Sierra High Route

[maverick]

I consider myself to have a decent amount of experience, but all of my experience has been on trail. However I'm usually the one at the end of the trip who has some gas left in the tank and wants to keep going (maybe because I overpack on power foods!). I really enjoy the challenge of long trips, high altitudes and hard passes. Every time I'm out there I just want to go in farther into more difficult and remote areas. I certainly need to test my abilities off trail class 2 and see how it feels. Thanks again for the input.

Okay, this is a good example of why it is best to wait until the OP gives some us some feedback on their experience levels.

Really, the SHR, with zero crosscountry experience!

Please do not even consider attempting this trail, as you stated, you have absolutely no off trail experience, get some crosscountry experience first, in places that are relatively easy to navigate, for example Humphrey's Basin. Get a feel for what it is like going off trail, away from people for the first time, some folks cannot deal with it, some even freak out. Once you can negotiate easier terrain, put together a trip that includes some moderate crosscountry passes, then progressively do longer crosscountry trips, and then once you have that under your belt should you even consider doing the SHR.

Going from trail to off trail travel is not a smooth progression, it is completely different animal, more difficult, more demanding on you physically and emotionally, the dangerous are numerous, and at the end it is truly rewarding, but only after you have properly gained the experience needed to take on such a challenge, and even after this, you must be humble and come to terms with you mortality, because things can happen, even to the best or the most experienced.

[balance]

Greetings Eastside

I strongly encourage you to follow through with your ambitions to try solo, off-trail, cross country backpacking. You'll experience nature on a deep, intense, intimate level. It is beyond description; but you'll know it when you do it. You're going to love it.

However, while becoming closer with the mountains and part of nature is great, you don't want to wind up literally part of nature, as in becoming food for the ravens. Why try to jump from trail hiking to tackling such a technical, difficult route? Steve Roper didn't just fall off a turnip truck and do that route. He spent years hiking and climbing, gaining experience.

Your spirit of adventure is telling you there's a great experience waiting to happen when you get off trail and travel alone. That's true. But if you jump into something you're not prepared for, you won't have a good time, and could wind up having a really bad time. So do some research and plan a trip that's challenging but not overwhelming. You might find something appropriate in one of the HST trip reports. The HST map has lot's of good information for getting off the beaten track. I recommend the book "The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes and Trails", which provides extensive information that would let you design your own route.

On your first cross-country, solo trip you're going to learn things you weren't expecting. Heck, you'll still learn new things on trip 100. So get out there on your own and have a great time! But don't set yourself up for failure by trying to do too much all at once. Respect nature, be well prepared, and she will welcome you into a world that will toughen you up outside and connect you with something special that lives deep inside.

Hope you'll share your adventure here with a trip report.

Peace.