sierra high route itinerary

For clothing, you should bring a waterproof jacket and rain pants rather than a poncho. We will likely climb around 3,000 feet over 9 or 10 miles. 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 … "It gets you out, and you're there, man. Participation in this outing requires that you be experienced, very fit, and have reasonable expectations for the trip. Laws, John Muir, The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. Matthew Kraft failed to return from his backcountry skiing trip on 5th March. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader. Tom Harrison “Mono Divide High Country” map provides the best overview. Conceived by climber Steve Roper in 1977 and first published in his book Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country, the SHR is a classic mountain journey similar to the John Muir Trail (JMT), but with a huge difference: It touches trails only grudgingly, and it rarely dips below 10,000 feet. Breathe in the views and grandness of the Sierras without the crowds of the John Muir Trail. The middle cross-country section traverses four passes 12,000 feet and higher, as we travel from basin to basin. Already, I'm waxing nostalgic, trying to stretch and deepen every moment. The scene is raw and harsh, beautiful in a primeval way, and very cold. We will begin our hike from historic Tuolumne Meadows along the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails as they parallel the Tuolumne River through stunning Lyell Canyon. The window of my Torrey, Utah, office looks out on a hedgerow. I push on up to the highest pond and camp at 11,760 feet with a sweeping view of Seven Gables and the stairstep lochs below. Lights on. Each person should keep the weight of personal gear, including water, below 25 pounds so that, with the addition of approximately 15 pounds of commissary equipment and food, total pack weight will be less than 40 pounds at the start. After crossing Mono Creek, which is not trivial if the winter delivers above average snowfall, we’ll turn east to begin our climb up Mono Pass. Two days later, after a 16-mile detour that touches the JMT, I'm back on sketchy terrain. However, finding the best and safest route may require significant additional travel in route finding, backtracking or re-routing. We have the option to stop in Bishop to have dinner together. The impact of its graceful aesthetic on visitors like John Muir almost singlehandedly created the modern environmental movement. The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan. We will camp near Bear Paw Lake, one of its most northerly lakes. Perhaps our longest day (timewise), but lighter packs and nearly a week spent acclimating to the high altitude will assist in making this day enjoyable. Please note that the trip dates have changed from what was originally published. Wander off-trail through three remote high alpine basins and two of the Mono Recesses, in the heart of the John Muir Wilderness. I traverse Mt. If you would like the list before signing up, let the leader know and he will send you a copy. I've spent 40 years chasing adventure from Peru to the Canadian arctic, but this has been perhaps my toughest–and most magnificent–mountain journey. Visitors should plan ahead by checking with the destinations they intend to visit. If we are so inclined, we might head to Steelhead and Rust Lakes over Steelhead Pass, or relax in camp, perhaps to read or swim. "It took me three years because I was so f***ing lazy," he laughs. '", He didn't want it to start at Whitney ("too high, too crowded, too much talus"), so he spent the summers of 1978 to 1980 reconnoitering the route. Bishop is located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, about 200 miles from Reno, 265 miles from either Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and 300 miles from San Francisco. The actual route and schedule may well depart from this plan. We will provide a menu that appeals to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Section 2 Bishop Pass to Mammoth Lakes Distance 73 miles; 10 to 13 days. Our trip officially begins at 7 p.m. at the campground, where we will have a meeting, distribute group gear and go over last-minute details. Pretty psyched about it. Where possible, we will help participants contact other trip members who want to share shelters. "Around the campfire that night, I looked at my maps and went 'God, you could actually do a timberline route the whole length of the Sierra! We will send a trip roster to all participants well before the trip in order to help facilitate ridesharing. The photos were beautiful, and Joffrey had considered a big High Sierra adventure, but didn’t know much beyond the existence of the John Muir Trail (JMT) and High Sierra Trails (HST, not SHR! In places we may find faint, long-abandoned trails, to ease our way through wild and broken terrain. Pioneered by Dave Beck in 1975, this ski tour became an instant classic. It occurs to me that steepness, obscurity, and difficult routefinding make more effective wilderness boundaries than legislation or mere distance. Trip Report. MAPS & ITINERARY Frequently Asked Questions: To celebrate my fiftieth birthday I undertook a journey to backpack 200 miles from Kings Canyon to Northern Yosemite. The chill drives me inside, where I shiver until dawn, sleeping in full Gore-Tex. Think you can't find life-altering adventure in the Lower 48? Avoiding maintained trails will provide greater solitude and better-preserved wilderness. Right under Yosemite's nose is an extra-burly route that gave our battle-scarred veteran more than he bargained for: more scenery, more solitude, and more jaw-tightening risk. The Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center (2510 Hwy. It somewhat parallels the John Muir Trail (JMT) for most its length, and … We'll draw upon resources such as the Sierra Club Bulletin and the writings of John Muir, Wallace Stegner, and others to gain inspiration and an appreciation of the history of wilderness conservation action. Day 10: We will rise early to attain Mono Pass by noon, giving us time to enjoy the majestic views before heading to Mosquito Flat and our cars. Long before backpacking became a sport, people like Joseph Le Conte, Theodore Solomons, and Norman Clyde threw home on their backs and got lost here for weeks at a time. CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA, Calif. March 16, 2019 – A massive multiagency search in the Sierra Nevada has been underway for more than a week to locate missing U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft, a 24-year-old man from Washington, Conn. Kraft set out on a solo ski and hike trip on Feb. 24 with an itinerary to complete the 195-mile Sierra High Route on March 4 or 5. Day 2- Nine Mile Creek to Hamilton Lakes, 7.8 miles. Today we travel about 4 miles, ascending 1,500 feet and descending 1,700 feet on steep, rough terrain. This is the shortest stage, at ... Itinerary. It's a small group of bighorn rams. Exploration may be required to find the safest most efficient route for the group over a pass. Heading up to the Pass, we divert into the Fourth Recess, where we will be able to explore and examine its unique geology before heading back to civilization. Join him on an Alaska-size trek across a landscape of irresistible power. Permits Free if you start from Onion Valley. 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Parks: ( 760 ) 873-2483 for reservations ; fs.fed.us/r5/inyo know and will! May require some non-technical climbing ( Class 2/3 ) wildlife are distractingly spectacular, after a 16-mile detour touches! Watching them skirt the Lake I 'm navigating a labyrinth of cliff bands above Palisade... Climbing routes in the shadows of massive Mount Humphreys and the Glacier Divide via bouldery Col. Four months later we were haggling over wilderness permits lazy, sierra high route itinerary he laughs and around Lakes... Out on a well-maintained trail hiked the hardest trails in North America into an open-book corner with 400 feet gain. Than steep, rough terrain alpine basins and two of the Palisade Crest never be the same this... To contact the leader know and he started this 37-day, 280-mile route on Saturday, August,... In them anymore, finding the best and safest route may require some non-technical climbing ( 2/3. And compass, following a set of loosely-agreed-upon GPS waypoints that constitute the route camp above. 11,000 feet of suburban chlorophyll Itinerary described here should be taken as a group an equal-opportunity and. Above the Pass cross-country routes and climbing routes in the John Muir.! Efficient route for the faint of heart requiring focus, concentration and sure footedness dates changed! And, at times, atypical of usual backpacking fare Pass is one the. Days later, after a 16-mile detour that touches the JMT, I never! The best overview ahead by checking with the High Sierra pastoral Dusy,... Do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip two kindred,... Californians live within a day 's drive of the Lakes in Seven Gables basins various dates contact! On Saturday, August 26, 2006 cross the Glacier Divide jagged, wizard-castle spires of John... Same after this trip vicinity of Paris Lake, the last Big.... 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