High Sierra Trail Day 7: Guitar Lake to Whitney

Sunrise from 13k
Sunrise from 13k

It’s Whitney Day! My watch alarm woke me at 4 am and remembering last night’s cold temperatures, I maneuvered myself to the door while staying inside my sleeping bag. I wanted to heat my breakfast and coffee water inside my vestibule and get as much packing done as possible while staying all warm and cozy inside my down cocoon. As I started moving around I realized it was warmer than the previous night – a check of the thermometer on my GPS revealed a temperature of 47, warmer than most mornings in the Sierra. I ridiculed myself for being a baby and finally got out of my bag.

Sunrise Reflection
Sunrise Reflection

We packed up quickly and were on the trail by 4:50 am. Hiking by headlamp is fun, but we didn’t need them for too long. My eyes adjusted and the starlight reflected off of the light colored granite enough to see the way. The only disappointing thing about  starting this earlier is the inability to photograph the scene around us.

I mentioned in the blog entry from the previous day that Backpacker Magazine had named Guitar Lake as the best place to watch a sunset, but I have to disagree. It’s the best place to watch a sunrise. As we climbed the switchbacks to Trail Crest we could see the predawn sky start to lighten, creating a strip of pastels above the Kaweahs. Sunrise was scheduled for 6:10 am, and at 6:11 we could see the first morning alpenglow sunlight begin to hit the distant peaks. As we climbed, the sun did too, exposing more and more peaks. Eventually the lower lakes like Guitar and Hitchcock caught the colorful reflection and started to glow orange. It’s a trail experience unlike any other, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed it twice.

Sky Pilot (polemonium)
Sky Pilot (polemonium)

We dropped our packs at the junction below Trail Crest and headed up to Whitney. After a week of hiking with the pack on my back it felt like I was flying that final couple of miles to the summit! This is another favorite stretch of trail in the Sierra – the views and structure of the trail are just out of this world. Additionally, the polemonium (sky pilot) was in full bloom and brought a burst of color to the desolate granite landscape. This is my favorite flower, mostly because I can only find it in my favorite of places – the very highest peaks and passes in the Sierra.

It was a lot colder up there at 14000 ft, the wind was blowing, and the sun hadn’t yet hit the back side of Whitney so we didn’t spend a lot of time on the summit. Enough time to snap pictures, sign the log, take in the views and revel in the feeling of a successful trip, and then it was back down to warmer temperatures to thaw our hands and faces. We found a Staples Easy button in the summit register and delighted in pushing it. “That was easy!” it told us. I don’t know if I’d call it easy, but we were blessed with a successful trip without any major mishaps or injuries.

Signing the Summit Register:

Me on Mt Whitney
Me on Mt Whitney

Once you turn around off the summit there is another motivating factor, especially after spending a week on the trail: real food. On the hike down I would recite with each footstep: “burger…beer…burger…beer…burger…beer.” I don’t know if it made things go any faster, but it sure made me hungry. I also tried counting the 97 switchbacks. I lost count at 88. Guess I’ll have to go back!

Many of the 97 switchbacks
Many of the 97 switchbacks

We made it down to Whitney Portal around 1:30 pm and headed to the Portal store for cheeseburgers, fries, and beer. David pulled up to meet us just as we sat down – great timing! Then a few others showed up to welcome us back to civilization. We had quite a little party there at the Portal store, and finally left to continue it in Lone Pine. As we spent the night celebrating Paige’s birthday and our successful High Sierra Trail trip in the town of Lone Pine, I kept glancing back up at Mt Whitney, wondering when I’d be up there again. I’m already jonesing for another entry in the log sheet.

Mount Whitney from Guitar Lake, exit to Portal at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 6: Kern Canyon to Guitar Lake

Mount Whitney from Timberline Lake
Mount Whitney from Timberline Lake

Today started with a 6 am wake up call. Technically it looked like we had a big day in front of us – 10+ miles with almost 4000 feet of gain – but having done most of it before I knew that a lot of it was a pretty gentle and shaded climb. I was looking forward to climbing the rest of the way out of the Canyon and getting back into the high country.

