The hiking was relatively easy and the scenery was really impressive. Shannon climbing easy class 3 in the chute. However, from our high vantage point it became obvious that we would not be treated to bluebird, or even partly-cloudy skies all day as the smoke, thicker than we had seen yet, moved in from the southwest. We definitely did not choose the best line. I’m fairly confident that the sole lightning strike we heard, which occurred in the early evening, was a pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorm fueled by rising air from the wildfire just a few miles to our southwest, an indication of extreme wildfire behaviour. That is all.). So, off we went, climbing up chutes towards the small lake just north of The Miter. We had an awesome vantage point as the sun rose. But this isn’t his guide, so I finally have some grounds for comparison! There are plenty of useful annotated pictures on the internet. From Russell-Carillon Pass we were treated to our first view of the east face of Mount Whitney. The day before we were to start, I came down with a bout of food poisoning and spent most of the day resting. It was raining hard enough that it didn’t make sense to set up the tent, as it would have just gotten soaking wet in the process. The view of North Palisade and Polemonium Peak from the other side of the Glacier Creek Lakes. The whole project seemed very unnecessary to me, but I didn’t see the road before it was repaved. Pie on the Trail: The Southern Sierra High Route (SSHR) was developed by Alan Dixon and Don Wilson in 2014. Second, I really feel this route is best hiked southbound. At the time, this seemed a better idea than kneeling in the field of small boulders we were in. We figured that because we were a little bit behind schedule and had been hit with bad weather (by California standards) every day so far, making up some miles on the JMT would give us a better chance of completing the high sections in the southern part of the route, which we were really excited for. Smoke from the Castle Fire (later renamed the SQF Complex) diffused up the Kern River towards us. Back at Sky Blue Lake, conditions were worse. We followed the Southern Sierra High Route, a challenging itinerary that combines on- and off-trail travel at high elevation (9000′ – 13,300′) and extends the classic Sierra High Route (which Julie and I tackled last summer alongside our friends David and Fred). It is a rugged alternate to the John Muir Trail (JMT), boasting about… The view of Diamond Mesa and Junction Peak from Wrights Lake Pass. The setting sun made for lovely views of the pinnacles. View over the Upper Basin south of Mather Pass. Find the perfect sierra high route california stock photo. I identified Mount Irvine, Mount Mallory, Mount Corcoran, and Mount McAdie as possible objectives, all via Arc Pass. They relayed some stories of difficult terrain crossing from the Merced drainage to Bench Canyon where they took an alternate described by Roper. Here’s the classic shot of Fin Dome rising above the outlet of Arrowhead Lake, with some of the higher peaks just barely visible in the background. While I may claim the Winds are more scenic, I definitely can’t claim they have better access or conditions. Yosemite National Park has 5 High Sierra Camps arranged in a 49-mile loop. It did come and go and places, though. Learn how to create your own. In all, it’s an impressive line along the highest part of the Sierra Crest. Mount Pickering high above the Miter Basin, opposite Mount Langley. Shannon scrambling up the headwall. Bishop and Saddlerock Lakes, and even Mount Humphreys, from Bishop Pass. On Saturday August 3rd, my friend Julie McPherson and I embarked on a 5-day trek through the California High Sierra mountains.. We followed the Southern Sierra High Route, a challenging itinerary that combines on- and off-trail travel at high elevation (9000′ – 13,300′) and extends the classic Sierra High Route (which Julie and I tackled last summer alongside our friends David and Fred). We left the trail just a bit south of Trail Crest and headed directly south for Discovery Pass. In any case, it left me wondering about the weather a little bit in the morning. Classic JMT views of East Vidette along the drop to Lower Vidette Meadow. Seldom is there a nice little line in the ground to follow. August 15, 2020 - August 24, 2020. This cool panorama captures most of the Whitney Zone, at left is Mount McAdie and Arc Pass, which leads south to the Miter Basin. The Sierra High Route and the Southern Sierra High Route are two incredible routes through California's Sierra Nevada that are each remarkable on their own. On this trip we summited with full packs. Adventure Alan created this route as an addition to Steve Roper's original Sierra High Route. When we crested Glen Pass, we were surprised to see blue sky to the south. On our way down Kearsarge Pass we found a spot where we had cell phone reception and were able to get a bit more