Will I Enjoy the High Sierra Trail?

[lpitman]

Dear Tacetman,
You will never know until you try it...

lpitman

[Ashery]

1. The fact that you're asking proves that you don't want to do it. And who can blame you? Eating crap food, lugging your whole camp with you all the time, and pooping in a cat-hole are no-one's idea of fun.

Bull.

Bailing every time one experiences a bit of doubt before setting out on some new experience is a terrible way to approach life. Doubt and anxiety are fundamentally human; you can't expect to go through life without experiencing them, so you have to find ways to work around, or even with them.

In OP's particular case, they should try to work out ways they could address the weaknesses of their setup, while understanding that backpacking will never be a strictly pleasurable activity. With OP's feet, for instance, are we talking about just some basic soreness, or is there something more significant that could potentially be addressed?

[elevator]

Ashery: I'll let "franklin411" defend his own statements, but the part of his post that you didn't quote he talks a lot about dayhiking, and I think the point here is that if you are, as you say, looking to "address the weaknesses" in your setup, then setting out on a 70-80 mile hike may not be the best way to do just that. Addressing your weaknesses, learning your body, your gear, and so on, is definitely best done on shorter hikes. And that is really my own view as well, yeah I completely agree with you that you cannot use your own insecurities, doubt, and nervousness as an excuse not to do something. But at the same time you have to be pragmatic about it. OP made it clear that he was new to backpacking. As such, I think it is perfectly reasonable to suggest a few shorter hikes first. I think that is how most of us start out. I didn't do my first overnight until a year into my hiking career, and it took me another year to do more than 50 miles.

[Ashery]

He mentioned dayhiking, yes, but not in the context of doing it as a way to address, or even pinpoint, the weaknesses in one's setup. The post didn't even suggest doing shorter backpacking trips prior to iron things out. It was just a flat out rejection of the possibility of the HST based entirely around the sense of doubt present in a single post. That kind of dismissal doesn't sit well with me.

I completely agree with you that one should do shorter trips prior to something significant like the HST and that they need to have a pragmatic approach to their insecurities, doubts, and nervousness. In my particular case, I approached that problem with respect to my first Sierra trip a couple years back by planning my 6-day loop in Mineral King to give me multiple bail out points should I feel the need to head home early. Things didn't go perfectly, but they also didn't go badly enough that I had to cut anything out. And much like you suggest, prior to MK, I had gone on two weekend trips to Angeles National Forest.

[rlown]

wow. everyone is so serious. This is backpacking; It's supposed to be fun. Length of the trip doesn't matter; It's the journey and possibly the people you hang with or meet on the trail that have the most impact..

If it takes me a day longer to get to where I want to be, so be it. I've done that a few times for other members. It's not a big deal. Do NOT be defeated if you miss the mark.

[elevator]

Ashery, rlown: you're probably right. I took OP's post as basically a am-I-biting-off-more-than-I-can-handle type question. I am not trying to take away anyone's fun, or be too serious, but I have seen it a lot: people who really want to hike, but who have been burned by hiking with the wrong gear, being unprepared, hiking longer distances than they can handle, not listening to their bodies, etc. I am myself really passionate about hiking and it makes me sad to see people give it up because they are unprepared. I once encountered a 20-something solo hiker at Hamilton Creek who was practically in tears because his backpack was way too heavy and not custom fit to him. He had serious chafe on his hips and shoulders and had absolutely no desire to continue, nor to return and go back. I spent some time helping to patch his chafe, adjusting his pack for him and encouraged him as best I could. I hear stories like this a lot; hike-ruining problems that can be easily avoided with some experience. So, I am truly not trying to be combative or serious. I just really want people to enjoy this wonderful hobby and experience the magic that the Sierras have to offer with the wisdom to avoid problems and the experience to solve them when they do arise.

[rightstar76]

.

[maiathebee]

If you have a Whitney permit and don't take the trip this year, will you be lucky enough to get another permit in the future?

Maybe they changed the rules in the last year or so but I was under the impression that you don't need an extra Inyo permit to summit Whitney---the HST permit from SeKi is sufficient. It's not the same as the lottery for east side ascents.

[TurboHike]

maiathebee,

I am under the impression that any overnight in the Whitney zone requires a special permit. In this case, they would be part of the exit quota since they're hiking west to east. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[maiathebee]

maiathebee,

I am under the impression that any overnight in the Whitney zone requires a special permit. In this case, they would be part of the exit quota since they're hiking west to east. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I just looked it up to confirm. You only need an exit permit for Whitney if you begin your trip in Inyo. Since the HST starts in SeKi, this does not apply.

Per Inyo NF: "Trail Crest Exit quota applies to visitors who descend the Mt. Whitney trail after beginning a trip elsewhere in Inyo National Forest. Quota is based on exit date."