Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board HST

Has anyone done the High Sierra Trail this summer? If so, would be interested in getting info regarding water (plentiful?) an availability of camping spots along the way. Any problem finding any? Did the JMT last summer but that was after a high snow year so not sure of conditions this summer. Many thanks.

Hi runrjoe,

I plan to hike the High Sierra Trail next week. I will report back about condtions. I hiked the HST and JMT last year and am confident the key conditions (snow and creek levels) will be radically different (easier) in 2012.

Other than the Trail Crew and some kayakers, I hardly encountered anyone on the HST in July 2011. Even the Ranger Station at Bearpaw Meadow (summer home of Ranger Nina for 20 years) was no longer staffed full time.

As you know, you will never have a problem finding a place to roll out your sleeping bag. Plenty of elbow room out there along the trail.

Creek crossings should be much easier and I expect to never touch snow. In general, I think water will be insignificantly less accessible. I generally run a little dry (dehydraded) anyway, in contrast to currently popular "wisdom." In fact when I get home I plan to investigate a fairly new book by Tim Noakes "Waterlogged:The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports."

Have an awesome hike.

Jim

PS My favorite source of information for the HST is "From the Tallest Trees to the Highest Mountain" by Norman Clyde.

I hiked it a couple of weeks ago. Stream crossings were easier than normal, bugs were absent, and water was plentiful. I was surprised to see so few people. As Jim F said there is no problem finding enough dirt to lay down your sleeping bag.

Some seasonal flows will likely stop sooner than normal this year but the main lakes and rivers aren't going to go dry with just one year of drought.

Jim F - will look forward to seeing your update after you are done.
EP - Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.

We aren't heading out until the 28th but I suspect we will not see many folks out there.

My friend Dave and I set out on the HST on 7/26/12.
We completed last Thursday (8/2/12) after summiting Mount Whitney.
By hiking early, we enjoyed excellent campsites along the way.
Camped at Bearpaw Meadow (not very nice), Hamilton Lake (crowded but beautiful), Little Five Lakes Junction (coldest night - only 5 other hikers), Moraine Lake beachfront campsite with fire pit(only 5 other hikers), Kern Hot Springs (8 other hikers), Wallace Creek (quite a few hikers), and Guiter Lake (a lot fewer hikers than I expected).

Weather was very warm (and sometimes outright hot) compared to my previous experiences in the Sierras.

Water along the trail is available (be sure to carefully look at the creek crossing on the maps, and expect the seasonal streams to be none existent), but be sure you don't pass up an opportunity to carry an extra liter (yes it's heavy but better than being dehydrated).
No water from on the way to Mount Whitney after upper Guitar to about 2/3rds of the way down the switchbacks.

Creek crossing were never a problem. Mosquitos mostly gone, but beware the biting flies (really not that bad). Never used my bug mask.
Hope this helps, and have a great time.

I'd attach pics but we just returned and Dave has the camera.

Ciao.

runrjoe,

My daughter and I finished the HST yesterday (Aug 5 to Aug 8). We camped at the Hamilton Lakes, Kern Hot Springs, and Guitar Lake.We never touched snow and never had the slightest problem with stream crossings. I concur completely with Trail Wizard when he noted recently:
(1) "expect seasonal streams to be non existant"
(2) "mosquitos mostly gone."
Things look really dry. Snakes were seen as high as 10,000.'

The weather was OK, but we had the typical afternoon lightning and rain the last two afternoons. I relied on my daughter's excellent skills at rigging our tarp for protection.

Have a great hike.

Jim F

Snow? Sounds like you barely touched the ground! Hamilton to Kern to Guitar is some pace! Tarp sounds like you went ultralight or Colin Fletcher style

Hi Jim,
Congrats on your HST/Whitney trip - hope it was a blast!

I'm heading out on the HST in a few days. Very excited, and feel pretty prepared and well-informed (Thanks to both the Whitney boards!)

I would love to hear more (from you or anyone else reading this) about the 2 things that make me the most nervous, that I don't have a lot of experience with - lightning and snakes. (10,000 ft?! - thought that was just a Kern Canyon issue!)

