Questions:
- If we take 5 nights, food storage becomes a problem (we can't fit into one bear can). The official trip planner (PDF) says there are a few bear boxes on this route. Can we leave food in bear boxes unattended, or is theft a risk? I really don't feel like carrying a half-full bear can to the top of Whitney.
- Where are the best (legal and not too crowded) places to camp at or above Crabtree Meadow? I'm still a little spooked by the crowds in Lyell Canyon two years ago, and I want to avoid anything that crowded.
- There are two routes from Cottonwood to Rock Creek: the southern route via Cottonwood Pass, and the northern route via New Army Pass. New Army Pass adds a few lakes, for the cost of an extra 2 miles and ~800 feet of elevation gain. Recommendations?
- If we do one pass outbound and the other one returning, can we come back to the same trailhed? According to my National Geographic map, there are two trailheads, separated by a mile and a half of road.