The climb out of the canyon along Wallace Creek was really nice and enjoyable with views of the Kaweahs and sunrise over the Kern Canyon. I was really glad to be doing it in the morning though – it was another stretch that would have been hot and miserable in the midday sun. After a few miles we joined the John Muir Trail. From here on out it’s the same trail I hiked back in 2007.

Tarptent and Mt Whitney
Tarptent and Mt Whitney

We continued our trek to Guitar Lake with a brief stop at Crabtree to pick up the required Wag Bags and refill our water. From here, it was only a couple of miles and about 1000 feet of gain until Guitar Lake but I ended up taking it quite slowly. 11k is kind of a wall for me. I can cruise along below 11k barely noticing the altitude, but above that and suddenly it hits me. Although I don’t usually get any AMS symptoms (headache, nausea), I tend to slow down and suck air a lot harder.

So I took my time between Crabtree and Guitar, and that’s just fine. It’s a great stretch to stop and take in the views in all directions – Kaweahs to the west, Whitney to the east, and meadows and lakes surrounding you. You quickly climb above treeline and get incredible views of the Whitney ridge and surrounding peaks. It is so amazing to approach Whitney in this direction. I still don’t know why anyone would choose to do the horrible climb from the Portal to bag the summit when this is so much nicer.

Guitar Lake Sunset
Guitar Lake Sunset

I got to Guitar Lake around 1 pm and had a long afternoon of nothing in front of me. Again. I’m not complaining – I loved our afternoons of nothing! The only problem with Guitar Lake is the exposure. There is nowhere to escape from the sun, and since it was a hot afternoon, bailing to the oven that was my tent was not possible. So I lathered up with sunscreen, grabbed my camera, and went on a casual walk around the lake. Every once in a while a cool breeze would pick up, giving me a break from the hot sun.

After the long afternoon of recharging the batteries and acclimating, we waited for sunset with dinner and Paige’s birthday surprise from Greg – Snickers bars for all! Dinner timing was perfect – as soon as we were done the temperature dropped and we started adding layers. Sunset was late (around 7:15 pm, I think), so by the time the colors really popped it was freezing and we were bundled up. Quite a change from a few hours ago!

Backpacker Magazine named Guitar Lake as the best place to watch a sunset (and used one of Paige’s pictures in the article, natch), and I don’t know if it’s the *best* place I’ve ever watched one, but it has to be close. The peaks surrounding the lake all turn orange and the color reflects in the lake. It’s just beautiful, and a fitting way to enjoy our last night on the trail. As soon as it was done, however, we bailed to the warmth of our sleeping bags with our alarms set for a 4 am wake up. Tomorrow will be a big day with Mt Whitney and our return to civilization!

Video of our campsite at Guitar Lake:


Upper Kern Canyon to Guitar Lake at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 5: Kern Canyon

Kern Canyon
Kern Canyon

Day 5 was a quick and enjoyable day of hiking up the Kern Canyon. The canyon can be really hot and dry during the day, but in the morning it is protected from the sun and with the gentle uphill slope, it’s a nice stroll through the woods. Our hike took us about ten miles up canyon, and with the easy terrain, gradual slope, and relatively early start we were again able to spend an afternoon lounging around camp on the Kern River. The hardest part of the day was once we passed through Junction Meadow – a short 700 foot climb, which wouldn’t have been difficult under most situations, was a bit exposed for a midday climb and slowed me down a bit. In all, today’s hike was much more pleasant than I expected, based on my past hiking through Kern Canyon.

We found a beautiful campsite near an old cabin and moved right in. It was short scramble down to the river from camp and once there I found the most amazing lizard rock – a rock I could lay on all day and not need to move. It was flat and smooth and let me dangle my head and feet in the water. There was a similar rock down river that Paige found quite comfortable. Greg played waterslide between the two. The others fished for a while and pulled out some crazy looking trout – wish I had my camera with me at the time, I think they were some of the mixed breeds you can get in the Kern.

