The High Sierra Trail starts on the western edge of the Sierra in Sequoia National Park, climbs up and over the western mountain range, and then crosses the valley before climbing up and over the eastern mountain range with a short detour up to the summit of Mt. East side. There is a hole that is packed with little brook trout so if you've brought a fishing pole along it's worth a few casts. It's the closest sign of 'civilization' since you left the Bearpaw Meadow High Sierra Camp several days ago. Trail Camp is busy but some people really enjoy the socialization the camp has to offer. Unbridged creek crossings are the greatest hazards in the early-season. Unfortunately, information on the history of this cabin is lacking, but it's likely a remnant of when this area was used by sheep farmers long before becoming a National Park. I can’t believe it’s almost over and I’m almost back to the car/civilization once again. However, we were able to get one easily for the next day starting at Crescent Meadow from the Lodgepole Visitor Center in Sequoia National Park. To the west, you get views of Hitchcock Lakes far below you. For more about this particular trail, check out this link: North Fork of Big Pine Creek. The PCT Water Report is a crowdsourced compilation of water information. Sequoia National Park charges a fee to enter. Super stoked to be 75% done with the HST. The tent camp lies 300 yards ahead. You should assume it is a six to eight day hike, from start to finish, not including any transportation time, for most average hikers. Got It? If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $20 per person. The Forest Service provides a 'Wag Bag' kit for this free of charge, and there is a bin of them stored at the trail junction by Crabtree Meadow. Expect a crowd. You'll hear Chagoopa Falls above you but you won't see it from here. August 2015. My feet definitely felt the climb today. Switched out to Teva at the main river crossing and kept it on until Moraine Lake. To the South is the At Buck Creek is a brand new bridge. At the High Sierra Camp, the main building has a wonderful front porch from which you can view the Great Western Divide. In other words, do not rely on this as a water source. Towering above you is Mount Whitney (though the summit is out of sight), and the peaks of the Kaweahs poke out to the west. Cathedral Peak stands imposingly You will regret not having it should the need strike you between now and the trailhead. The official High Sierra trail route goes to the left, following Chagoopa Creek. I practically ran down from the KG just to avoid the skeeters. Once you gain the saddle after the climb out of Buck Creek, the first junction leads to the backpacker camp to the right, and the High Sierra Camp straight ahead. You’ll note that the water report does not cover all of the trail. 6. However, there is no water source so if you are planning on this make sure to carry all of the water you will need. the view of the Valley. Literally within 5 minutes. While I have hiked extensively in the High Sierra, I cannot speak confidently about every creek crossing. In slightly less than a mile we reach Eagles It's now only 8.6 miles to the summit of Mount Whitney! The High Sierra Trail; The Rae Lakes Loop; The Yosemite High Route ; The Kings Canyon High Basin Route; On this page, you’ll find a list and a map of known creek hazards. Just in case you wanted to start early the first day. Precipice Lake was made famous by Ansel Adams and presents amazing photography opportunities - the lake has a different look and color every hour of the day. All three have bear boxes. The High Sierra Trail to Mt Whitney is a challenging 75-mile trek whose scenery ranges from the giant forest of Sequoia National park, gorgeous mountain lakes, the Kern River Valley and of course the rocky jagged terrain of Mt Whitney. The High Sierra Trail is a moderate to strenuous 61.5-mile trail through Sequoia National Park. 3. Eventually you'll hike along the southeastern edge of Sky Parlor Meadow with an unobstructed view of Mt Kaweah. My blisters are wickedly painful and I definitely wouldn’t be okay to walk uphill today if it hadn’t been for Dr. Kristin who helped treat them yesterday. massive ridge called Valhalla. Here you find granite formations like Valhalla and Angel Wings. Introduction. Continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. My occasional day hiking partner and I had a similar level of angst last month crossing the stream that runs up the Basin Trail on North Kinsman in the Whites. After the long, hot descent you'll enjoy this creek crossing. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. Whitney. Fishing You are required to carry EVERYTHING off the trail with you when in the Whitney Zone, and that includes human you-know-what. She was alone. and the moonlight illuminated Angel Wings. To the right, the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River. the Great Western divide. The 6,000-foot descent from atop Mount Whitney to Whitney Portal is especially brutal. Crossing them requires a great deal of experience and nerve. Final Days! Don't miss the turn in the trail towards Wallace Creek! So happy to have made it here to Hamilton Lake!!! From Trail Crest, you will descend the 97 Switchbacks (yes, there are that many). Cart. **There are many trip reports on the web to get info but we mostly found these to be helpful planning our trek. Shop the official High Sierra online store and get top quality backpacks, luggage, and bags. Eventually, if you choose the right fork at the trail junction, you'll arrive at Moraine Lake, a great place for a swim and camp. Getting off trail is easy. route. Saturday morning, we all met up at my cousin Chris', who was dropping us off at the Sequoia NP side of our trip. © Copyright 1998-2000 Rob View High-Resolution Image. Plenty of streams to refill water. Differences in water quality downstream vs. upstream from meadows grazed by pack stock were not detectable for most water-quality indicators, however, Escherichia coli concentrations decreased downstream, suggesting entrapment and die-off of fecal indicator bacteria in meadows. Directly to the east you'll be staring at the back side of Mount Whitney. Made famous by Ansel Adams' "Frozen Lake and Cliffs", Precipice Lake is one of the jewels of the Sierra. Hopefully your shuttle situation has worked itself out. From this point until the end of the trail, you are required to carry out everything including your solid waste. One needs a wilderness permit and is preferably obtained in advance. you blow it, it is several hundred feet down the cliff. Then it hailed for a good hour!!! Each presents a water crossing, along with some smaller crossings. formed lake. Before too long you'll reach the junction to Wallace Creek. However, to quote from the NPS website: A lady who happened to be an ER doctor that’s a part of the group of 8 helped me tend to the blisters. This stretch ends at Precipice Lake. Hiked this with my sister in 4 days 7 hours! Now the smog from Fresno has ruined High Sierra Trail Summary. A longer bridge span with abutments set back from the water channel … Backpacking the High Sierra Trail. My pack has never felt lighter and I’m pretty tired, but I am loving every minute of this. It was a full moon This is a very long trek at elevation with a lot of climbing. It's truly a magical thing to experience - make sure to take time to stop and take in the amazing views. From the Gap you experience the view down Big Arroyo to the Southeast, and a peek into 9 Lakes Basin to the north. We took the first shuttle from Lodgepole to the trailhead at Crescent Meadow and started our High Sierra Trail adventure. Hike along through a boulder field and past some shallow ponds in an alpine zone. The trail slowly climbs about 1000 feet in 11 miles to Bearpaw Meadow. These are the Tall pines keep the area shaded and cool which can feel nice after the sun-exposed hike through Big Arroyo. ), grab your camera and water, and head to the summit. Even friendlier if you have food out. Yikes, we made it but whew!! Figure 3.1-9. Hamilton blowout was manageable thanks to a group of 7 guys who helped me. Explore the most popular trails in my list High Sierra Trail with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Once advantage to starting at Wolverton over Crescent Meadow is the visit to Panther Gap. It is about a mile to water. ColumbiaFinger. are hard to get and very expensive. Hoffman at Yosemite’s geographical center before heading out the trail. It's a nice spot to stop and rest, however. For the first few miles of this stretch you'll get to enjoy easy hiking as the trail winds gradually through the woods with no steep ascents or descents. After a few days on the trail this is a perfectly wonderful place to stop and enjoy yourself. Camped at ML which wasn’t bad at all when it came to mosquitoes. Got so tired of eating mtnhouse after the third day. It is the driest stretch of the trail so fill up on water in the Arroyo. from Mineral King is to the South. They can be desirable alternatives to culverts and bridges on very low-volume roads and trails, and they can offer substantial environmental advantages in some stream environments. The water from the spring is 115 degree F (46 degrees C)and there is a basic concrete tub built near the source. The official trail length is 61.5 miles from Crescent Meadow to Mt. Buckeyee Flat fire several years ago. Pure beauty. By heading upstream on a use-trail for a quarter mile to a meadow, you will find a shallower ford. There are nice granite slabs around here that are just