High Sierra Topix

John I didn't find the video...while looking I did find your skating vid which I had to watch again...WOW. Used to ice skate ponds in Montana when I lived there as a kid...but nothing as spectacular as you did. And once again I was struck by the beauty of your photos...I think my fav...altho that's a relative term since you have so many greats...are the mono basin wildflower shots!

Never mind, found the Shepherd Pass video...thanks! It is awesome, but doable...

Knapsack Pass and Carol a.k.a. Puppet Pass are both easy on both sides if you know the route. The route is extensively documented for both passes in this forum. Knapsack has a clear use trail on the south side. South side of Puppet is easier than many trails.

Royce Pass is also easy with an unmistakable route. The south side is such a short descent, it hardly qualifies as a pass!

Virginia Pass is shown as a trail on the old USGS topo maps but is not maintained and not shown on Harrison. Non-technical Class 1. A scenic notch worth the hike.

All are very scenic, great slog-to-stoke ratio.

Italy has an abandoned trail that deteriorates towards the top into easy class 1 benches. But it's rather a slog and the view from the top is nothing special. However, the long approach up Granite Park is some of the loveliest hiking anywhere.

North Glacier is not technical but the giant talus on the east side isn't worth the views at the top.

I would rate all of the passes I rated as "2" at this link http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~si ... Passes.htm
as easy.

Thanks sekihiker and others! i appreciate your insight! i looked at your website and man you have done a whole bunch of awesome stuff into the sierra.

sekihiker wrote:I would rate all of the passes I rated as "2" at this link http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~si ... Passes.htm
are easy.

Cool site sekihiker, enjoyed looking through some of your trip reports. You've visited a lot of beautiful, remote areas!

Garnet Pass is an easy Class 1 cross country stroll between the west ends of Thousand Island and Garnet Lakes. A little bit of talus to pick through at the top. Use trails up to the talus. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Thanks for the great submission Maverick- I didn't realize how well that "Back country Passes resource works! I agree with all of the passes you noted, most of which I know from experience, however I have a comment to make on "North Glacier Pass." If one gets off-track when coming down the east side, back to 1000 Island Lake, and ends up in the giant boulder field south of the correct route, then it is no easy crossing! I may even have used some bad language.

I made it harder by crossing at about 3:00 A.M., with a sixty pound boy fast asleep on my shoulders. We arrived back to our camp at 4 A.M.! In our family it is known as the infamous "Day/Night Hike." "Sierra," if you do choose to enter this very rewarding area, take your time when navigating this pass from the west- you shouldn't experience my east side "boulder-field" troubles in the daylight. I had some difficulties with descending the west side the first time when traveling solo, heading down it from the east on my way up the North Fork S.J. to climb Mt Lyell, and then drop in high above Marie Lakes Basin, and then again, I had even more trouble the second time crossing N.G. Pass west to east from the same valley via Clinch Pass- you'd think I would've learned. My problem was ascending too soon toward N.G. Pass pass, and having to negotiate the steep ridge to the NW of the correct route, pointlessly up and down.

As was recently mentioned in another post: "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." All the best "Sierra."