax, $68 Aluminum canister from http://www.sierrawilderness.com/ (only known retailer), $95 plus $5.50 shipping, plus 7.75% sales tax. So, out-of-Calif price, $100.50 Or, in-Calif price, $108.30 real cost difference out-of-Calif, $32.50 cheaper from ORBS in-Calif, $40.30 cheaper from ORBS Also, the National Park Service "strongly encourages" backpackers to carry plastic canisters (see the link at the top of the ORBS Bear Canisters homepage, URL below). I’m not sure if the NPS knows about aluminum canisters, or if they strongly encourage, encourage, or are silent about their use. Does anyone have a National Park Service URL with any such info? — Jeff ORBS Bear Canisters – $68 delivered in all 50 states, $3/day rental http://home.pacbell.net/orbs/bc-homepage.html
Response:
Not only bears and marmots, but the pesky mice and chipmonks can do lots of mischief and drive you nuts. Bears probably won’t be up at Trail Camp at 12,000 ft, but the rest will. You can try hanging stuff, but I can promise you a bear canister will be worth the extra weight. You can rent one or buy one. It may be cheaper in the long run, and if they get into your food, you can get pretty hungry. The aluminum one is about a lb less than the plastic one. Have fun | NOTE: If you want to e-mail a reply, please strip | | off the letters "OOPS" from my address. Just send | – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am trying to figure out the habits of bears and marmots around Mt. Whitney. I am planning a summit on March 31. Being from flatland that has neither bears nor marmots, I am a bit unsure as to what to expect. I have been told that the bears around Whitney do not truly hibernate, but rather "den", and may come out any time, particularyly if the weather is nice. In other words, at the end of March, there may be a bear after unprotected food. Is that true? Also, I have been told that they like to stay a thousand feet or so below the tree line, and _never_ go above the tree line. Also true? About all I have heard about marmots is that they can be anywhere, including above the tree line. Are they also out in winter or do they hibernate? I hate the idea of carying a 2-pound bear can up Whitney to protect the food from marmots, but with no trees to hang a bag from, is there an alternative? Jeffrey S. Boone 314 654-8955 office 314 878-8780 home 314 654-3156 fax
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