R01/R03 TR: High Sierra Trail - October 2024

[LuckySVT]

Long time hiker, first time backpacker, completed the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal on a solo backpacking trip.

"No permit required" season started on 9/29 and the weather that week was looking great, if not a bit too hot with the Valley sweltering to 100+ temps.

Day 1: Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Camp
Started at 10am with ~35lbs on my back including water, food & BV500. Was a long 8.5hrs of walking. Was hoping to camp at Buck Creek but was full up when I passed through at 5pm so continued to Bearpaw. The climb from Buck to Bearpaw was long & hard.
Bearpaw was empty, because they turned the water spigots off so had my choice of spots when I got in.

Day2: Bearpaw Camp to Precipice Lake
Leg cramps in the middle of the night and sore shoulders but I'm no quitter. Beautiful walk to Lake Hamilton with a steep descent to Lone Pine Creek - apparently I will not be utilizing this water source to refill as the creek is at the bottom of a canyon and my water was running low. It's exposed and hot! Climb up from Lone Pine Creek was hard, realizing the altitude is no friend of mine with lots of deep gasping breaths and many stops. Lake Hamilton is gorgeous and I make a one hour stop to hydrate, filter water, and soak my feet. Only two other people are here.
I begin the ascent up the Hamilton Gorge past 10,000ft to Precipice lake in full afternoon sun. Not the wisest decision but got to meet a handful of hikers heading down but it took me 4.5hrs to get to Precipice Lake and no chance I was making it to Arroyo as I ran out of daylight. I camped there for the night with snow/ice ringing the lake.

Day 3: Precipice Lake to Moraine Lake
A very windy night led to not a lot of sleep but I felt good and continued my climb from Precipice up to the Kaweah gap. Wow - this is beautiful, I am in awe. Saw my first Pika, my first Marmot, and the Kaweah is stunning with fall colors and a pretty flat track. Yesterdays mile after mile of walking on uneven cracked granite was torture. I made it to Arroyo Junction and continued on to Moraine Lake.
The ascent from Arroyo is more switchbacks of unshaded granite as I work my way up the Chagoopa Plateau to a final 2.5 mile push to Moraine Lake.
Got to set up camp early, get cleaned up/destinkified in the lake, and get some much needed relaxation and rest.

Day 4: Moraine Lake to Junction Meadow
Some Leuko tape and I'm ready to start my ~14 mile trek. First few miles fly by until its time to descend into the Kern River Valley - trail is in dire need of maintenance, trail vanishes a few times, bewilderment, and me staring at my GPS as I wander in search of it. Funston creek is beautiful and flowing down with multiple creek crossings. ~2500 descent.
First few miles of the Kern River Valley heading to the Hot Springs is torture, so much crushed granite with fully exposed sun over rolling hills as I roast at lower elevation and high temps. Around 11:30am I hit the Hot Springs and realize I still have ~8 miles to go. Time to filter water and get a cold foot river soak in. It's hot, the burned out section of the Kern Valley is without a drip of shade and the trail is charcoal dust as I ascend ~1900ft on my way to Junction Meadow. Took quite a few breaks to get water, cool down, and quick soaks in various creeks along the way. Whitney Creek was big and cool! I get to Junction Meadow at 5:30, time to hydrate, filter, set up camp, and clean all the ash from legs and between my toes.

Day 5: Junction Meadow to Guitar Lake
The map is daunting, let the climbing begin. Mile after mile of switchbacks of cracked granite, lots of uneven granite stairs, lots of fallen granite rocks on the trail you navigate over or around, there are no "strides" it it s just a repeated series of awkward steps with the help of of your trekking poles. Torture. Finally hit the Plateau near Wallace Creek - a bit sandier trail, some rolling hills, a descent, some meadows, and high elevation trees continued for 3.5 miles until you hit the ascent up to Crabtree Meadow. Just a few miles to Guitar Lake at this point and so its time for a cold creek foot soak and more water filtering. Ascent to Guitar Lake is not terrible.
Met a slew of people on this day as everyone seems to be hiking in this area. Met a SoBO PCT'er, a group of guys who laughed at me for doing the HST in this direction due to the insane elevation/altitude and climbs.

Day 6: Guitar Lake to Whitney Portal
A bit under 3hrs got me to Trail Crest, its cold, I'm not putting more layers on, its windy, I'm not putting more layers on, the incessant uneven granite is unrelenting, and how was this trail segment even created as we keep climbing up, and up, and up to 13,600 ft. Guitar Lake now is a but a postage stamp on the view below. I am wheezing, no oxygen, just keep walking 10-30 ft in between quick breaks of deep breathing. This is ugly, I see no beauty in granite, the entire area is just silvery grey granite with no hint of life.
I start my descent of endless switchbacks - 8.4 miles to the Portal takes me ~5hrs. I lost the trail and hit Lone Pine Lake which cost me a good 20-minutes. Meet lots of people ascending this mountain for the bucket list memory of hitting 14,400 ft. Trail Camp is bleak, when do I see trees again? Apparently not for many, many miles. I'm in awe of the trail construction - mad men created this! The glacier of ice was cool. Mirror Lake was pretty.
I hitched into Lone Pine, got an overpriced room for the night, overpriced food, and headed out the next day on the Eastern Transit bus to meet my wife for transport home and back to the Coast.


