Solo Backpacking Questions...

[maverick]

Tara wrote:
Again... Thanks so much for the input! I am an experienced backpacker but this will
be my first solo trip. I have always wanted to do the high sierra trail and I am moving
back to the East Coast this summer so I am doing it on my way across country. I am
asking about the popularity of the trails and campsites because I just want to make sure
there will be other people around in case something happens... Seeing as this is my
first solo trip!

You have been asked twice to give more information about you experience level and
a link to a thread here on High Sierra Topix has been given for you to go by from
which we can give you information accordingly. We still do not know how many miles
a day you can do, whether you have a full 5 days or this includes driving to the trailhead.
Fellow members assumed your starting from Bubbs, don't know why , since all
you indicated is that you were starting from Kings Canyon, which by the way does not
sound like someone with a lot of experience. Only now after several post do you say
you are an experienced backpacker, but still only now mention wanting to use the HST
which starts from Crescent Meadow by the way, not Bubbs, which everyone have been
giving you advice on as if you were starting from Bubbs because your only giving us
crumbs of information. Not trying to get on your case here, we take backpacking very
seriously here, and would not want to put you or anyone into harms way which is why
we attempt to qualify folk with are requesting info thread. We have had our share
of people come on board asking info about a route only to find out several posts
in that they did not have any experience at all.

[Wandering Daisy]

If I were doing part of the JMT I would simply get a permit for the entire trail to be able to use the bear boxes. You still need a bear can, but I regularly need a few days "overflow" capacity for the first few nights. It irks me a bit that the bear boxes are "reserved" for the thru-hikers and that they manage to get a free pass on using bear cans.

There are plenty of bear boxes on the HST. If you were only to use bear boxes you would be quite restricted to where you can camp - not something that I like to do. You can rent bear cans. I know that at Road's End they rent the Bearikade Weekender - which is the lightest. The fee for the Bearikade is more than the other bear cans. The Garcia is the heaviest with the least capacity- the Bear Vault is high capacity but a bit heavier. I believe that if you rent a bear can you have to return it, either by mail or in person to get back your deposit (which is a lot of $$).

Given this years low snow I cannot imagine that you would need microspikes. But it helps to have a very aggressive tread on your shoe. The trail is heavily used and if there are lingering snow patches there should be a well worn path over the snow. If it is freezing at night, then you want to avoid snow early in the morning when it is icy. If you run into snow, I suspect post-holing will be more of a problem than the need of micro spikes. I may have missed it, but what are the dates you are considering? The trail should be snow-free by mid-July.

The HST is a good trail to do your first solo. It is used enough that you will run across people so will not be totally alone. Have a great time.

[taracheezem]

Sorry for being so vague Maverick! I have never been to the High Sierra so I know only what I have gleaned from Internet searches. To answer some of your questions...I always feel like people sound so full of themselves when they try to quantify their experience level but let's just say I am an endurance athlete with several week long backpacking trips under her belt. The trip itineraries I had read said that they took seven days from Crescent Meadows to Whitney Portal but many of the days were only around 10 miles which seemed pretty light to me... That is why I was wondering if 5 days was feasible or if the trail was just that challenging. I also refrained from putting a more concrete start date because I am a woman advertising that I am backpacking alone but I was planning on early summer.

Thanks again!

[AlmostThere]

Ten miles with a loaded backpack trudging up 5,000 feet of gain at high elevations is not insignificant, so it is quite a challenge if you are not training at elevation.

[Ska-T]

What AlmostThere said.

The High Sierra Trail out of Crescent Meadow is different from what most of us (that replied) thought you meant. This year on the HST you will have no snow problems with an early summer start. There could be some ice patches coming down from Trail Crest (near Whitney). You can do the trip in 5 days, especially during the long days of the early summer, but you should be in good shape, carry a sub 25 lb backpack, and not be unduly affected when the trail steepens. I'm guessing 6 to 7 days would be more relaxing, but I know next to nothing about you.

[taracheezem]

Thank you! I really appreciate all of the advice. Sorry for being so misleading... I really didn't know much about the area or this forum so I am grateful for the guidance.

[longri]

The High Sierra Trail is about 75 miles long with roughly 20,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. It's a really good trail. While it does go over high passes a fair amount of it is at relatively low elevation. It's been done in under 16 hours by an endurance athlete of a particular sort.

I walked it one year in mid-July without a canister which limited camping choices somewhat. I'm not sure I'd do it that way again but not sure I wouldn't either. The trail was not crowded when I went and I didn't encounter that many people. Two of the nights I camped alone, one night with just one other distant party, and one night with a big group of JMT hikers. One of them thought that my food bag in the bear box was fair game. I don't know if he was a thief or just young and stupid. I gave him the benefit of the doubt but took my food out of the box and tied it to a nearby tree. I wouldn't have even stopped there except for the bear box.