High Sierra Topix

New member looking for transportation help. A friend and I will be starting the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow on 8/30/20. I am flying into LAX on 8/29. Looking for help in coordinating transportation to and from LA to Whitney Portal and Crescent Meadow trailhead.

The original plan was to rent two cars and caravan (I am doing the HST with a friend), drop one off at Whitney Portal/Lone Pine, drive the other back to Visalia, drop the car off at a rental company, stay a night in Visalia/Three Rivers, then take the shuttle to the trailhead the morning of 8/30. This plan has two problems. One, no rental company in and around Visalia offers after hours dropoff and are closed on Sunday (the day we start the HST). Two the Sequoia shuttle is closed for the year.

I still plan renting atleast one car in LAX and dropping the car off in Whitney Portal/Lone Pine, but am looking for help in getting to Visalia and the trailhead from Whitney Portal/Lone Pine on 8/29.

TLDR, need help coordinating transportation to/from/between LAX and Whitney Portal/Lone Pine and Crescent Meadow trailhead

Several options come to mind, none as efficient as your original plan:

1. Fly in earlier so you can drop the car in Visalia when the company is open. Take a Lyft/Uber/Limo to the trailhead. It might be challenging to arrange a Lyft/Uber/Limo. Flying in earlier would also allow you to acclimate if you can get up to the trailhead.

2. Drop the car at the Fresno airport and take a Lyft/Uber/Limo.

3. Leave the car at Crescent Meadow and go back and get it when you're done with the hike. Best option IMO if you don't want to rely on others.

4. Do 1,2, or 3, and don't drop a car at Whitney Portal. Instead hire one of the east side shuttle services to pick you up and drive you to Bishop to rent a car. Or hitch a ride to Lone Pine and then take the Eastern Sierra Transit to Bishop. The transit schedule might not fit your schedule, however.

Thanks for your the advice turbo. I foresee having to take a taxi/uber/lyft from Bakersfield airport to Visalia/Three Rivers after dropping car off as they accept after hours drop offs then taxi/uber/lyft or hitch into SEKI in the morning. I would prefer to leave a car at Whitney Portal just to have flexibility after a long 4-5 days backpacking

Just taking a shot in the dark seeing if anyone on here had an itinerary that matches ours.

Let me throw in my two cents. I did the HST solo in 2017. There was no pandemic then, so things were easier.

1. I picked up my wilderness permit and then parked my car at Crescent Meadow. I took off on foot eastward at 3 a.m. since it is cool then. A very bright headlamp helps.
2. By the first afternoon, I got to Hamilton Lake and camped. By the second evening, I got to Moraine Lake and camped. By the third afternoon, I got to Junction Meadow and camped. By the fourth afternoon, I got to Crabtree Camp. On the fifth day, I went up the west side of Whitney and then returned to Crabtree. That way, I didn't have to contend with any permit issues on the main east side Mount Whitney Trail. On the sixth day, I hauled all the way out to Horseshoe Meadow and hitched a ride to Lone Pine.
3. I spent a night at the Whitney Portal Hostel there, then caught the first ESTA bus in the morning headed to Mojave Junction. Then I caught the Kern County bus to Bakersfield. Then I caught some local bus to Visalia, where I had remotely booked a room for the night.
4. Early the next morning, I caught a city bus to the Visalia Transit Center, then the Sequoia Shuttle up to the park. Then I caught the free shuttle out to Crescent Meadow where my car was.

There are several pieces of this that won't be available to you during these pandemic times. However, you might be able to fit some of the pieces together. This year I've heard that the main Mount Whitney Trail is closed and Whitney Portal is closed, so it may be a bad place to end your foot trip.

Friends don't let friends plan 24+ hr car shuttles...

Spend more time hiking, less time shuttling. Do a loop.