Takeaways:

• Do this trail in 8-days. No need to do 10-miles on Day 1, enjoy Lake Hamilton on Day 2 and conquer the climb to Kaweah in the cool early morning, spend the night at the Hot Springs - no need to do 14-miles that day.

• I had some great conversations with strangers on the trail, others just head down, cruised right past me.

• I way over packed food - I just didn't eat that much due to heat & exhaustion.

• I brought drink mixes, I wish I would have brought more. True Lemonade was the one thing I looked forward to each evening as I guzzled a 16oz drink.

• BV Bear Canisters are difficult to open in the cold - I used the tip of my scissors after freaking out.

• Bring 3-pairs of socks instead of 2

• Bring a LifeStraw - I just wanted to suck cold water directly from the various creeks rather than filter.

• Dow Hotel in Lone Pine has shared bath, private rooms, for under $100/night on their website - not listed on hotel sites.

[Wandering Daisy]

Sad to hear that part of the Kern Rive trail has burned. It really had plenty of shade and was quite pretty before. Also sad that some of the trail is in such poor shape. I think SEKI has had so many problems with fires this year and fixing damage due to 2023 winter that trail maintenance has taken a hit.

Congratulations for persistence. I agree, that a few more days would have allowed you to better plan the big ascents in the cooler hours of the morning. After several more trips you will get the food thing figured out. It is so unique to each person but in general most people eat less when first at higher altitudes. I totally HATE the BearVault for the very reason that it has managed to get stuck on me too. I think it is related to air pressure changes with altitude. I now have a Bearikade Weekender- it is worth its outrageous price if you plan on continuing to backpack.

Late fall is probably not the most scenic time to do the HST. It gets a bit dried out. And this year has been so hot. River crossings are higher mid-season but it sure is greener and even above timber areas have green grass and some wildflowers.

In the big picture of total elevation gain, I do not think the 3000 feet difference in trailheads depending on which way you go is very significant.

[thegib]

Good job on persistence, especially so if you see no beauty in granite.

[TurboHike]

It's very easy to open a bear vault using the credit card trick, just google "open bear vault with credit card" and you'll get some hits. It's especially useful in the morning when the plastic lid is stiff/rigid due to the cold temperature.

[Gogd]

It's very easy to open a bear vault using the credit card trick, just google "open bear vault with credit card" and you'll get some hits. It's especially useful in the morning when the plastic lid is stiff/rigid due to the cold temperature.

Indeed there are several hacks to getting the pawl on the lid of a bearvault to clear the stop on the canister.

I found the most aggravating aspect of the Bearvault design is fellow campers getting something from the canister, then screwing the lid back down until snug tight. At that point the threads of canister and lid bind against each other, sometimes requiring significant strength and technique to loosen the lid. One time the lid was really stuck, and I had to drizzle soapy water onto the threads to get them loose. The thing is it's not necessary to screw the lid down snug tight, just getting the pawl past the stop will lock the lid. You can watch for this event to occur, or listen for the distinct click sound of the pawl as it passes the stop. One thing that can be done to reduce the friction between lid and canister threads is lubricating the threads; I prefer spray-on silicone or paraffin wax.

I agree with WanderingDaisy, the Wild Ideas' Bearikade bear canister product line is worth the price. Then again we both may be duped by our own cognitive dissonance, or unaware of the extent of our vanity gear afflictions. All Bearikade canisters out perform other bear canisters of similar size. For example, comparing the Bearikade Expedition to the Bearvault BV500:

• The Bearikade is easy to open, and provides superior access to stowed contents.
• The Bearikade Expedition size 9"X14.5", is slightly larger than Bearvault BV500 size 8.7"X12.7".
• The Expedition weighs 36oz, the BV500 weighs 41oz.
• The smooth sided barrel design of the Bearicade results in greater amount of useable storage space than the ribbed barrel of the Bearvault canister.
• The Expedition is listed as having 900 cubic inch volume; Bearvault claims the BV500 has 700 (useable) cubic inches.
• I can store 10-12 days food in a BV500, versus 12-15 days of food using the Expedition. (The Expedition carries ~20% more than the BV500.)
• The Bearikade performance isn't cheap. There is a huge price gap between these bear canister models: The BV500 currently lists on their web site @ $95; the Expedition is listed on the Wild Ideas web site @ $425. But bear canisters are durable and FWIW will last long enough to pass onto your heirs.

Ed

[Gogd]

Leg cramps in the middle of the night and sore shoulders but I'm no quitter.

Takeaways:

• I way over packed food - I just didn't eat that much due to heat & exhaustion.

• I brought drink mixes, I wish I would have brought more. True Lemonade was the one thing I looked forward to each evening as I guzzled a 16oz drink.

• Bring a LifeStraw - I just wanted to suck cold water directly from the various creeks rather than filter.