asking you to sit down and take a break. The Sierra Nevada Mountains contain all of the world’s natural groves of giant sequoias, including the world’s largest tree, the General Sherman Tree. There is no camping at the hot spring, but a few hundred feet down the trail you'll find campsites and bear boxes. Wie schon 2013 hatte ich die Möglichkeit auf eine wissenschaftliche Konferenz in die USA zu fahren, was natürlich bedeutete, dass … Western Divide gets closer. There are a few creek crossings on the map (this POI is the biggest), and while they are a good source of water for most of the season, you should not rely on them in a dry season or later in the summer - make sure to fill up before starting up. You must ford the stream and the rushing This is the first established camping area along the High Sierra Trail. This is a wilderness trail and signage is kept to a minimum. As the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, the colors in the lake change from greens and turquoises to blues and greys, golds and coppers at sunset, finally fading to a midnight blue and solid black. For instructions, refer to the end of this post. There is a dry campsite here at Panther Gap (no water). High Sierra Trail Kern River river crossing Save One of several places where the High Sierra Trail crosses the Kern River. The trail from Junction Meadow is hot if hiked mid-day. 40.7k members in the PacificCrestTrail community. Whitney in the East and finally ending at Whitney Portal just outside of Lone Pine, CA. Ppps- I miss real food. The trail travels through the Merced River canyon and is often hot and sunny. Backpedal real quick. After joining back together with the other fork of the High Sierra Trail, the long, ~2500 foot descent into the Kern Canyon begins. Holy crap the uphill climb today was never ending. There is no water access at this junction, even though you can hear the Kern River nearby. After arriving at the trail crossing, she made the decision to cross at a sunken, collapsed log with swift water moving over it, rather than walking back up to the snow bridges. High Sierra Trail: Water conditions. Starting early from Guitar Lake is a good way to cover this stretch in a day. In August, a large variety of wildflowers bloom through here. USGS maps show a lake at this location, but the lake has long been dry. Here, the terrain is a bit more open than what is found at 9-mile creek. who had braved the sierra. From here, the trail climbs another ~800 feet in 2.5 miles to Guitar Lake at 11,400 feet. This trailhead is an optional starting point for the High Sierra Trail. Because of the extreme conditions, many PCT hikers are choosing to skip over the High Sierra … If you're lucky, you may hear some music coming from the ranger's cabin or take in the smell of fresh brownies from the kitchen. There is a water source about 100 feet down the trail to the east (likely dry later in the season). Blasted out of solid granite, this tunnel was built after attempts to build a bridge across the gorge failed (pesky avalanches). On the way to meet the official High Sierra Trail, the trail switchbacks across Mehrten Creek a few times so there are opportunities to fill up the bottles when the creek is running. directions. | Tel: 1.419.262.7040 One of the most memorable experiences I've had on the trail is watching sunrise from the climb to Whitney from Guitar Lake. integrity of the crossing during high water low by erosion and scouring. more spectacular than sun glow. The first 2.5 miles and 2000 feet switchback up the western side of the ridge until reaching Trail Junction. available on the conditions. The High Sierra Trail starts in the West in the Giant Forest of the Sequoia National Park, you then hike across the mountain range to Mt. The short fork to Lone Pine Lake is a nice excursion for a water refill if necessary, but it is not often visited by High Sierra Trail hikers - after all, it's a mere few miles back to the trailhead! Company. Continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. Make sure to take a day in Sequoia to see everything. I would do it again for sure. Turn right and travel to the roads end and the High Sierra Trailhead. There is a bear box here, but you should also be carrying a bear canister - bears are very active at this site! There is plenty of room on the summit for the crowds of people you are likely to encounter. 