2021 Sierra High Route?

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Wandering Daisy
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Yes it was between Tuolumne and Cascade Lake. Up top I could not figure out where the legal spot was, so I decided if I were going to get busted I may as well get busted at a better site in order to be able to get 4 miles past Tuolumne on the south, in addition to the time needed to resupply. I did not set the tent up until dark. As it turned out, I also did not make it the 4 miles up Rafferty trail before it stormed, so a second illegal campsite. Oh well. It is also technically illegal to stash food in the bear boxes at Tuolumne. I just labeled it as my car camping food and the date I would pick it up. If you do not name and date your stored stuff, they will take it out and throw it away.

Nothing wrong with wanting to do the route as described. Only that Roper never intended it to have any one "purist" route- he gives several alternatives and is very vague on how to do the logistics of resupply, as well as vague on micro route-finding. It is only others who have put GPS tracks and details up on the internet. He only said he preferred south-to-north because he liked traveling away from the southern sun, not into it. So this is the direction he describes, and yes, reversing his descriptions make it more vague than it already is. Personally I like north-to-south because north slopes on passes are more often steeper and I prefer to do the steep uphill and more gentle downhill (because of old knees as well as better balance going up rather than down). And I had to figure in my husband's schedule since he helped with transportation.
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gregw822
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by gregw822 »

Well, the 2nd edition of Roper's book has been around for a long time, so perhaps the rules have changed. The book reports that there are only a few legal places to camp between Tuolumne and Cascade lake. There's no camping at the Gaylor lakes, no camping in the Hall Natural Area, and there's no camping in a section of private land that protects a water source. According to Roper, there are a couple rough places near the Sierra Mine, or you can drop down and camp at Fantail Lake. Have these restrictions been removed? Perhaps so, because I've never seen them listed anywhere else (although I haven't looked carefully).
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by gregw822 »

I had the same experience up Lyle Canyon when I did the JMT. I got a late start out of Tuolumne (Valley was fire-closed). When darkness was coming on, I figured I had done about four miles, but just in case I moved off the trail and up onto a clean rock bench. Next morning, as I was about to head out, sure enough, a Ranger wandered by and informed me I was a bit short of 4 miles. Fortunately, seeing the steps I has taken to go "no impact", he waved me on. The experience informed me that it's only ok to throw up a quick bivy and move on in the morning if you don't get caught by a Ranger.

I've been thinking I might stop ~4 miles south of Tuolumne, and then end the next day at one of the few legal spots around the mine, If I can find one of them. I don't want to go all the way from Tuolumne to Cascade Lake in one day, because I want savor crossing the east ridge of Conness when I'm fresh, rather than scramble over at the end of a long day, trying to get to Cascade before dark. If the 4-miles-out thing doesn't work, I guess I'll stay at Tuolumne and go to Fantail the next day. I don't think I'll take the risk to camp illegally at Spuller or Maul.
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

There is a huge difference between being short the 4-mile limit on a popular trail, such as PCT or Rafferty Creek and being located incorrectly on the square of land by the mine; if there is a ranger up there, you win a case of beer from me! I would not worry about it. A lot will depend on how you feel, the weather and other things beyond your control. My reading of Roper is that he basically "winks" at this part of his route description, because he really cannot say in his book, what I just said.
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by wildhiker »

Or avoid the whole problem of no legal campsites between Tuolumne Meadows and Cascade Lake by taking an alternate route to the west with lots of campsites. Take the trail from TM to Young Lakes, and then cross-country past Roosevelt Lake and Upper McCabe Lake. Then climb to the pass separating Upper McCabe Lake from the 20 Lakes Basin and drop slightly down the other side to intersect the SHR at "Secret Lake".

Alternatively, if slavishly following the route in Roper's book, and you can't make it all the way to Cascade Lake from TM in a day (I'm sure I couldn't), you can detour just a short distance off the route to the official Forest Service walk-in "Sawmill Campground" south of Saddlebag Lake and then tackle the big ridge crossing over to 20 Lakes Basin the next day.

-Phil
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commonloon
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by commonloon »

@wildhiker's suggestion is a really good alternative to that section of the SHR. Except I would recommend if going that way that you instead drop down to Virginia Canyon/Return Creek then go North until making a left to go up the hill to Soldier Lake. While Secret Lake pass is easy, Sky Pilot Col is a PiA. Another possibility is to use Mt Conness, ascent from the Young Lakes side then descend East Ridge then rejoin the SHR.

Regarding the legal campsite issue. I just look for the Yosemite National Park boundary and the Hall Research Area boundary line on the topo. Legal is essentially just East of those lines. Fantail isn't actually "Legal," just east of it is.

The bit between Blue Lake pass and the Mine, that part of Yosemite, has rangers patrolling it all the time. They have too. It sees a lot of traffic. I've met and talked to Rangers on the trail both on the trail into T-meadows and to Gaylor lakes, but never on the off trail bits. Funny, sometimes after a long section of off-trail, when back on-trail I'm happy to see people. On that section, I'm usually wanting to be back off-trail. ;-)
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MitchellK
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by MitchellK »

Some friends and I will be doing our first SHR section this summer about the same time as you! I don't think we'll see you though (just a couple days off). We'll be doing Dusy Basin to Lake Italy from August 7-15.

I hope your trip goes fantastically! I'm even a little bit jealous you get to do all of it in one continuous shot 🙂.
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gregw822
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by gregw822 »

Yes, I'll be a few days behind you. I've waited a long time for the right conditions to come together to do all of it at once.
Thanks to everyone for the input about the northern Yosemite section. It's fine to have high ideals about following the rules in March. In August, when I'm at the end of the trip, we'll see! Nice to have options on the table.
Damn, I wish it was August!
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Harlen
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route?

Post by Harlen »

gregw822 writes:
I'm training furiously, the dehydrator is humming, and if thorough preparation is any compensation at all for advancing years, I'll be well-served... the only way I could be better prepared is if I could shave a few years off the clock. Not likely, so I'd best get on with it before it really is too late..
and then:
Damn, I wish it was August!
We're worried that you might let the training fall off to nothing, and start drinking a regular amount of beer again. You may have started your training too early Greg. ;)
Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.
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gregw822
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Re: 2021 Sierra High Route? Away I go.

Post by gregw822 »

After many months of obsessive planning and preparation, I'm leaving town this morning for my attempt at the High Route. I'm meeting my daughter and her roommate in Bridgeport tomorrow afternoon. We'll leave my car behind and spend a couple days in Yosemite before reaching Road's End the evening of the 4th. My trip starts the next morning. I've planned, packed and trained for this adventure more than I have for any other. Nevertheless, as departure day has approached I've felt some apprehension about the magnitude of doing this route alone at this age. I may be in great shape, but there seems to be a limit to how much strength you can build once you're well into your 60s. Lazy and soft at 37 may turn out to be better than hard and sharp at 67. But I'm also very excited and thrilled to be headed out for the High Route, at long last. If all goes well, I'll be back home by the end of the month with stories to tell and pictures to share. So long for now...
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