High Sierra Topix

Good evening-
Realizing this is about a year overdue, my name is mark z and I have been backpacking the Emigrant since 1972... My hiking buddy George and I have done a lot of criss-crossing the Emigrant, Hoover, Yosemite, Ansel Adams and John Muir wildernesses... I was first attracted when spending summers at Kennedy Meadows and deciding to go see what was 'back there'... My dad organized a trip to the base of Lewis Lakes and off we went with little knowledge, but enough food to feed storm troopers that we ended up giving away to make the return trip bearable... That hooked me, but it would not be until 1986 that it became a yearly event, planned all winter long...

I started out longing for the exploration, fishing and solitude that you get nowhere else and then being able to tell the tale back home... A camera started to accompany me and spinning the tales was aided by photo albums that I would bring everywhere with me... Most enjoyed the stories, but it became cumbersome to lug them around and then I discovered the web and web sites... Being a bit of a geek, I delved right into it and immediately realized the potential to cut out albums all together and have an online depository of the places we were going with a bit of history and facts to go along... It has grown to 80+ pages and you can see it @ zscapes.com...

So backpacking became multi-dimensional to me, but what never changes is the charge I get every time I set foot in the wilderness and that can only be accomplished by taking that first step. And I will end this intro with one of my favorite quotes from JRR Tolkien...

"The road goes ever on and on, Down from the door when it began. 
Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, 
Pursuing it with weary feet, Until it joins some larger way, 
Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then, I cannot say."

Hello to all and I hope to meet you on the trail !!!

Hey Mark,

Welcome aboard! Thanks for the intro, and your website is cool.

Hello. Just signed in as a new member today. I found your site while doing some research for an upcoming trip next summer 2016. I am 66 and my wife is 56. We are native Michiganders who moved to the Sonoran desert 8 years ago. When it gets too hot in Arizona we head to the mountains. We consider the Sierra our home range as we have spent parts of the last 15 out of 18 summers there. We have hiked the Sierra High Route 3 times and the PCT twice. Depending on the snow levels we would like to put together an extended route off of the SHR with a possible loop back. I'm just in the early stages of research, so I'm hoping that I can tap into the first hand knowledge of the members. This looks like a great site with a wealth of information. Thanks.

Hi Dessert Nomad,

Welcome to HST! Looking forward to reading some of your TR's, we enjoy old and new TR's alike here.

Real name's Nate, was introduced to the Sierra in 2007. A transplant from the Midwest, I was exposed to backpacking as a teenager in the Smoky Mountains. It has taken me until this past summer to stumble upon HST - and what a great place this is.

I've only made one contribution to the site so far, and it can be found in the Cross Country Passes forum under Recess Peak. I plan to get some more trip reports out in the coming months. I had always sent abbreviated versions to family without realizing a site like this existed...

The Sierra Nevada are awesome, which has inspired me to start a little project to hopefully spread enthusiasm and care for the mountains. We'll see where it leads.

Looking forward to participating more here!

Hi Nate,

Welcome to HST! This is a great place to stumle upon! Looking forward to reading your TR's, and don't forget, we also enjoy TR's from places beyond the Sierra, like the Smokies.

My name is Jimmy, I have been enjoying the outdoors for decades. Love alpine climbing, but I do not live in the vertical world any more. Have completed the AT, and now deciding on PCT or the Divide. Probably will peak bag for a bit while I decide. I yearly take Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts on week long backpacking trips. Also I tend to be a bit of a gram weenie.

Hi Jimmy,

Welcome to HST! Congrats on completing th AT, if you have a TR of it please post it here on HST, we enjoy reading TR's from anywhere.

I'm Scott. My Dad grew up in the Mojave Desert (grandfather was a miner), and they would take trips into the Sierra to get away from the heat....made their first trip to Rock Creek / Tom's Place in 1935. I grew up in SoCal, and my Dad carried on the tradition of trips to the Sierra. A fair amount of backpacking as a kid, mostly out of Rock Creek and Mammoth area; also Mt. Whitney as a 13 y/o.

Will retire from the military in 2017, and my wife and I are planning on JMT thru-hike in summer '18, followed by 6-8 months in Mammoth to experience the entire fall-winter-spring cycle. I've enjoyed this site so far--thanks to all of you.

Hi Scott,

Welcome to HST! looking forward to reading about your adventures in the Sierra.
Thank you for your service. Semper Fi