relative difficulty of HST?

[longri]

i guess my question can really be seen as one about obstacles in the trail. there are, without question, trails i can only manage 10 or so miles a day on, but they're very hard and not commonly found. i didnt think the HST was that sort of trail, but you never know and i wouldn't make any assumptions.

There are plenty of trails that are that difficult or harder. I walked one earlier this year where I managed only 5 miles in a 10 hour day. I was traveling at what is considered a typical speed for that very popular trail.

The main thoroughfares in the Sierra, of which the HST is one, are among the widest, nicest trails anywhere. The only real obstacles are the obvious ones: distance, elevation gain/loss, the effects of altitude, and weather. In the summer the primary weather threat is electrical storms. Most of the time you can avoid that danger by waiting before going over high passes. If you don't have the extra time or you hit a particularly active period you might choose to forego the Whitney summit.


EDIT: Should probably include rattlesnakes as a potential obstacle. They are very uncommon in the High Sierra but the "High" Sierra Trail dips down so low for a stretch that you stand a decent chance of encountering one.

[Wandering Daisy]

It really comes down to how many hours per day you are willing to hike. So I hesitate to say you have to walk "fast" to do the HST in 4 days, rather I would say it is a matter of your "endurance" and pack weight. Generally people who carry heavier packs simply do not want to have the pack on 10+ hours a day. As long as you do the hike after peak water flows (crossing below Hamilton Lake) and after the snow clears from the trail between Hamilton Lake and Precipice Lake (there is one tunnel that is very dangerous if it is clogged with snow), you should be OK. I doubt this year will have the late snowmelt on the switchbacks on the east side of Whitney, like it did last year. But then, you still have not said when you are going. The trail can get crowded, but if you want solitude at camp, just move a quarter mile or so off the trail. On the other hand if you like the social aspect, camping at the regular campsites may be enjoyable for you. It is a nice trail and I think you will enjoy it. Good Luck.

[markskor]

ive hiked above, or at least near 10K feet before, but not much.... i'm confident... doesn't effect me at all. at.. 11K maybe it would.
...I go hiking to hike. but i don't sit still much.

Enjoying this thread.
Oh to be young again! I too can remember those days - hauling 50+ pound backpacks, (thankfully now in the high 30's), the 25 - 30 mile days, 7-10 day trail routes, hiking dawn to dusk . Yes, at one time, hiked my ass off - enjoyed it too. Kudos to you! Best advice - just do it with great style, and at whatever pace makes you happy. BTW, I'm guessing you are around 25 -30 years old?
Just some misc. thoughts -

Our Sierra rocks - (FYI, not your 8,000' AT pilgrimage...) The HST route and side routes is not a well-signed trail - be prepared - kicks ass and takes names. And that altitude issue...not to be ignored either. All this "How many days?...bla, bla, bla, makes me chuckle. You put all these little red X's on 7.5 TOPOS - super!

Obviousy have not learned that the High Sierra herself sets the rules - dictates the agenda.
What you are asking has too many variables. Maybe the Sierra will grant you all you wish for - great weather, no rain, no fires, perfect health, great campsites, no bears, no gear problems, no snow issues, etc...hopefully ideal conditions for a 70 mile hike? Probably not. All this rigid itinerary discussion here is good preparation too...always fun. However, be prepared to throw all out and change everything when you get to Giant Forest - due to the actual conditions when you arrive. You will then do it in as many days as it takes.
Please post a TR when done...tell us how it went.

Secondly, as age slows you down, the reasons for my backpacking evolved too. First a climber, then a trail hiker, a long distance hiker, an off-trail hiker...now an off-trail fisherman. Might as well learn how to fish now.

[sparkler]

ive hiked above, or at least near 10K feet before, but not much.... i'm confident... doesn't effect me at all. at.. 11K maybe it would.
...I go hiking to hike. but i don't sit still much.

Enjoying this thread.
Oh to be young again! I too can remember those days - hauling 50+ pound backpacks, (thankfully now in the high 30's), the 25 - 30 mile days, 7-10 day trail routes, hiking dawn to dusk . Yes, at one time, hiked my ass off - enjoyed it too. Kudos to you! Best advice - just do it with great style, and at whatever pace makes you happy. BTW, I'm guessing you are around 25 -30 years old?
Just some misc. thoughts -

Our Sierra rocks - (FYI, not your 8,000' AT pilgrimage...the AT, is a trail right?) The HST route is not a well-signed trail - be prepared - kicks ass and takes names. And that altitude issue...not to be ignored either. All this "How many days?...bla, bla, bla, makes me chuckle. You put all these little red X's on 7.5 TOPOS - super!
Obviousy have not learned that the High Sierra herself sets the rules - dictates the agenda.
Maybe the Sierra will grant you all you wish for - great weather, no rain, no fires, perfect health, great campsites, no bears, no gear problems, no snow issues, etc...ideal conditions for a 70 mile hike? Probably not. All this rigid itinerary discussion here is good preparation too...always fun. However, be prepared to throw all out and change everything when you get to Giant Forest - due to the actual conditions when you arrive. You will then do it in as many days as it takes.
Please post a TR when done...tell us how it went.