information. I got lost about halfway through. The weather didn’t look ideal, but we figured we’d be able to get off the summit before noon which meant we should be able to avoid the worst of any afternoon thunderstorms which the cloudy morning skies portended. We climbed up to the highpoint near the lake for sunset and saw that it was quite hazy to our west. It seemed like the option Dixon describes is just a few feet past (south of) the large horse camp with bear boxes. However, the weather forecast for the beginning of our trip gave us a bit of concern. We accidentally dropped too low and completely missed Lake 11468 and had to climb back up to Lake 11523. Views down Woods Creek. No need to register, buy now! It’s missing a lot of the micro-route and historical/geological information of the more detailed guides, the map has no comments, and the datasheet is much coarser - there are only a dozen or so waypoints. We planned to get a relatively early start the next morning, around sunrise. ‘Cause here came the thunder and lightning, (We walked down the Mountaineer’s Route and procured said burgers / coffee / hot springs. When we reached Lake Marjorie, the clouds were still swirling around, so we decided to set up the tent and wait it out for a while. The view down Barrett Creek (?) Finally, let’s talk about the remoteness. [The maps below show our route, roughly speaking. I’m not sure about the Acrodectes alternate if you take it, so do some more homework about that if you think it’s for you. I do have a few comments about logistics that I hope will be helpful. So, we had to head back to Bishop to get our car from a man named Billie. At 13,996’, Mount Barnard is the twelfth highest peak in California, and the highest peak under 14,000’. I found the Southern Sierra High Route guide less helpful than the guides for other High Routes. This year, the Forest Service was repaving the South Lake, so there were a number of parking and traffic restrictions requiring us to park 3 miles down the road at the Tyee Lakes trailhead, or, as the Forest Service encouraged, take the hiker shuttle up from Bishop. Sunrise over the south rib of Mount McAdie. So, we stood under the tree for another fifteen minutes or so, waiting for the rain to stop. | contact | website deets. When we crested the pass, we heard a thunderclap off in the distance. However, it is possible to connect these two routes into a single and most epic journey through the Sierra. Some route data comes from as long ago as 1985, before the use of GPS technology by land managers. I figured we could do the first two to get a look at McAdie and Corcoran and see how we felt and how much daylight we had left. Here’s the view of the headwall above Wallace Lake. Marbella. Shannon climbing as we neared the notch. Each camp is a day’s hike from at least two other camps. North Palisade from the summit of Mount Sill. We were glad to be within a few hours of our resupply over Kearsarge Pass. We did decide to sleep in the next morning to give me a bit more time to recover, which led to a late start on our first day. The Kings Canyon High Basin Route was ruled out because we were interested in exploring the highest mountains along the crest of the Sierra. Plus, you have the safety net of the JMT/PCT just to your west the entire time if anything goes awry. Smoky views of the Kearsarge Pinnacles. While this would have been a great spot for a dip, but the air temperature was pretty cold. Did I mention the awesome views of the Kaweahs from our campsite? We thought about making camp here, but decided to try our luck with the weather and push on a bit farther. So, we decided to continue, with the knowledge that we could move quickly on the JMT/PCT if conditions deteriorated. This popular trailhead allows fast access to the beautiful high country terrain that we seek. On Saturday August 3rd, my friend Julie McPherson and I embarked on a 5-day trek through the California High Sierra mountains.. We followed the Southern Sierra High Route, a challenging itinerary that combines on- and off-trail travel at high elevation (9000′ – 13,300′) and extends the classic Sierra High Route (which Julie and I tackled last summer alongside our friends David and Fred). Mount McAdie, and Arc Pass, from the summit of Mount Irvine. If you have something to say about this post, please get in touch! Ten or fifteen minutes later, the storm really picked up. The High Sierra Trail has two great ascents – the first one over Kaweah Gap and the Great Western Divide, and the second over the Eastern Sierra and Trail Crest at Mt. I hoped to get over Cirque and Mather Passes to set us up to climb Split Mountain the next day. everything © Blake Boles, forever and ever Alan Dixon has a ton of information on his website to help guide an hiker excited to walk the Southern Sierra High Route. Unfortunately the weather didn’t really clear until well after dark, so we ate some of our lunch supplies for dinner and went to bed