Waterslide!
Waterslide!

We had a great night around the campfire preparing for our final two days. While we tried to eat up and give away all of our extra food, we watched a cute little squirrel running up and down a nearby tree stocking his den for the winter. I wonder if he would have liked a Starburst. Oh well, too late to offer it to him.

Our plan was to get up earlier the next morning in prep for our early morning the next day, and also to get some of the climb out of the way before the mid-day heat. I spent some time with my journal and then enjoyed a great night of sleep accompanied by the white noise of the rushing Kern River.

Kern Hot Spring to Upper Kern at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 4: Moraine Lake to Kern Hot Spring

Morning on Moraine Lake
Morning on Moraine Lake

Today was a planned half-day of hiking, about seven miles down down down into Kern Canyon and the hot spring. The Kern river is a nice place to relax and fish, so we were looking forward to our afternoon off and started off the morning at a leisurely pace. I think we were the last ones to leave Moraine Lake. The one big concern about the day was rattlesnakes. It’s not common to find rattlers up high, but the trail would take us down to about 6500 feet while passing through a rattlesnake’s paradise. Several years ago the area burned, and now the trail is lined and overgrown with shady ferns that a rattlesnake would just love to nap under.

Kern Hot Spring
Kern Hot Spring

So we took off and hoped to make it through the rattlesnake gauntlet before the heat of the day. Last year both Paige and I encountered rattlesnakes on this stretch so I was extra alert this time. Of course, not a single rattlesnake was seen. When we reached our campsite slightly downriver of the spring, we also made sure it was rattlesnake free. The hike down wasn’t void of excitement, however. We had our first official Whitney sighting from a distance (it looked so far away!), and had a cute bird begging for food almost like a squirrel (no, we didn’t feed it).

We spent the afternoon relaxing along the river, fishing, and hanging out at the hot spring. At the spring we chatted with a friendly group from Mountain View and Sunnyvale (my town) and followed it up with a good night of sleep.

Moraine Lake to Kern Hot Spring at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 3: Precipice Lake to Moraine Lake

Morning at Precipice Lake
Morning at Precipice Lake

We took our time packing up and getting moving this morning, wanting to hang around to see the colors in Precipice pop with the mid-morning sun. There was another group that had stayed at the lake as well and had been a bit frustrating – I’d smelled cigarette smoke wafting in the air throughout the night, and when I went to the lake shore to fill my water and take photos, I picked up fresh butts they had left floating in the water. I’m sure I’ve unknowingly dropped my share of wrappers and litter, but these sure didn’t look like an accident. Ugh, stay out of the back country if you’re that lazy – I shudder to think about what else they are leaving behind.

Big Arroyo
Big Arroyo

Anyways, after seeing Precipice in yet another combination of colors, we headed up to Kaweah Gap to cross to the other side of the Great Western Divide. It’s a short and easy climb from Precipice and passes through some nice wildflower packed meadows. At the Gap we took in the view and pulled out the map to identify some possible future trips into 9 Lakes Basin. Greg pointed out that we had spent the night *on* the Great Western Divide – kind of cool.

The descent into Big Arroyo is another great stretch of trail. Wide open views down the canyon, back up into 9 Lakes Basin, and towards the Kaweah Ridge keep your attention for miles. There is a stream crossing with a nice foot soak and fishing pool where Paige caught the first trout of the trip on her second cast.

Laundry day at Moraine
Laundry day at Moraine

Shortly after the crossing the trail descends below treeline again. At a junction, we dropped our packs and walked the 500 feet off our route to check out the Big Arroyo Cabin. It looks strong and sturdy but is all closed up. I wonder what it is used for and how old it is?

After the junction the trail climbs out of Big Arroyo and up to Chagoopa Plateau. I’ll admit this is not my favorite stretch. The climb, although less than 2000 feet, feels longer than the previous day’s 4000 feet at times. Hot and exposed, it just goes on and on. Also, don’t believe any maps that show a lake at the top of the ascent. It’s now a dry lake slowly being taken over by the surrounding meadow. Not a drop in sight – fill up at the creek that crosses the trail about 600 feet below the top of the climb (which will be dry by mid to late August this year).

