Alpine lakes , 14,000 foot mountains , Giant Sequoias and grassy meadows ? The 60 - geographical mile High Sierra Trail has it all and literally communicate through Valhalla . We did it last week .
For many , the 210 mile - long John Muir Trail ( which play North - South through the Sierra Nevada ) represents the quintessential thru - hike . However , it ’s not always easy to leave life behind and reach the trail for 2 - 3 week to complete it . The shortsighted High Sierra Trail feed West - East across the entire range and offer similar scenery and objective , but at 60 knot from its start to the summit of Mt. Whitney , it ’s easily hikable in a week or less .
By the fourth dimension you hike from the top of Mt. Whitney to Whitney Portal in the Eastern Sierra , you ’ll have hiked about 70 miles from the track ’s start at Crescent Meadows in Sequoia National Park . My buddy Daniel and I took seven days for this trip and hiked over 80 international mile full , but two days were side stumble for good deal climbing and off - trail exploration ; one of those days was the Whitney summit and line of descent . We met some others on the trail who did the entire thing in four days . This would also be Daniel ’s first backpacking tripper .
Daniel look out across the vale from Kaweah Gap .
Why Go ? The High Sierra Trail showcases some of the best landscapes , feature film , and trails in the Sierra Nevada . It begins at Crescent Meadows on the western side of Sequoia National Park , among the orchard of Giant Sequoia and ends at the highest point in the contiguous United States — the 14,505′ summit of Mt. Whitney . It passes multiple alpine lakes , meadow , valleys , canyons , rivers , and spate along the way . At times , it feels like you ’re a character in Lord of the Rings .
TheSnow Peak LiteMax Ti Stoveweighs 2 oz . and boils 1L of water in 4.5 mo .
Day 1 : Daniel and I started off the day by pick up our wild permit and a bear can ( I brought my own ) from the Lodgepole Village Visitor Center in Sequoia National Park . We rent the park shuttle from the visitor plaza to the Crescent Meadows trail head to begin our journeying . We make out a momma bear and her cub on the drive over . We were on the trail by 10:30 am and proceeded to hike all Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , through Valhalla ( an epicly - scenic valley , ) conk Bearpaw Meadow , and camped at Hamilton Lakes — about 16 sea mile total .
Skinny dipping in Precipice Lake .
daytime 2 : We started the day with a hot breakfast , check down camp , and proceeded to hike out of the valley , gaining tiptop pretty quickly . We charter a nice break in a shaded portion of the track overlooking the with child of Hamilton Lakes to eat lunch and check the function . From there , we hiked to Precipice Lake , where we took a long break to scrawny dip ( ultimate exemption in the wild ) . After the frigid water had chilled our bones , we continued on the trail to Kaweah Gap ( 10,700′ ) and then down into the valley surrounded by the Kaweahs to the north and Mineral King to the south . We hiked until reaching a flat area just south of Mount Kaweah ( the gamey top in the Southwest Sierras . ) We cowboy encamp here ; we ’d be climbing in the morning .
Daniel ’s feeling a little ill at ease about being at 13,667′ for the first time in his lifespan .
daytime 3 : We come up at 6 am to get an early start on the twenty-four hour period . We hive up our bear stern and the majority of our food in a hollowed - out tree by where we camped and by 6:30 am , we were cross - land hiking toward Second Kaweah . Our overture was a few miles long and strewn with boulders and downed Tree , but the terrain was still easily navigable . Once we were at the basis of Second Kaweah , we begin a 2,000′ 2nd social class scamper ( which required us to utilise our hands , but did not require roofy or expert climbing ) to the 13,667′ crown . From the summit we could see Whitney to the northeast and Mineral King to the Dixie , and the Central Valley to the Benjamin West . The view was magnificent . We pass a respectable deal of time on the summit before climb up down and hiking back to our pack from the night before . We arrived back by 5 pm , loosen up while make our Backpacker ’s Pantry dinner party , and function to seam early .
We expend most of Day 4 hiking through Kern Canyon . Daniel was enjoying theBoreas Buttermilkspack .
daytime 4 : We kip in until about 8 am , ate a live breakfast , and break-dance cantonment . This was a bigger hiking day — we log about 16 miles through Kern Canyon , stopping for an good afternoon river swim along the agency .
We were rewarded with this private escape at Crabtree Lakes for traveling a yoke of hours off - trail .
Clarence Day 5 : We boost out of Kern Canyon , regaining the elevation that we had lost , until we reached Crabtree Meadows . At the ranger place , we cut right on , and ill-tempered - country hike for a few miles until we reached Crabtree Lakes . Along the manner we bring out an quondam , unmaintained trail that was n’t even on the mapping . We determine up camp at our own private alpine lake at 11,500′.
The chick were teasing me at 13,184′.
Day 6 : Daniel ’s feet were reasonably painful and blistered from the abuse we ’d been assign them through , so he loosen up at the lake while I steer north to wax Mt. Hitchcock ( 13,184′ , ) which tower above Crabtree Lakes . Climbing Mt. Hitchcock ’s south slopes from Crabtree Lakes was more of a crabby - country hike up a caboodle of loose , crappy scree . The view from the summit was worth it though , as I could see where we had hiked from ( the southwestern Sierras ) and where we were lead ( Mt. Whitney ) . After I made it back down to the lake from the peak , I go away for a swim , and then we headed back on the trail and hiked to Guitar Lake — our last block before summit Mt. Whitney the next sunup on the 4th of July .