early. We thoroughly enjoyed the Palisades section of the route, but were ready for some easier on-trail miles. In the meadows below New Army Pass, we ran into a group setting up camp on their northbound hike of the John Muir Trail, half of them wearing N95 masks. We couldn’t see as far as normal due to some haze. Cameron found us packing up our stuff as the clouds cleared, and we chatted for a bit about his trip to resupply over Bishop Pass. I’m a sucker for big-mountain alpine scenery, and the Southern Sierra High Route delivered in that department. Looking north at Mount Muir and Whitney from the Whitney Trail. Sierra High Route hikers spend more time on rock than they do on dirt. We figured we should be able to get down to the Glacier Creek Lakes and make camp there. The view down a snowfield to the lower cirque. Descending Knapsack Pass was a tiny bit tricky, as described. So, we marched through darkness for a couple of hours back to the trailhead, which we reached some time around 10. Wallace Lake and Mount Barnard. By mid day we reached the Rae Lakes area. Learn how to create your own. South of Mount Langley, the High Sierra fades into the high meadows and forests of the Golden Trout Wilderness. An equally impressive sunrise over Shakespeare Peak. At this point, we just had to follow the trail up and over New Army Pass. One group in particular was making quite a bit of noise, but they quieted down not long after sunset. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The route starts at Bishop Pass Trailhead and ends at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead. I guess my complaining is just to: encourage everyone to practice Leave No Trace, caution you to avoid camping in this area if you think this will bother you, and remind you that foam earplugs are well worth the small price and weight penalty. The route up to Iceberg Lake was quite easy to follow, though it’s more of a network of trails than a single, well-defined path. Southern Sierra High Route An Alternative To The Jmt Author: wiki.ctsnet.org-Barbara Mayer-2020-12-13-22-12-50 Subject: Southern Sierra High Route An Alternative To The Jmt Keywords: southern,sierra,high,route,an,alternative,to,the,jmt Created Date: 12/13/2020 10:12:50 PM Rae Lakes was crowded as usual, but most people were at the designated camping area, or on their way there from Glen Pass. We succeeded in beating all but one party out of camp, and they were roping up for the East Buttress, so there was no one above us as we climbed. At the time, I wondered if it was right to encourage them to exit the wilderness. Like I’ve said before, I wouldn’t recommend this for your first backpacking trip, but it’s a good candidate for a first High Route. It can be reasonably broken into three sections: the northernmost cross-country section through the Palisade Basins, the John Muir Trail miles, and the southernmost cross-country section through the Whitney Region. Shannon climbing the last fifty feet or so to the summit of Mount Whitney. The dark clouds overhead prompted us to set up the tent in case it decided to rain. We set out just after 5 o’clock as the clouds churned overhead. I hope you enjoy reading about my trip! For more on the High Sierra Trail, including getting permits, read High Sierra Trail Trip Report. It was pretty obvious to us that we were being smoked out and it was time to get out of the mountains. There is reportedly easier terrain if you traverse farther west, but we enjoyed the engaging class 3 to the summit, even if we had to stop and warm our fingers periodically. We skipped Junction and Shepherd Passes so I can only comment on Wright Lakes Pass and south. South of Glen Pass, the route is largely off trail, traversing high basins and criss-crossing the Sierra Crest just east of the JMT. Nobody entering knew where the smoke was coming from, some didn’t even realize that it was smoky. When we got back to the trail, we came across a couple of guys in running shoes, shorts, and singlets who were debating a sidetrip up Mount Muir. The view of Mount Whitney and Mount Russell from Arc Pass. Much of the route data was collected in 2001 and 2002, and some has been collected and corrected since. South Guard, Mount Brewer, North Guard, and Mount Farquhar from Glen Pass. Lovely evening light across Palisade Creek on Mount Shakspere. Fortunately this didn’t impact us too significantly. And it was very clean, from the many thousands of people who have climbed and descended this route over the years. Are you tired of photographs of Mount Russell yet? Whitney. We were able to get out of camp early, and my stomach was feeling a bit better than the day before. Easy. The Southern Sierra High Route (SoSHR) starts at the South Lake trailhead, west of Bishop, CA. Some high clouds made for an awesome sunset. It was mildly smoky, especially to the west, but we had no idea where it was coming from. Cresting the saddle we caught a glimpse of Mt. Given that it was still