After the dry lake, it looks like a simple hop skip and a jump over to Moraine Lake. The trail is simple and easy, shaded and gradual – all that an easy hike should be. But for some reason this stretch just drags too. Maybe it was because I was looking forward to a swim in the lake so much, or maybe I was so spoiled from the previous day’s views that I was bored by the forest. All I know was that I was glad to finally see Moraine!

We set up at our favorite campsite at Moraine (this was the third night in a row that I pitched my tent in the exact same spot I’d pitched it last year), swam, did laundry, and had a nice campfire. After sleeping the first night on slanted ground and the second night on an exposed and sloped rock, I finally had a good night of sleep on the soft and flat forest floor.

Precipice Lake to Moraine Lake at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 2: 9-Mile Creek to Precipice Lake

Bearpaw High Sierra Camp
Bearpaw High Sierra Camp

Ah, the big day. I woke up both excited and anxious about the hike in front of me today since it was both one of the most scenic and hardest days on the itinerary. The second day is typically my most difficult on the trail, and having Day 2 be one of the hardest is a bit unnerving. On Day 1, I have the excitement and anticipation of being out on the trail that had been building for months to energize me, but on Day 2 reality sets in. I’m tired and sore from overdoing it the previous day, carrying a pack with a week’s worth of heavy food, and not yet acclimated.

Today’s hike went from our campsite at 9-Mile to Precipice Lake, an over 4000 ft climb in about 10 miles. Precipice is a beautiful place – probably my single favorite place on the High Sierra Trail, but it is not friendly to camping. Most people stop at Hamilton Lake or go over Kaweah Gap into Big Arroyo to camp (both are also stunning places).  Space at Precipice is very sparse and you’ll be sleeping out on a slanted granite slab somewhere without a tent. No campfires are allowed and it is windy and exposed.  If the weather is nice and you’re comfortable with the exposure, ‘camping’ is possible at Precipice. But please ask my permission first since I want first dibs on my favorite rock.

This year’s climb seemed much easier than last year. Come to think of it, the previous day’s hike was much easier than last year’s as well. I’ve been focusing a lot more on my running since last summer, and this was the first time that I noticed a significant endurance improvement to my hiking. I think this running thing is working. Or maybe it was because I knew the trail this time. Or maybe I was still acclimated from the previous week’s trip from Yosemite to Mammoth. Whatever it was, I liked it. Last year I was ready to collapse when I reached Precipice. This year I still had some energy reserves.

Ahhhhh
Ahhhhh

Of course, there are also several nice rest stops along this stretch of trail to help recharge the batteries. Bearpaw Meadow High Sierra Camp has some great views and friendly folks. If you’re lucky they may give you a brownie that’s a big enough calorie bomb to fuel you all the way to Precipice.

After leaving Bearpaw the trail drops into a canyon (oh the pain of going downhill, knowing you’re just going to have to climb back out) and then climbs back towards the Hamilton Lake outlet. Here, the trail crosses a delightful waterfall with perfect rock slabs for lounging, enjoying the view, and soaking feet.

Hamilton Lake
Hamilton Lake

It’s less than a mile from the fall to Hamilton Lake, and this lake is a can’t-miss spot for a swim. It’s clear and cool, a deep turquoise color with the Great Western Divide looming over it. We stopped for about an hour, swam, ate lunch, and stared at the remaining 2.5 miles and 2300 feet we had left to climb. Fortunately, this stretch is one of the most amazing trails in the Sierra. On the steep hillside, blasted out of solid rock (it even has a tunnel), the experience of hiking this stretch of trail is something every backpacker should experience. It’s just one of those stretches where everything is a solid 10.

Precipice Lake
Precipice Lake

Just when you think it can’t get any better, you pop off a switchback and Precipice Lake is right there, the solid granite wall straight in front of you, and your jaw drops to the ground. If possible I recommend hitting Precipice mid-day. That’s when the color in the lake is the best, but if you spend a few hours there you’ll see that the color is constantly changing. Green, turquoise, dark blue, black – it changes from moment to moment.