Secondly, as age slows you down, the reasons for my backpacking evolved too. First a climber, then a trail hiker, a long distance hiker, an off-trail hiker...now an off-trail fisherman. Might as well learn how to fish now.

ahh assumptions and generalizations and boasting.

i typed something earlier today and decided not to post it. i'll post it now.

whenever i consider taking a backpacking trip to an unfamiliar place i find a message board like this to post basically this same question i posted here to. invariably, i always get the info i was looking for, plus some other helpful advice.

what else i also get, without fail, is a lot of "oh yeah??? well you ain't hiked THESE trails yet, son." its generally nonsense. laughably so, in fact. the trails, once i get to them, are more often than not not only not the hardest hiking i've ever seen, they are in fact plainly easy. if you have not hiked the same trails i have, then just what the hell are you getting at? its pointless.

as far as age- for one, no i am not 25-30 years old.

for another, 3 years ago i was in the maine high peaks region prepping for a 4 day backpacking trip. now, at the risk of committing the same sin i just railed against above, trails in maine are absolute MF'ers.

anyway, i spotted a thru hiker in town. older gentleman, easily mid if not late 60s. he was thru hiking. i think he said he had started in april. it was july and he was nearly done. i gave him a ride and dropped him off at the exact trailhead i would be finishing at after the weekend and went on my way, both of us knowing we'd cross paths somewhere in the middle as we were headed in opposite directions.

he started his hike at around 8 am. i started mine at around 11, each of us on opposite ends of a 50 mile section. we met up again the next morning at around 11 am. i had completed about 15 miles by then. him 35. now some, many, would say amongst other things he was rushing and needed to stop and smell the roses and all sortsa of other tripe, but he was having the time of his life, i assure you. and he was hiking circles around both myself and many other people who are actually 25-30.

so so much for your theories, but thanks.

i see your an admin of this site. please cancel my membership. i found what i was looking for, jumbled up in all the nonsense, and its time to move on.

[markskor]

ahh assumptions and generalizations and boasting.
i see your an admin of this site. please cancel my membership. i found what i was looking for, jumbled up in all the nonsense, and its time to move on.

Funny, was on your side before the attitude. Why? Did I/ somebody here offend you? Is this how you roll?
As speaking to someoneone who professed not being Sierra experienced or knowing about high altitude hiking...I'll just close and say good luck.
mark

[longri]

That was kind of an odd turn around.

At least (s)he chose an appropriate avatar, one that fizzles and goes out after a short flash.

[bobby49]

For what it's worth, previously I had described my own trip eastbound across the HST in August 2017. I observed that I was traveling at just about the same speed as a number of other backpackers on the trail. In other words, we all turned up camping in roughly the same spots each night even though I was normally arriving an hour or two ahead. There were a few others who had started a day before me and who assumed the same pace that I was on, so we all turned up camping in roughly those same spots as well. There was at least one family that was going slower, and that is OK. That was a father with three teenage girls. So, I'm guessing that my own pace was not too far off what was normal and expected.

OTOH, a few years ago I was at Whitney Portal preparing to dayhike the east side up to the summit and back. There was another guy that I talked to, and he was also preparing to go up the east side. Once on the summit, he intended to continue westbound on the HST until he got to Giant Forest. He was "fastpacking" and was starting with a total pack load of about 15-18 pounds. He told me that if he got lucky, that he could continue all the way over within 24-30 hours, but that may have been optimistic. He said that more likely he would need to sleep/bivy at least one night along the way. He carried enough food for 2+ days. I knew that was possible, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to do it. Lots of those trail segments are pretty rocky. A backpacker can travel steadily and go there fine, but a runner who stumbles could be in a lot of trouble.

[austex]

Hmm. I claim I'm no expert, but even when I was younger and was on the 395 corridor every other w/e in summers. Altitude never gave me a bad enough headache or the like to descend to mitigate it but I have a great respect for altitude. Frankly it kicks my butt. I believe the difference between his 10k hiking ventures and a "may have issues about 11k" full of air. On any given day it can happen to any of us for a litany of reasons. Awareness is my best policy; looking for those 'signs" Maybe he can find better answers on the Mt. Whitney Board or the like. Funny he does mention he gets the same response from most boards that "You haven't hiked blah blah blah trails till you have hiked THESE trails..." Insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." He asks the same questions and gets the same results...I wish him well too and I look forward to his HST trip report hopefully with pictures. Pull in the chonies and just ask questions w/o inflection of bravado to get info that could help.

[rlown]

Markskor knows his stuff. Ask with no attitude and he will freely give info, as most here will. If you're coming from near sea level to 11k, you have to make adjustments; acclimation comes to mind . I know this personally as I live near sea level.

[Wandering Daisy]

Hard to say who is going to get stung by altitude. Personally, I live at sea level and would have no problem with a 5-day schedule at those altitiudes, except that I would not WANT to do it! One thing to add is that for those why have to fly out from the East coast, you can sometimes start the trip with jet lag and other sleep cycle issues which then trigger altitude sickness. Although altitude itself does not bother me, I am horrible at adjusting to ANY 4-hour time change. Cannot sleep well for several days. In fact the little change with daylight savings knocks me off! And there is always digestive issues with traveling (I just read Stanley Otter's post). I always plan my trips with a contigency day in mind. I just hate to get half way done and realize I cannot finish. Yes, I am a bit disappointed that our advise, whether agreed with or not, was not accepted a bit more graciously.