Will I Enjoy the High Sierra Trail?

[maverick]

Have a question, since you mention that you enjoyed your previous backpacking trips "somewhat", what is the the motivating factor for you to go backpacking? If everything, besides "sleeping and eating" seems like a chore, and you don't get any enjoyment from being out in mother nature, then back to my previous question, why are you doing it?

[mkbgdns]

enjoyment every waking moment? nope. satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment at the end? yep. if effort and discomfort for big stretches of time of time are a deterrent, don't backpack. that's a given on your chosen route. but it's a great trail, and I hope you go. long stretches of leisurely walking surrounded by great beauty are also included.

[elevator]

I am thinking you should do some shorter hikes before venturing on a long distance hike. You learn a lot; such as what equipment will make you feel the most comfortable on the trail. And the smallest lessons can make or break an experience. As just ONE example; I can mention that I, for example, used to struggle with butt chafe. Maybe a bit TMI, but having butt chafe on the trail is absolutely miserable. But I discovered this on a short hike, and once you have it once you will know that you are susceptible to it and work on a solution for the problem. I now use special underwear and a special "butt paste" to prevent it. And every hiker has different stories like this; such as problems boots/trailrunners that don't work or gives them blisters, a backpack that rubs in all the wrong places, a tent that sucks, choices of food that taste revolting after a few days, carrying too much weight, etc, etc. There are a million things you learn about yourself, your body and your gear as you hike. And trust me; you don't want to discover these things 30 miles from the nearest trailhead. So, in my opinion a few 2-3 day trips at 20-25 miles is an absolute must before setting out on a 7+ day trip covering 60-70 miles or more. And as many people have pointed out; take the time to enjoy it. Don't focus on the destination; focus on the journey, be flexible. I have hiked with people who are so obsessed with momentary misery and complaining about circumstances they cannot change that the trip is ruined not just for themselves but for their hiking partner(s) as well. It is sad to see people give up hiking because of a bad experience. Being comfortable with your body, your skills, and your gear will make a long distance hike so much more enjoyable, and the only way to get this experience is by getting out there and doing a few shorter hikes.

[tacetman]

Thank you all for the thoughtful and insightful replies. My wife and I are blown away by the considerate nature of your posts and we are amazed at how helpful this board is!

To answer the above question, the solitude, quiet, lack of cell phone (or other telecom devices), scenery, and simplicity of backpacking are all major perks as well as the feeling of accomplishment of a hard challenge.

As has been mentioned, these things do not necessarily require an undertaking like the HST. On the other hand, I am confident we COULD do the HST if we decided to. The only question would be how much fun would we have as compared to a shorter trip, and what kind of condition would we be in when we finished.

We are still asking ourselves those questions. Trust me when I say the community on this board is helping tremendously! Please keep the thoughts, advice, and constructive criticism coming. Thank you again.

[Jimr]

The condition you end up in is temporary if all goes well. Tired. As it dissipates, what's left are the things you enjoyed; Solitude, quiet, lack of being plugged in, scenery, simplicity, accomplishment. My first trip into the Sierra backpacking scene (not counting a weekender in 1974) was a trans-sierra trip from Courtwright to South lake. It was hard. It was grueling. It encompassed a rescue. It was epic. It kicked in a thirst that has never ceased.

give or take a quart.

[rlown]

Personally, I like that feeling when the trout takes your lure, the time you wake up at night because your nose hair freezes, trying to drink water from your now frozen water bottle, the sunrise hitting you smack dab in the face telling you it's time to get up and enjoy the rest of the show, cooking breakfast with the rest of the crew running around doing the same, and the discussions/reviews of the previous day's activities.

Agree with others that you should just plan a shorter trip and focus on those things that please you and your wife most. Heck, you'd still have the best venue to just enjoy being in the Sierra. You only have to be 5 miles out to truly have a great experience.

What would be other places that you think you would enjoy for a shorter trip?

[longri]

Will you enjoy it? If you don't know how would any of us know?

The word "enjoy" has different meanings in different contexts. Sometimes it just means having fun. Sometimes it means suffering. It's all up to you what to make of it.

That said, I personally found the HST kind of a dud in many respects. There was too much time spent down low in a bland forest. If the actual doing of the route weren't important to me and I wasn't feeling like working hard I'd just take my time and go out to Kahweah Gap / Nine Lakes Basin and back. I could easily spend another long week in that four star gorgeous area. But that's just me.

[elevator]

I agree with "longri"; Nine Lakes Basin was definitely the high point on the HST for me as well. First crossing over Kaweah Gap and looking down into Big Arroyo on one side and Nine Lakes Basin on the other was truly a magical moment. And Nine Lakes basin is a good place to visit no doubt. It is still 40+ miles out and back though... Another one of my favorite places was Chagoopa Plateau. But I ventured a bit off trail. I had originally planned to stay two nights on the Plateau with a summit of Mount Kaweah one of the days. Unfortunately, however, I had to abandon the attempt due to thunderstorms, but in the process I got to look down at the plateau from altitude and walk through some incredible meadows and scenery on the way. The first 11 miles to Bearpaw and Kern River Valley are a bit bland and boring, but I thoroughly enjoyed every other part of the trail including all my little side-adventures. If I were to do it again, I would give myself a few more days to enjoy these areas. A day or two in Nine Lakes Basin/Upper Big Arroyo and a day climbing Mount Kaweah.

[Goat]

Three of my buddies and I hiked the HST in 2012. One of us, from a coastal town in FL, had never been backpacking. He used mostly borrowed gear and was breaking into the bourbon on our first rest stop out of crescent meadow. By the end of the first night, he couldn't hold in how much fun he was having (sober by then). We all shared the same sentiment. It didn't go without hickups, but they were far outweighed by the serene, glorious, magical moments throughout the trip. If you approach with the right mindset, you wont regret it.

Nate

[mckee80]

I'm also just kind of starting out on the whole backpacking thing. I'm still figuring out what is right for me. Established hikes, like the HST seem like a recognizable accomplishment. By that I mean, there will be people who know exactly what it is, or have done it, or can look it up. Other people have done it and have shared experiences. There is a cool historical element to it. I'd guess you'll meet people out there with cool stories, and a wide range of reasons for doing it. Not to get too philosophical here, but I think if you can figure out, deep down, why you are called to do it, then you can tailor your trip around that. Maybe as mentioned above, you can better reach your goals for the trip by doing shorter hikes.

Deep Thoughts, by mckee80