The only thing to detract from the feeling of remoteness are the military planes flying overhead. We’d hear them every 30 minutes or so, and it didn’t take long to find the flight pattern and be able to pick them out as they flew over. We would continue to see this for the rest of the week. The oddest thing was the sounds we’d occasionally hear after they passed overhead – a muffled “boom…boom…BOOM…boom”.

I’m looking back at my notes from my journal, and here is what I wrote right before I went to bed: “Sitting here at 8:15 pm next to my open air camp, listening to the trickle of water falling from the glacier into Precipice. Writing sans headlamp to the fading pink sunset light. Watching bats chase bugs. Doesn’t get any better than this.”

9-Mile Creek to Precipice Lake at EveryTrail

High Sierra Trail Day 1: Wolverton to 9-Mile Creek

Bear near Wolverton
Bear near Wolverton

One of the biggest headaches when planning a longer hike is figuring out the car/parking/shuttle arrangements. Generally, these kind of hikes start and end hundreds of miles apart and it can be a nightmare arranging transportation. The High Sierra Trail is no exception. With the beginning and ending trailheads on opposite sides of a mountain range with no through roads, shuttling between the two is 10x the distance of the hike itself. We were prepared for this and had scheduled shuttle days, and although we weren’t looking forward to that part, we accepted it as a necessary evil in order to have the best trail experience possible.

So you can imagine our happiness when David offered to drop us off at the starting trailhead on Sunday August 9th and pick us up at the ending trailhead the next Saturday. Poor guy didn’t even get to hike with us due to limited vacation time, and here he was volunteering to drive hours and hours to save us the trouble. I knew I married him for a reason! Also, it was a great excuse to drive out for our post-hike party in Lone Pine, but that’s a story for another day.

We started off at the Wolverton Trailhead in Sequoia National Park. Now, the High Sierra Trail officially starts at the Crescent Meadow trailhead, but Wolverton is so much nicer. It has a climb, but it’s shaded and after 2.5 miles of a gentle climb through the woods to Panther Gap you get to experience a sudden and instant view into the high terrain you’ll be hiking through in the coming days. It’s a nice reward, and the trail is less exposed and more enjoyable than the Crescent Meadow counterpart.

Great Western Divide
Great Western Divide

After David dropped us off, he left for the drive back to the Bay Area. I had tried to convince him to dayhike with us to Panther Gap, and it’s too bad he didn’t! We had the best wildlife sightings of the trip within this first mile. A fat marmot waddled across the trail in front of us only minutes from the parking lot. Less than an hour in, I came around a curve to see Greg waiting for me. I said (at full volume), “what is it?” and he shushed me and raised his arms in a mimicked ‘rooooaaaar!!’ There was a bear casually poking around a fallen log for a tasty lunch of grubs. We got lots of pictures (unfortunately most were shaded, so didn’t turn out great), and eventually moved on and let the bear have his lunch in peace.

Sneezeweed
Sneezeweed

Once we passed over Panther Gap the wildlife excitement was replaced with wildflowers. The trail was lined with colorful sneezeweed, larkspur, paintbrush, geranium, and more. I kept falling behind Paige and Greg when stopping to photograph the flowers, my favorite subject. Eventually we reached camp at 9-Mile, not the most comfortable and scenic place to camp, but it’s a good first-night destination when carrying a heavy pack, starting late, and getting acclimated. We got to enjoy some more wildlife when a mama deer and her two spotted fawns passed through camp to get some water. One of the poor little fawns was a bundle of nerves near us and kept squeaking for his mama, so we moved away so they could be reunited. Awww.  Didn’t sleep too well due to the slanted campsite (there are no real flat spots along 9-Mile) and the snorts of a bear that kept poking around the campsite for food (unsuccessfully, I might add) between midnight and 2 am.

Wolverton to 9-Mile Creek at EveryTrail