I agree - I have been doing sections of the JMT as part of other trips. The thrus all seem so clueless - good thing the trail is a freeway else they would get a mile off it and be lost.... I would tell them where we were headed and get a blank look. There are tons of fantastic places just off the main trail. A friend took a month to do the JMT just for that reason, so he could visit some of them.

I have been pointedly avoiding Whitney for just the reasons you mention. I will probably try again to do it from the west side as part of a longer trip and not venture out to the Portal. Weather kept me from doing it last time.