The High Sierra Trail is the thru-hike for people who can only spare a week of vacation. Unlike the longer John Muir Trail (JMT), which follows the Sierra Nevada north-to-south from Yosemite to Mount Whitney (or vice versa), The High Sierra Trail (HST) traverses the range from west-to-east. And unlike the JMT, the HST only […]
Mark Your Calendar for the Switchback Showcase
Mark your calendar and join me at the Starbright Theater in Campbell, CA for the first-ever Switchback Showcase 2018 – Sights and Sounds of the Outdoors. There will be several short films, including the premier of Chris Smead’s The High Sierra Trail and something from Jason Fitzpatrick of Mile, Mile and a Half fame. Here’s the trailer for Chris’ […]
Four Big Adventures to Add to Your Life List
Do you want more adventures in the year ahead? Maybe you’ve finished the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, and you’re looking for a new challenge−something that takes you out of your comfort zone and pushes you beyond what you thought you could do? Big adventures don’t happen by dreaming−they require planning and preparation. Many big adventures require […]
Essential Planning Resources for the High Sierra Trail
Backpacking the High Sierra Trail takes months of planning and preparation, but it’s also a lot of fun. Reviewing the maps, planning your itinerary, plotting your campsites and filling out your gear helps build the anticipation. Here are a few essential resources that will help make your thru-hike on the High Sierra Trail a success. […]
Finishing the High Sierra Trail – Outpost Camp to Whitney Portal
We were in no hurry to get up and do this last 5 miles or so down to the portal – but when you’ve got Whitney hikers coming up all night long with headlamps blasting, you tend to not get the week’s best sleep. We finally got going at 8am and headed down. It’s quite a […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – Guitar Lake to Mt Whitney and Outpost Camp
DAY SEVEN on the High Sierra Trail –We decided to get up at 4:30 a.m. and begin hiking between 5:30 and 6 a.m. at sunrise. We had no interest in hiking in the dark and trying for the summit at sunrise – for our first time up, we wanted to see everything. We hit the […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – Crabtree Meadow to Guitar Lake
DAY SIX on the High Sierra Trail — This was a short, easy day to prepare for summiting Mt Whitney. The hike from Crabtree Meadow to Guitar Lake is a little over three miles and about 1000 vertical feet. The trail meanders up a canyon and then past a beautiful fish-filled lake called Timberline Lake. That morning the fish […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – Junction Meadow to Crabtree Meadow
DAY FIVE on the High Sierra Trail The 9+ mile climb from Junction Meadow to Crabtree is really gorgeous! All five of us hiked together, which was the first day my wife and I had company on our hiking day. It was fun to have one day to hike as a group. First, you climb out […]
