Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports TR: High Sierra Trail 8/30-9/5: The Un-Report (With Pics)

Folks talk alot about the logistics involved in doing a HST trip. So, here's my mildly tongue-in-cheek logistics report. (Pretty trail pics to follow....)

Total miles: 926 (total miles driven in personal car: 0). Total transportation cost: $186.50.

August 29: SFBA-VIS
Miles: 224
Cost: $46.50





August 30: VIS-SNP
Miles: 56
Cost: $7.50



August 30-September 5: SNP-WPS
Miles: 70
Cost: Priceless



September 5: WPS-LP
Miles:13
Cost: $0 plus a smile and gratitude



September 6: LP-Lancaster-BUR-SFBA
Miles: 563
Cost: $132.50

Dang. I am lazy!


Example: "Do you want to go to Yosemite this weekend?"

"What? It's 3 hrs drive -- Castle Peak is 90min!"

"There's a group hike at Whitney"

"What? Drive through Yosemite to hike somewhere else farther away?!



Good for you!

But see, I didn't have to drive a single mile!!!

Cool trip. I recognize all the pictures except the lake.

Moraine Lake....

Ah! Right. I took a different route, so missed that part.

I really want to get to Kern Hot Springs sometime.

Aaaaahhhhh......

Great Sequence. I think it may be a movement: the Sierra Exploration by Public Transportation Society

I can dig it: my recent JMT went:

Cape to Boston: Cape Cod Regional Transit $1, Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company, $32

Boston to SFO: Jet Blue $271

*SFO TO Yos: Blue Van to CalTrans, $17. Amtrak: Bus to Emeryville, San Joaquin to Merced, YARTS to Yos Village, $36

Yos Village to Curry Village, BP Camp, HI : YV "Hybrid" Shuttle, $0

HI to WPS: Zamberlan "Trekkers"/ Vibram "Montagne", $0 (Sunk Cost)(OK, $8 for the new laces, and Shoe Goo in LP)

WPS to LP: Unsolicited ride, One Smile

LP to Reno: ESTA $59

ESTA to Boston: Amtrak California Zephyr and Lakeshore Limited, $225

Boston to Cape, PBSRR, CCRT, $34

Books read, scenery taken in,1239 photos reviewed, TR drafted, basking in glow from trip, calls to friends while not driving, mooned by Colo R rafters, friends and acquaintances made and stress not experienced: priceless

Total miles, 6000+
Total Cost, $684

Thanks, Aki, for reminding me.

I am a believer.

* One of the most interesting dynamics of non-driving is Amtrak. Its amazing where you can get to - cheap - on their bus/train combinations. Not only did I do the Merced to Yos leg of the SFO/YV by YARTS, it was on the Amtrak ticket booked online, was included in the $36 Amtrak fare, and had priority boarding over YARTS's own tickets at Merced. And I don't know about you, but there is no cafe in my car or on Greyhound.

This REALLY appeals to me on so many levels.

1. Due to clouded lenses, my night driving leaves much to bee desired..

2. I have always thought it to bee an oxymoron (moronic) to burn up a bunch of fuel/pollute/etc in the process of communing with nature.


Bravo to you for the planes, trains - automobiles!

Yes, Bravo indeed - to both of you. Your planning skills are much to be applauded. Who knows, perhaps someday (in the US) it will not take a scheduling guru to organize a trip like these.

Love the x-country itinerary!

Yes, Amtrak would be preferable to Greyhound, I think, particularly out of Oakland. They were searching bags in Oakland, and have a policy prohibiting knives in luggage. Only because I pleaded with the guard to look the other way ("I am going backpacking! I'll DIE in the wilderness without a knife!") was I able to get through with my little knife in luggage. Also, Greyhound really bungled customer service relating to the Bay Bridge closure (among other things, they failed to tell their call center, which is located in Central America, about it for several days). But my driver to Fresno was AWESOME.

Love the knife story. I got a steak knife in the dining car on the Zephyr that i could have butchered the cow with. Never occurred to me I could just cruise up to the engine cab, hijack the train and reroute it into , what, Harrah's? The Mormon Tabernacle? Love Amtrak. Security on boarding in Reno consisted of, "Hi, how you doin? Here's a bottle of water to take on board." Another hiker in the club car was opening his canned dinner with a Gerber multi that looked like he could rebuild the locomotive with it. Nobody died. Or even noticed.