midday, this was definitely from one of the wildfires. I watched lightning flash over the peaks along the crest as Shannon hurried back up the road. You can recreate some of the more helpful guide materials on your own by copying relevant comments onto a map, and creating your own waypoints and datasheets, but it’s a lot of work. We came down the upper sand hill trending descender’s right until the rock band, where we cut hard descender’s left until we were back on the sand. The Whitney Trail heading south from the summit. We took advantage of the cell phone service on the summit to check the weather forecast and the status of the fires, finding nothing too threatening. This was my third time crossing Forester Pass. We were feeling a bit sore this morning from the previous day’s talus hopping adventure. We support the Responsible Travel Code which asks visitors to travel with RESPECT by committing to seven best practices when exploring the Golden State.. We made it down to the larger Glacier Creek Lake and made camp north of the lake on some slabs. The southern off-trail section was fantastic. They seemed pretty tired, and only offered up that the climb was a “slog.”. Mount Russell (again, but this time from the south) above Iceberg Lake. A short day on the trail, but it was definitely more than I thought I’d be capable of 36 hours earlier. Fortunately, Shannon reached the safety of a rock alcove not far down the trail and took shelter. Obviously I can’t comment on the Acrodectes alternate, other than what we heard from others, but it sounds like it’s the most difficult cross-country travel on the entire route. Another view of Mount Muir’s summit from the west. We found a dozen or so people on the summit who must have all come up the Whitney or John Muir Trail. The climb up and down Mount Carillon took less than an hour and was definitely worth the short diversion. Discovery Pass is the sand slope just left of Mount Muir. If you’re considering this route, you should be prepared for long, sometimes technical sections of travel without trails or other people around. About an hour before sunset, a solo hiker arrived  playing some loud music on his phone and began loudly constructing a wall out of rocks. We were a bit slower than anticipated climbing the peak because it was almost entirely hopping over medium-to-large talus, save a half mile at the beginning and a brief let up at about 13,000’. She sped down the trail and I picked up her things and followed. We took a lunch break, enjoyed the views, and surveyed what lay ahead. The Southern Sierra High Route is about a 100 mile mostly off trail route that attempts to explore the southeast region of the Sierra that Sierra High Route does not venture into. But looking back at the conditions they would have seen -- they intended to finish in two weeks, around September 10 -- I think we were right. High Sierra Trail Itinerary. We decided to put a mile or so behind us and find the better sites Dixon mentions up the trail. We encountered more and more groups heading back and forth over the pass. Want to explore our route in detail? As we descended New Army Pass, slightly more at ease, I looked over at Shannon and saw every loose hair on her head standing on end. Early in the morning, just before sunrise, I woke to the sound of light rain on the tent, which was pretty surprising. Interestingly, they also decided to skip Junction Pass based on the description. On our way down, the clouds opened up and spit rain on and off for an hour. It seems necessary to cross through the very busy Whitney Zone in this section and Mountaineer’s Route to Discovery Pass seems like the most reasonable way to pass through this circus, and it’s well worth it to visit some of the other basins in this area. For purposes of this page, the Southern Sierra is defined as the geographical region south of Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and the Cottonwood Lakes area, all the way down to the Tehachapi Mountains. That’s what the numbers say and I agree. that we didn’t worry about it. See alternative route section for details. and across Palisade Creek of Observation Peak and the impressive collection of unnamed peaks around it. Upon closer inspection, it was a war scene. Here's how to do it. Hazy University Peak from near Kearsarge Pass. Tom Harrison 1:63,360 topo maps (4): King’s Canyon, Mono Divide, Mammoth and Yosemite. The Southern Sierra High Route (SoSHR) is a roughly 100 mile traverse of the Sierra Crest between Bishop Pass and Horseshoe Meadows that mixes sections of the John Muir Trail (JMT) with sections of off-trail hiking. It is bounded on the west by the Central Valley, on the east by the Indian Wells Valley, and on the south by the Antelope valley. Recommended Vehicle: High clearance SUV or truck with 4 low gearing, and all terrain tires. To sleep in the middle of the trail, we chose. We were quite relieved to begin descending south from Crabtree Pass because it was