Day Two on the High Sierra Trail is an epic adventure that includes some of the most legendary sights and sounds of Sequoia National Park. It’s a solid 12-13 mile journey, but worth every single step. We began at Bearpaw Meadow, heading north along the ridge with the deep Kaweah River canyon to the east. On […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail: Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow
Day One on the High Sierra Trail we hiked 11.5 miles east-bound, from Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw. Starting at the giant forest, we followed the edge of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River – a super deep canyon with stunning views to the south, west and east towards the Great Western Divide. This section of the High Sierra Trail only […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – An Overview
Lesser known than the famous John Muir Trail, the High Sierra Trail (HST) is in many ways just as historically significant as it’s longer and more famous brother. In 1928, Sequoia National Park was expanded from the western section famous for the giant Sequoia Grove all the way to the Eastern Sierra and Mt. Whitney. […]
Re-Mapping the Sierra Mountains
The iconic Sierra mountains are one of the true treasures of California. Thousands of people hike and backpack in these rugged, beautiful mountains every year. The growing popularity of trails like the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail put a strain on a very narrow corridor through the Sierra. The Sierra Mapping Project is a five-year effort […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Guitar Lake to Mt. Whitney
Day 22 on the John Muir Trail… Technically, this day begins at the end of Day 21. We went to bed early last night, sleeping lightly for a few hours and waking to our alarm at 11:30 PM. We ate Clif Bars and packed up our sleeping gear and tent. Donning our headlamps, we made […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Wright Creek to Guitar Lake
Day 21 on the John Muir Trail… Last night we camped in the shadow of Mt. Whitney. We woke up excited, knowing that we were so close to our goal. We had been hiking on the John Muir Trail for three weeks. We had come a long way from that first day in Yosemite. We […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Over Forester Pass to Wright Creek
Day 20 on the John Muir Trail… At 13,200 feet above sea level, Forester Pass may not be the highest point on the John Muir Trail (that would be Mt. Whitney) but it is the high point of the Pacific Crest Trail. As we’ve hiked further and further south on the JMT, our average altitude has […]
Thru-Hiking the JMT: Upper Rae Lake, Glen Pass to Vidette Meadow
Day 19 on the John Muir Trail… We awoke early, determined to get a jump on Glen Pass (11, 970ft.). Last night we camped at 10,600ft. just above Upper Rae Lake and were looking forward to reaching the pass early before it got too warm. I need to qualify what I mean by an “early start.” […]