[pct-l] Horseshoe Meadow Trailhead Hitch to Lone Pine

[Diane Soini]

Trail Pass is an easier trail than both Mulkey Pass and Cottonwood Pass. Mulkey Pass was indistinct in many places. Cottonwood Pass is a big pass and is beautiful. Mulkey Pass and Trail Pass are pretty short trails.

I exited at Mulkey Pass one year and got lost. I had met someone on the trail who said I could get a ride with them, just look for some guy who was going to meet them at the trailhead. Getting lost, I still managed to find the man and get my ride!

I exited at Trail Pass one year and the place was deserted. It was pretty clear I was never going to get a ride from the parking lot so I started walking down the road. I finally did get a ride after about 45 minutes of hiking from Tigger and Chuck Norris who had been traveling around the trail with their van helping hikers out.

TrailHacker exited at Trail Pass last year before the road was open. It was a long walk down for him, but eventually he got a ride part of the way after several hours of hiking.

It all works out somehow.

Diane
On Mar 22, 2014, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:35:42 -0700
> From: Aaron Nicholson <aaronjamesnicholson at gmail.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Horseshoe Meadow Trailhead Hitch to Lone Pine
> To: pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID:
> 	<CABD_-P4F5tyE8bd2FawXMToz7k2_YvNtnh-KNyeKVmCkMOEiGg at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> Hello List,
> 
> I'm planning a SOBO JMT hike this summer, with my get-back plan relying on
> public transportation from Lone Pine.  Apparently I've missed the lottery
> for Whitney Portal permits (oops...).  First, I was wondering if by chance
> any of you knows of any way to get a Whitney Portal permit after the
> lottery has closed (probably a lost cause at this point).  Second, I have
> some questions about an alternate exit route:
> 
> I was thinking of exiting at Cottonwood Pass (750.2), Trail Pass (745.3),
> or Mulkey Pass (744.5) to Horseshoe Meadow Trailhead/Campground and
> hitching into Lone Pine, but I'm noticing that my 2012 edition of Yogi's
> Guide warns that it is a "VERY hard hitch".  Has any of you successfully
> hitched from here before, and if so, what was your experience?  I was
> thinking that if I showed up at Horseshoe Meadow around midday on Sunday
> that there would be a fair number of weekend campers driving back to Lone
> Pine as I'm *pretty sure* that's the only road out of there...
> 
> Any thoughts?  Or alternate exit strategies?
> 
> Thanks,
> Aaron