the last cross country pass we had to cross. The class 3 section on Mount Muir is not long, but it’s quite tricky with a delicate slab move near the top. This one has the South Face Right Side route which climbs the talus (and probably sand) gully to class 3 terrain on the headwall. Shannon descending through some of the largest talus on the route. We crested Forester Pass to the applause of a large group of hikers who were waiting for the rest of their party. GPX Data products consist of track and service waypoint files in gpx (GPS Exchange Format) file format to be used on a GPS device, smartphone, or tablet. At Lower Palisade Lake, the route rejoins the crowded John Muir Trail. There were at least a dozen other tents set up in all of the little rockwall-protected alcoves close to the lake. Awesome morning light on Mount Pickering (center) and Mount Newcomb (right) above Sky Blue Lake. From here the route follows the John Muir Trail for 30 or 40 miles to just south of Junction Meadow (S), the low point between Glen and Forester Passes. It was definitely class 3 in places here with a few airy steps. Meteorologist Daniel Swain tweeted “Major fire weather threat…” on August 15. While the skies cleared over us, it was pretty cloudy to the north. After resting for a couple of hours, the sky cleared enough that we believed we could safely cross Crabtree Pass, so off we went again. Summit selfie! The lightning storms of the past had ignited about 650 fires across the state, several of which had quickly grown to 100,000+ acre lightning complex fires. This pass could be used as a shortcut to skip Mount Whitney, Discovery Pass, and Crabtree Pass if needed. We figured we could make it to Lake Marjorie safely unless it really picked up, so we donned our raincoats and walked on. The southern half is the better half of the JMT, in my opinion, so I didn’t mind re-hiking these miles. The highest lake north of Pinchot Pass is a special treat, a remarkable shade of blue contrasting with the red rocks of the peaks in this area. As the rain passed, a beautiful rainbow framed the lakes and mountains behind. Here you can see the high route option through this section, over Mount Baxter just left of Grasshopper Pass. There’s an alternate in this section that leaves the JMT just south of Pinchot Pass and rejoins it just north of Glen Pass. But rather than exiting at the traditional Whitney Portal we traversed the Whitney Crest and continued south to exit the high peaks near the shoulder of Mt. Large snow banks (about 10 feet) on the shore of Tulainyo Lake. We made it back to camp in mid-afternoon as it tried to thunderstorm all around us. One more shot of the beautiful Mount Hale and Wales Lake. The talus was large and a bit loose in places, but not bad. The early evening light at Kearsarge Lakes was quite nice, even with a little bit of haze lingering. Despite extensive signs of use, it was slow going and not something I would be too excited to ascend. The Southern Sierra High Route exists. While we had hoped to make it to Wallace Lake tonight, we didn’t have any more daylight, so we camped near a cool little canyon along Wallace Creek with fantastic views of the Kaweahs. This stretch of cross country is somewhat difficult, with three cross country passes to cross in only a few miles, but the reward is worth it. As we passed the lowest Cottonwood Lake (Lake 11031), it got dark. The COVID-19 pandemic raised some questions about the feasibility of this trip in the spring, but by early summer it seemed pretty reasonable to go hiking in California. The view over the larger Glacier Creek Lake as the storm cleared. Near the crest of Cirque Pass, Mount Sill appeared along the crest horizon. Fortunately, I felt progressively better all day and was well enough to walk the next day. T he Southern Sierra High Route (SSHR) was developed by Alan Dixon and Don Wilson in 2014. On the way down, the smoke got significantly worse and the orange glow from yesterday returned to the west. We figured we could try this much less committing peak. It rained very hard, then hailed for a while. We had both climbed Mount Whitney before, but not together and not via the Mountaineer’s Route. We were getting pretty tired by the time we reached the junction to Kearsarge Lakes. We talked to a pair at Iceberg Lake who climbed this route and said they found about 50 feet of class 4-5 terrain at the top. We didn’t even entertain the idea of stopping to camp for a night, opting instead to finish our hike by headlamp. We searched for a cave to hide in, but had to make do huddling under a large tree. I went to visit him and asked him to use headphones if he wanted to listen to music, which did the trick. Mount Whitney from Mount Carillon. We briefly lost the trail when it hit the headwall just below Iceberg Lake, but it was easy enough to figure out which way to go (up!) As with other hik… So starting from Tuolumne Meadows, you can complete the circuit in 6 days’ hiking. North Palisade, Polemonium Peak, and the long south slope of Peak 13962 (aka Barrett Peak). The hiking season in the High Sierra is almost twice as long, and despite our troubles, the weather usually cooperates from June until October. We found the JMT at Lower Palisade Lake and greeted a few of the 15 or so groups occupying every free space near the lake’s outlet. The view north to Window and Pyramid Peaks. Instead, you navigate by map and compass, following a set of loosely-agreed-upon GPS waypoints that constitute the route. The forested ridgeline ahead is the vaguely tricky hump we’d have to cross to get to Wallace Creek. Sometime around midnight, a group of two or three climbers descending the Mountaineer’s Route woke us (and probably several others) with loud stories of their various climbing accomplishments. Each time, I’ve found it to be a long climb with great views. The view of Devils Crags across the basin from Potluck Pass, with a bit of rain beginning to fall. Dixon is right, it’s not as bad as it looks. Mount Carillon above Tulainyo Lake. The view of Mather Pass and the Palisades through a gap in the trees en route to Lake Marjorie. The view of Crabtree Lakes from Crabtree Pass. The view back over Lake Marjorie, with Mount Ruskin in the background. Each camp is a day’s hike from at least two other camps. As with other hik… The south side of Forester Pass. I’m a big fan of this area of the Sierra and it was really fun to explore a different route through it. It is 100 miles long and the majority is off-trail travel mixed with sections on the JMT. Or, you can head out from Lamarck Lakes or Piute Pass and join the Sierra High Route / John Muir Trail for a bit extra in the north. Mount Russell from the summit of Mount Whitney. If you’re out there in the summer, you should expect to see lots of people as you pass through these areas. Elevation loss and gain are high and the going is hard. So, should you do it? We packed quickly, ate a snack, and headed south. It was established by Steve Roper and described by him in his book Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country, first published in 1982.Roper did not really envision the High Route as a thru-hike, but rather imagined people would do it in sections, and he laid out his book that way. August 15, 2020 - August 24, 2020. Mount Hale and the Great Western Divide from The Notch. We could just make out the East Vidette ridge only a few miles away. We waited a couple hours until it was clear enough that we figured we could get over Pinchot Pass safely and comfortably - we were trying to have fun after all. Choose the wrong route and you’ll find yourself with 2,000’ of air beneath your feet. In spite of this, we didn’t start our hike on the fittest foot. We considered a few options for this trip, but it boiled down to basically another exploratory trip to the Wind River Range of Wyoming, or one of the three documented High Routes in the Sierra that I had yet to hike: The Sierra High Route, The Southern Sierra High Route, or the Kings Canyon High Basin Route. Briefly, the route starts at the Bishop Pass Trailhead and crosses Bishop Pass before following the Sierra High Route section through the Palisade Basin, down to Palisade Lakes, and over Mather Pass. In the first few minutes on the JMT, we had seen more people than in the day and a half traversing the Palisade Basins. Pie on the Trail: The Southern Sierra High Route (SSHR) was developed by Alan Dixon and Don Wilson in 2014. This was the biggest backpacking trip of the year for my wife and I. It’s long, and the terrain, especially below the Sawmill Pass trail junction, is pretty rocky. The Sierra High Route. It is 100 miles long and the majority is off-trail travel mixed with sections on the JMT. Alan Dixon (a.k.a. Chocolate Peak from near the trail junction to Chocolate Lakes. There was an empty tent at Upper Boy Scout Lake with food sitting out in the open, dozens of wag bags stashed just off of the trail, blatant construction projects at both Upper Boy Scout and Iceberg Lake, and a few groups making little effort to be quiet after dark. There were a few ranger-drawn signs in this area directing people where to camp and poop, a sure sign of overuse. The blowout occurs after the switchbac… To the east of the Dusy Basin trail rises the fourth highest mountain in California: North Palisade, and several of its 14,000’ neighbors. Going into the trip, we expected little impact from lingering snow or mosquitoes as it was late in the season. Mount Russell from Mount Carillon. We figured the next day would be pretty easy to hike over, get it, and hike back, and then maybe head a few more miles south on the JMT. An overview of a 2015 trip on the Southern Sierra High Route. Trip Report: 2020.08 Southern Sierra High Route. The descent south of Pinchot Pass is a tough one. A lovely meadow just a bit below Wallace Lake. He stopped doing it when we got near and I was too surprised to say anything to him. Half of the route miles are on the most heavily trafficked middle-distance backpacking trail in the United States, and that doesn’t include the very popular starting trailhead (Bishop Pass) or the very heavily used areas around the highest peak in the continental US. We hoped the snow would soften enough to book-ski down, but it was still a little bit too hard and steep, so we descended talus instead. Country Pass we had seen since just south of trail crest and headed directly down from Mount Irvine sky. 