Leg cramps can be reduced by proper conditioning beforehand, and better hydration; and during the trip by consuming one of the powdered Magnesium drinks before bedtime.

Several factor can drive fatigue. Let's discount fatigue caused by insufficient conditioning. Many folks share they lose their hunger on the trail, chalking it up to altitude. Heat and exhaustion are also factors. But if exhaustion seems an influence, consider you are falling into a vicious cycle, as eating less increases your level of exhaustion. Is it is impossible to provision for the caloric demands of backpacking in the mountain. Everyone loses weight on these trips, even when eating heartily. But if you let being tired be the factor driving how much you eat, it will only get worse. You end up more fatigued, cramping, and stumbling about in a malaise. Consider provisioning with some foods that require minimal effort to prepare/consume, that are calorie dense, and can be snacked on while en route: jerky, dried fruits, nuts, seeds and cheese. Protein drinks are a minimal effort way of getting that kind of nutrition. MAKE YOURSELF EAT! You'll feel much better later on. True Lemonade is tasty, but not a source of calories. Consider supplementing your bevi with honey. It makes a difference! I also find having a strong cup of coffee first thing once in camp revives me so I can enjoy what hours remain before hitting the sack. That makes a BIG difference!

Most of the water sources in the Sierra do not need any treatment. If a water source has no upstream trails and not fed by a brackish pond it is fine to take straight from the source. I and others of the HST forum have been practicing this for decades with no consequence.

Ed

[JayOtheMountains]

Sounds like you didn't enjoy your trip, the scenery, the experience. Took away that one of, perhaps, the most trodden balleyhooed trails in the region shows signs of use and abuse. Well, as you gain more experience you'll find that trails are all different - some have highway-like tread and some are just ideas on the map where your imagination and experience will dictate the path you travel. I don't mind a bit of boulder-hopping, bushwhacking, or lack of trail all together, but I certainly do enjoy a trail in most any shape. I really enjoy trails with hot springs!

The HST is a fantastic thoroughfare. It's a different corridor, it's a different trail; and it's rich in history. I guess Sierraphiles are something different, what with their love of unobscured vistas, the scraggly alpine environment, the deep alpine valleys, the living landscapes brought by fire ecology, and the people everywhere (well, maybe not the people - perhaps only those in your party, perhaps).

[SSSdave]

Common issues for many first time backpackers with overly strenuous itineraries, hiking too many miles, with too much vertical as though it is some kind of endurance challenge. The purpose of backpacking in the High Sierra for those that expect to take up the activity into their future, ought be enjoying the experience, not some numbers challenge. Start easy leisurely, learn lessons, and find one's style.

[LuckySVT]

Common issues for many first time backpackers with overly strenuous itineraries, hiking too many miles, with too much vertical as though it is some kind of endurance challenge. The purpose of backpacking in the High Sierra for those that expect to take up the activity into their future, ought be enjoying the experience, not some numbers challenge. Start easy leisurely, learn lessons, and find one's style.

Thanks Dave! Spot on in your assessment and hence my big takeaway, do this trail in 8-days to gather some enjoyment of it and not treat it as an endurance challenge.

I thoroughly enjoyed the physical challenge as I enjoy getting my ass kicked from time to time - it lets me know I'm still alive as I'm about to hit the half-century mark in life.

[LuckySVT]

Sounds like you didn't enjoy your trip, the scenery, the experience. Took away that one of, perhaps, the most trodden balleyhooed trails in the region shows signs of use and abuse. Well, as you gain more experience you'll find that trails are all different - some have highway-like tread and some are just ideas on the map where your imagination and experience will dictate the path you travel. I don't mind a bit of boulder-hopping, bushwhacking, or lack of trail all together, but I certainly do enjoy a trail in most any shape. I really enjoy trails with hot springs!

The HST is a fantastic thoroughfare. It's a different corridor, it's a different trail; and it's rich in history. I guess Sierraphiles are something different, what with their love of unobscured vistas, the scraggly alpine environment, the deep alpine valleys, the living landscapes brought by fire ecology, and the people everywhere (well, maybe not the people - perhaps only those in your party, perhaps).

Jay - I did enjoy the trip but definitely expected more Kaweah Gap and less granite. Precipice Lake to Moraine Lake was the highlight of the trip, simply stunning and I'm glad I somehow decided that would be my lowest mileage day so I could bask in the morning sun as I exited Precipice and caught all sorts of wildlife in the morning including Pika's and Marmots.

The high Sierra meadows and scraggly trees were A-OK and reminiscent of hikes I've done in Lassen and even as far south as Mt. Laguna.

Kern Hot Springs was not memorable after spending time in Mono Hot Springs in the SNF, so was a bit of letdown. Definitely enjoyed the cast of characters I met and enjoyed the hours of solitude walking on my own without interruption, but was no fan of the traffic heading from Whitney pass down to the Portal.

And yes - early Fall was definitely not the most colorful as the meadows were varying shades of brown but not dealing with swarms of mosquitos was the plus.