Mt Whitney Zone Forums Thread Like Summary - HST: High Sierra Trail and Pants Pass

On Sept 3 - 8, I hiked solo from Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park, on the west side of the Sierra Nevada, to Whitney Portal on the east side. I followed the High Sierra Trail part of the way, but at Kaweah Gap, where the trail crosses the Great Western Divide, I left the trail and hiked cross-country northeast across Pants Pass. That route took me to the headwaters of the Kern-Kaweah River, where I eventually joined the trail descending that valley from Colby Pass. At Junction Meadow, where the Kern-Kaweah joins the Kern River, I reconnected with the High Sierra Trail, and hiked to the junction of the John Muir Trail. Following the JMT almost to Guitar Lake, I again hiked cross-country up the Arctic Lake drainage all the way to the Whitney-Russell pass. I had hoped to climb the north slope of Mt Whitney, but couldn't see a route that appeared safe for a solo hiker. I then went over the W-R pass to Iceberg Lake, loaded up on 3 quarts of water (using freezer Ziploc bags), and climbed the Mountaineers Route of Mt Whitney, so I could sleep overnight in the summit hut. Worst day was taking the Main Mt Whitney Trail to Whitney Portal -- my feet were killing me (toenail problems), and a blister afterward caused my entire left foot to swell. Next time I'll have bigger boots!

Going on such an adventurous route, and with family having concerns, I carried a Spot satellite signal unit so people could watch my progress, and just in case, I could summon help if I got into serious trouble. The nice part of carrying the unit is that I can see my route on a map after the trip. Here's a link (be sure to zoom in): Spotwalla Map

Starting out, my pack weighed about 26 lbs, carrying about 12 lbs of food, and a pound of fishing gear. I did not carry any water treatment tools, only a Snow Peak cup to dip and drink. I carried a Gatorade bottle, nearly empty most of the time, only filling it when I expected long stretches without water. Using my cup, I'd dip and drink at almost every stream crossing I encountered.

The pictures below, and many more, can be seen in this album:  HST High Sierra Trail, Pants Pass

Day 1:

My wife and I spent the night at the Stony Creek motel along the General's Highway, and we ate breakfast at the swanky Wuksachi Lodge. I loaded up on bagels and bread there, as I realized I'd forgotten to grab the bread from home for the trip. We finally got to the trail head about 8:30, took several pictures, and I was off.

The pack is an 8-ounce cuben fiber pack from Zpacks.com. A bit fragile, but sure worth any extra trouble due to its light weight.

Between Crescent Meadow and the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, the trail is gentle, and I encountered lots of wildflowers. Here are just a few. (Click on any of the pictures for a larger view.)

More pictures...

Piece of a hornet's nest.

Nice view across the Kaweah River gorge, looking at Castle Rocks.

More pictures and report coming later....

Snacking Bear: I think I ran out of steam on the trip report. Sorry. The last day and a half were not too eventful.

I hiked from the JMT/HST junction at Wallace Creek part way on the JMT southbound, then detoured up the Arctic Lake drainage. I was considering trying to climb the north slope of Whitney, but I couldn't see any route that didn't have extremely steep granite. I think anyone who does it is hiking on snow using crampons, which give much better traction.

So I continued over the Russell-Whitney pass and down to Iceberg Lake. Loaded up on water, and then climbed up to the Whitney summit, and spent the night inside the hut. It took 2 hours from Iceberg to the summit. Wish I could have talked to the hikers camped at Iceberg, but it was late, so I just grabbed water and headed up the Mountaineer's Route. The hike down was so uneventful that I don't recall anything significant from it. It was fun, though, to see all the JMT hikers arrive at dawn from Guitar Lake, to watch the sunrise.

Here nine years later, I've had a TKR (Total Knee Replacement) which is great -- no pain, no weakness, no trouble. It's a great improvement over the knee that went downhill after my big/best hiking years. Now I'm looking ahead to maybe an ankle replacement on the same right leg. Broke it when I was 22, tore the joint wide open in a motorcycle accident. Now the joint is almost bone-on-bone; I have to wear a major brace for hiking, and get a steroid shot to keep it happy. I think the bad ankle may have led to the knee failing, as my other is still really strong and worry-free.