2. Well no fear - there is a nice bridge that crosses the river about 1/2 mile before the hot spring. This hike was created by the National Park Service and was completed in 1930. This usually has water, and it also marks the turnoff to the Mountaineer's route of Mount Whitney. Mono Hot Springs California natural hot springs are located between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Park. The trail between the junction and here has some stretches of foot-bruising and ankle-twisting cobblestone so the opportunity to soak your feet might be irresistible. If you started off the day at 9-Mile Creek or Buck Creek, you've climbed about 2000 feet already. To the right, the trail will take you past Moraine Lake. Ate dinner inside my tent and had very little energy left to filter water. You'll probably see trail crews along this stretch - the trail is under constant maintenance due to the regular rockfall damage that occurs throughout here. next to the creek and find the campsites empty. The ascend out of BAM was rough because it was mostly exposed (all sun) and going up to the second highest part of the day as well. It is rugged beautiful country. know, Bearpaw High Sierra Camp provides food, tent cabins, showers I would highly recommend this trip for experienced hikers, and if you do go, say hello to Odin for me when you get to Valhalla! Stretching approximately 195 miles (314 km) north to south through the Sierra Nevada, it is a largely off-trail affair that stays between 9,000 ft (2,743 m) and 12,000 ft (3658 m) for most of its rugged course. Tom Hamilton Lake. No camping is allowed until you get at least 2 miles beyond the trailhead, but finding a campsite sooner than the 9-mile mark is difficult. There’s still hope for me to be able to summit Whitney!!! The High Sierra Trail runs 71 miles from Crescent Meadow on the West side of the Sierra to Mount Whitney on the East side. Kaweah Gap was passable with a bit of trail finding through very small snowy areas. If you're lucky you'll see polemonium, or Sky Pilot, along here. Water is accessible near by. There are some bivy sites around here so it is possible to camp near the junction. The trail starts at Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park and ends at Whitney Portal near Lone Pine, CA. It descends into Big Arroyo, then climbs up to the Chagoopa Plateau, and drops down again into the Kern River Canyon. While you won't be going this way, it's a good place to stop and notice for that return trip you're already planning on! total hike from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal (including the trip to Moraine lake and Whitney Summit) comes around to 78 miles with ~15,500' TEG, Trail was in a perfect condition (maybe a bit muddy in a few places). Reynolds | >> Part 2 >>, GentlEye Home | Photo Day 4 Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Tuolomne Meadows Got up early, started out with Suzie and Scott, the grad students, and Richard the anesthetist from San Diego. ... At the trail crossing the water is about a foot deep. But although these things aren't for us rugged backpackers, there are some opportunities here. Once you've gone a short distance and emerged into more open terrain, turn around to see Chagoopa Creek tumbling down from the ridge above. This is where the two forks of the High Sierra Trail join back together. If you screw up you slide down the Free Shipping Over $29.99 see details. High Sierra Trail Kern River river crossing. Day One on the High Sierra Trail we hiked 11.5 miles east-bound, from Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw. late. Use lots of sunscreen here - the air is thin and there is no where to escape the intense sun! At 11,400 feet Guitar Lake is a high camp far above treeline with little protection from the wind and cold. If you turn to the right you'll be able to access a campsite at Upper Funston Meadow. Stretching 200 miles through the Sierra Nevada, most of the High Route is off-trail, posing challenges both physical and mental as you attempt to navigate dangerous, unmarked terrain. Beyond that, there are rare “reassurance markers”. You will find a bridge over a gorge but it's another mile until easy water. Here you see hikers/backpackers negotiating the North Fork of Big Pine Creek trail. Most camps will be stirring by 5 AM at the latest. level as it crosses the Kaweah Tributaries of Panther, Mehrton, The trek is 82 miles if you bag the peak, 78 miles if you do not. On the west is a long trickling waterfall from the Trail Crossings. Moro Rock, just behind us. You'll also be meeting the crowds climbing to the summit. From ML to Kern’s Hot Spring was a descend into hell. I was mentally zoinked out after today. Take in the view at Sky Parlor meadow and prepare for the upcoming steep descent. It contains important information. I’ve used Gaia, gut hook, half mile PCT, etc. Enthusiast Center | Camping Home, RKleine@GentlEye.com The vegetation is thicker and the views just keep getting. So technically it’s 17.6 miles or so? Got a taste of what tomorrow’s big 2k climb over to Big Arroyo will be like. The grinding of hard rock produces a green silt that gives the water its color. 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