The time is nigh and the Sierra is calling. Melody and I have resolved to undertake a long distance backpacking trip in the Sierra every ten years. We love the Sierra. It is our wilderness homeland and a place that we want to reconnect with again and again.
In 2005, Melody and I undertook our first major adventure together, a 700 mile traverse of the Sierra Nevada from north to south. On this trip we mostly followed the PCT and JMT. The experience blew us away, both in the spectacle of Sierra beauty that was at every turn but also in the way that it solidified our partnership in life and as companions bound for a lifetime of adventure together.
Now nearly ten years later, during Melody’s 40th year, we are planning to return to the Sierra for a reunion with a place that is fundamental to us. This summer we are planning a hike that will start on the western slope of the Sierra in the Emigrant Wilderness and continue on a long distance loop reaching as far south a King’s Canyon then returning north via a mostly cross-country route called the Sierra High Route.
We chose this route because it focuses in on our most favorite places in the range. It will allow us to explore deeper into the High Sierra than we ever have before and will offer us the chance to move without the aid of a trail for long distances.
From the Emigrant Wilderness we will cross the Sierra, both on trail and off, into the Yosemite Hinterlands. The Hinterlands are the back of beyond and home to our favorite places in the park where we will pick up our old friend the PCT and travel south. Using the PCT we will reach Tuolumne Meadows where we will join the JMT. From there we will follow the JMT south to Mt. Whitney for our traditional sunrise summit of the highest peak in the lower 48. From Whitney we will follow a modified version of the High Sierra Trail, including some cross-country sections, to Road’s End in Kings Canyon, the end of a 350+ mile “warm-up”!
Road’s End marks the southern terminus of Steve Roper’s masterpiece, the Sierra High Route. We will follow the route north, hiking mostly cross-country, through some of the most remote and fabled Sierra basins back toward Yosemite. We have built in time to detour even deeper into the wilderness to visit spots that we have dreamed of for years (can you say Ionian Basin?). We’ll also be able to take in the views from remote Sierra peaks along the way.
In the end, 250 miles later, we will finish at Mono Village in Twin Lakes only some 30 miles as the crow flies from our start. On our final section, we will nearly touch the line that we headed south on, closing the loop of this hike.
Both of us are tremendously excited. We are currently preparing madly for the adventure. We are updating our ultralight gear. It seems we will be headed out with the lightest packs we have ever had. The details of the route, resupply points, and meals are being planned. We’re planning on keeping trail journals as we did on our hike ten years ago. You will be able to find them all here on this blog.
Much has changed in the past decade and our journals will change with it. We hope to be able to send back sound and video along with photos and stories about our trip as it unfolds.
One of the most memorable parts of our last Sierra hike was meeting up with friends along the way. So much kindness, joy and excitement was shared with our favorite people when we would hike with them for a few days or meet up at a trailhead. We’d like to make this happen again so look for information from us coming your way and come out and spend a few days on the trail with us!
You’ll find lots more about our trip posted here as we get closer to our launch date. We’ll tell you about our packs and food and all our plans. Be sure to check back and see what we are up to.
For now I’ll leave you with a peek into the past. Here is a link to our trail journals from our first Sierra adventure 10 years ago and here are the photos.
Enjoy!