General safety advice? I feel kinda stupid and "newbie" asking this stuff, but I'm not even really sure what a safe passing radius is for a rattler, or what to do if one is on the trail blocking your path. (The one time that happened to me, I turned around and walked the other way - not an option this time! ) And what should a hiker do if a thunderstorm starts up? Stop hiking and find cover? (but I've heard trees are not safe either) If already in camp, safe to ride it out in the tent?

Sigh.... I do feel a little silly asking these questions, but everything I know about hiking/backpacking has been self-taught, the hard way. I sure am grateful to have discovered the wealth of experience and helpful fellow adventurers on these boards!

cheers!
Adrienne (caplen)

Saltydog,

Yes, we make an effort to keep the pack size reasonable. Having a party of two is also easier than one, as some items can be used by both hikers.

Admittedly, the thought of double cheese burgers, hot dogs, and cold beverages waiting for us at the Whitney Portal Store definitely motivated us to keep making forward progress along the trail.

Jim

Caplen,

The HST has many ups and downs, but the effort is rewarding.

I too am always concerned about lightning and snakes. But you are probably more likely to be killed driving on the the 395 than by a rattler or by lightning. So keep that in mind.

To get some info on lightning and wilderness critters, refer to any good reference, such as, Wilderness Medicine by Auerbach. Also the search function on this Message Board can be useful.

Enjoy your hike on the HST.

Jim F

Jim F & Trail Wizard

Jim, sounds like you had a great trip. Moved pretty fast. Thanks to both for your updates. My only real concern is availability of water so will make sure I carry an extra liter during the day just in case. Good news about the bugs. They were a real problem last summer on the JMT. Looking forward to getting out there.

My husband and I just finished the High Sierra Trail last week and had a fantastic time with no major issues. We allowed 9 days so we wouldn't have to push too hard but got ahead of ourselves and finished in 8. Didn't stay at very many places we planned and campsites were plentiful in many, many spots. Lots of people had commented that water was drying up, and it's true that some streams may have dried up but we found water to be very plentiful, except at the known stretch from Guitar Lake to Trail Camp. However, I'm a large water consumer and usually carry 2-3 liters so I'm well stocked. We saw 5 bears and one rattlesnake but none was a problem. No bugs to speak of. We actually thought Day 2 was the hardest--yes, the Whitney ascent was hard, but by then we were more trail hardened, but getting over the Great Western Divide was a slog! We had mostly clear nights and mornings, but every day clouds gathered, becoming threatening each afternoon but only had sprinkles on a couple of days. We did witness a couple of lightning strikes on Day 2 near Precipice Lake, and again at Trail Camp--I was so glad we didn't sleep on top of Whitney as a severe lightning and hail storm pounded us around 3am. The descent from Trail Camp to Whitney Portal was stormy and we were quite chilled. We saw masses of people ascending who were dressed inappropriately for wind, hail and snow, i.e. shorts, tank tops, sweatshirts with flimsy ponchos for "protection". The weather had been predicted to be fine, but as always, the mountains make their own weather. We were excited to be progressing down the Ultra-light road with base weights of about 22 lbs and with water and food less than 35 lbs. I felt the altitude above 10,000 feet but symptoms were minor (headache, low grade nausea, restless sleep)and ibuprophen seemed to help. Everyone asked how we were going to get back: our trail angel, a friend who came to get us in Lone Pine and drove us back to our car.
Here's our itinerary for those who are interested (all sites were at water).
Day 1: Crescent Meadow to Buck's Canyon
Day 2: Buck's to Precipice Lake (my favorite campsite)
Day 3: Precipice to Sky Parlor Meadow (beautiful view)
Day 4: Sky Parlor Meadow to Kern Hot Springs (incredible to soak in)
Day 5. Kern to Wallace Creek
Day 6: Wallace to Guitar Lake
Day 7: Guitar to Trail Camp
Day 8: Trail Camp to Whitney Portal Hiker's Campground
A highlight of the trip had to be the fantastic burger at the WP Store and the hiker's breakfast the next morning. Doug is amazing!