Just compared the High Sierra Trail to the John Muir Trail for a 7-day trip

The JMT's constant elevation gain was brutal, but the HST's gradual climb and varied scenery made the whole thing way more enjoyable. Anyone have a favorite route in that area that's under 50 miles?

3 comments

3 Comments

stone.sarah1mo ago

Tell me more about the varied scenery on the HST. Was it the shift from giant trees to the high peaks that did it, or something specific like Hamilton Lakes? I did a section near Red's Meadow last year and the terrain felt kinda samey after a while.

markl751mo ago

The switch from the forest to the alpine zone is huge, @stone.sarah. For me, the stark change at the Kaweah Gap right after Precipice Lake was the real kicker. That first view of the Big Arroyo feels like stepping onto another planet.

jordanr891d ago

...actually I gotta call something out real quick about the High Sierra Trail. The section from Crescent Meadow down to the Kaweah River isn't a gradual climb at all. You drop like 2000 feet in the first 6 miles, then climb back up over 3000 feet to get to the Goodale Pass area. That first day is more of a leg burner than most of the JMT's steady ups and downs. I did the HST last August and my knees were screaming on that drop into the canyon. There's also the 9 mile dry stretch along the Big Arroyo that nobody talks about - you gotta carry a ton of water through that exposed section. The varied scenery is amazing once you get past that, but the first 15 miles are no joke. For a sub-50 mile option in that area, check out the Rae Lakes loop out of Road's End, it's got that same mix of forest and alpine without the huge elevation swings.