Daniel basks in the twilight at Guitar Lake .
At Guitar Lake , we made dinner and prepped for the big summit day as the Lord’s Day set over the edge of the lake . We cowboy camped so that we could get a prompt start when we awoke at midnight . Our goal was to be the first hoi polloi on the summit on the 4th of July ; simultaneously be the first people on the west coast to witness daybreak that morning .
I made it to the conjunction near Trail Crest — 1.9 miles to go !
Day 7 : My dismay proceed off at midnight ; I was in full alive by 12:03 am . I looked up and the first thing that I find was three headlamps dancing along the side of Mt. Whitney . I jump out up , woke Daniel , we backpack as quickly as potential , and then hit the trail . They were at least a naut mi ahead of us , on only a 4.5 mile track . We had to catch them . Daniel is a marathoner and was generate me pacing advice , “ It ’s a marathon , not a sprint . ” To which I replied , “ It ’s not a marathon , it ’s an 8k and they ’ve got a 2k lead ! ” We continue to power walk up the mountain , but never seemed to gain on the three lights in the lead . By this prison term , there were two more headlamps closing the gap behind us . It had become a airstream to the summit . All of the sudden , I polish a switchback and the three guys that the illumination belonged to were sit on the rocks , out of breath . By this time , the light from behind had passed Daniel . I go on around the switchback ; Daniel shouted , “ See you on the summit . ” That was all I need to hear ; I was off ! I made it to the top in 2:37 , becoming the first person to breast the high point in the conterminous United States on the 4th of July .
Light pollution from the Central Valley sort this persuasion of the Western Sierras from the Milky Way .
Daniel , the hombre who passed him , and a few others trickled onto the summit over the next hour . It was still black enough to see the whitish Way with the naked eye so I shot a timelapse while we all hunkered down during below - freeze , visionary twilight . Everyone slow made their way toward the bound of the summit as the Sunday start to jump , as if to pull back closer to it ’s close at hand warmth .
On Mt. Whitney ’s crest at 14,505′ , Daniel and I were among the first multitude to see sunrise on the 4th of July on the entire Pacific sea-coast .
Temperatures on Mt. Whitney ’s summit dropped well into the 20s that Nox — we were thankful for the arise sun ’s lovesome incandescence .
We stayed on top until about 7:30 before beginning the grueling 11 - mile wage increase down to Whitney Portal . Though the trip down was long and tiring , I was much happy to be going down than the hordes of people hiking up . I go far at Whitney Portal around 4 pm ; Daniel arrived about an hour later . We handle ourselves to a squeamish juicy cheeseburger and fries from the portal storehouse . Bliss . We had made it .
Hordes of dayhikers were making their way up the switchbacks on the mode to Mt. Whitney ’s elevation .
What You ’ll Need To Bring : Backpacking gear . The less material you carry ; the light your load is — the better . Our pedestal weight ( everything bear , minus consumables — my camera gear being the exclusion ) were around 10 pound .
So You need To Go Backpacking For The Very First Time
A wilderness permit is required to hike on the High Sierra Trail . These are easiest toobtain through Sequoia / Riley B King Canyon National Park , for do the trail from West - East . license lead off in the Mt. Whitney geographical zone are much more difficult to obtain .
Bear cans are also required in SEKI . These can be rented for around $ 5 per week ( plus a $ 10 chain armor - in fee ) from the Lodgepole Visitor Center .
There was sizeable water along the trail ; we never carry more than a liter or two at a time . utilize discretion as to whether or not you need totreat your drinking pee .
How To chance And Purify Drinking Water In The Wilderness
occupy public theodolite to the Mungo Park allow us to do a chip of trip planning on the elbow room .
How Do You Get There ? Because the start and end points of this trail are more than five 60 minutes away from each other by car , we opt to employ public transportation instead . We tookAmtrakfrom Union Station in Downtown LA . A double-decker take us to Bakersfield , where we caught the string to Hanford . From Hanford , another jalopy take us to Visalia . full travel metre was around six hour . monetary value was $ 35 each . The following morning we lead the first - availableSequoia Shuttleat 6:10 am into the park . Cost was $ 7.50 each . The shuttle dropped us off at the Lodgepole visitant center just as it was opening . After picking up our wilderness permit and bear can , we took the free park shuttlecock to the trailhead . We were hiking by 10:30 am .
Upon reaching Whitney Portal , we discovered that theEastern Sierra Transit(our initial pick for reaching the MetroLink three hours south in Lancaster ) only ran Monday / Wednesday / Friday . We were able-bodied to catch a drive from someone we met on the trail to Santa Clarita ; from there we took theMetroLinkback to Union Station in DTLA . Cost was $ 9.50 .
What Should You Do While You ’re There ? dangerous undertaking ! There were tons of muckle , meadow , lakes , and rivers to explore along the trail . Think of the trail as a guideline ; do n’t be afraid to diverge off - trend .
What We ’d Do Differently : Nothing . This trip was everything that we wanted it to be .
Pack : Boreas Buttermilks 55L($158 – On sale , Highly Recommended)Shelter : Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2($675 – extremely Recommended)Stove : Snow Peak LiteMax Titanium($60 – Highly Recommended)Pot : Snow Peak Trek 900 Ti Cookset($53 – extremely Recommended)Jacket : Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket($320 – extremely urge )
Check out Chris’sfull appurtenance inclination .
picture : Chris Brinlee Jr , Daniel Bruce Lee
AdventuresbackpackingHikingsierra nevada
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