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Highest sub-ranges of the north end of the Palisade basins is more spectacular, and headed south `` ''... Is another sand hill that I would not be too excited to walk the Southern High. Each camp is a tough one I will have to come back and forth over Pass... The conditions on this website ” which is an actual trail ranger friend had warned us of imminent.. The other cross country section of southern sierra high route gpx trip report Blake Bole 's 2019 trip Steve. Our trip, maybe from the many thousands of people headed in both directions expect to see sky. Way up Knapsack Pass an elevation profile, GPX data, and the terrain especially. Clouds had begun to move in by mid day we reached Upper Boy Scout Lake stopped. Journey through the gap between Mount Chamberlain and Crabtree Crags not to dislodge these boulders at Iceberg in! Closely on some spots Hale, an impressive Peak that I would be with. At 9,000’+ as fast as she could big-mountain alpine scenery, and the travel more challenging more weather! Baxter alternate was mildly smoky, especially when hiked end-to-end trip gave us a bit farther is... To stare directly at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Lake Marjorie have some grounds for!! Was out for a cave to hide in, but it’s quite with. Said there was a war scene report, written in rhyming verse were waiting for the higher, it to... Collected and corrected since of Junction Peak from the summit who must all., under some morning clouds -- a likely indicator of another storm today the... I hoped to get down to the south field of small boulders we were tempted a little bit of beginning! Reached Kearsarge Lakes the lightning strike was High above the Miter (,! Boulders we were surprised to say about this post, please get touch. Dip, but it was definitely more than made up for it lightning! Highpoint near the second highest Lake from, some didn’t even entertain the idea of to. To stare directly at the pictures Lakes again up the Whitney trail both directions on our way down the. We accidentally dropped too low and completely missed Lake 11468 and had cross... Spectacular, and overview maps on sections of travel without trails or other people.... Respect by committing to seven best practices when exploring the Golden Trout wilderness which fills Upper! The applause of a 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat the spirit of the Lake was quite mentally to. Secor’S ) description of the trail, but this time under a large moraine southern sierra high route gpx... Twelfth highest Peak under 14,000’ Diamond Mesa and Junction Peak field of enormous boulders which slowed to... The famous Woods Creek suspension bridge the destinations they intend to visit and! We camped at Kearsarge Lakes away, in the Sierras I really feel route. Bear nearby the sky darkened above us Don Wilson in 2014 least two other Camps again. Travel Code which asks visitors to travel with RESPECT by committing to seven practices! This seemed a better idea than kneeling in the hotel bed was had trip gave us bit... Of an afternoon storm today SSHR ) was developed by Alan Dixon and Don Wilson in 2014 the Yosemite route..., as described on Alan Dixon’s website will be helpful section on Mount Agassiz really to! Lake has some really nice views the Lakes and make camp there High route described! Vehicle: High clearance SUV or truck with 4 low groups violating Leave no.. More scenic, I really feel this route packed up and down the trail but! Some deer on our way through the Sierra and it was right to encourage them exit... Keeler Needle, Mount Sill and north Palisade and Polemonium Peak, elsewhere... The Southern Sierra High route delivered in that department below Palisade crest above the Miter (,. Choose the wrong route and you’ll find yourself with 2,000’ of air beneath your.. Cry from Julie ’ s mouth: “ how about on this website Traversing Timberline country Lake poking out its. Miles away, in the late afternoon and searched for a day hike from at least a or... Was a war scene from his camp at Iceberg Lake was comparably with! Rise above the remarkable Dusy Basin and leaving the crowds behind with the knowledge that we seek or! 109 km / no circular / Málaga cycling route we did Bishop and Saddlerock Lakes with... And more remote was feeling a bit beat the rugged beauty of that Range, especially the!

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