Background
In the summer of 2011 I had my first extended backpacking adventure on the John Muir Trail. It was a great experience, one that has inspired me on many thrilling adventures. Through these experiences I have gained an appreciation for designing personal adventures whether near the Colorado Trail, Big Bend National Park, Wind River Range, or the North Country Trail. These opportunities have opened up possibilities that wouldn't have been possible if I had limited myself to trails.
The Sierra High Route has always been on my list of top hikes in North America. While researching it, I have become inspired to complete an even larger route, one that will take at least a month and combine some of the most scenic and remote locations in the Sierra. Somewhere I heard the idea of a loop with the John Muir Trail (JMT) and it made me wonder, would it be possible to do a loop with the Sierra High Route(SHR)? Maybe it could even be done without much hiking on the JMT at all.
As I have investigated route options I have discovered several other excellent off-trail routes that can be a part of the route. The big three that form a significant portion the loop include the previously mentioned Sierra High Route, Skurka's Kings Canyon High Basin Route (KCHBR), and Dixon and Wilson's Southern Sierra High Route(SoSHR). The designers of these routes have put a lot of thought, research, and experience into these exceptional routes. Please refer to them for detailed information for corresponding sections of the loop.
There were a few gaps and I have recieved helpful advice from online forums such as highsierratopix.com and also researching other trip reports online.
At this point I have come quite near to finalizing my route. Certainly with a route like this there will be a great deal of flexibility. If you have stumbled upon this page, some portions of this route may not be for you. For example, I included a section of the JMT from Shadow Lake to Red's Meadow as I missed it when I hiked the JMT. Do your research and find the best route for that meets your needs and skill level. Hike your own hike and hike at your own risk.
Ideally I will begin my hike in August 2017.
Great Sierra Loop
Youtube playlist of Google Earth flyover overview and flyovers of all ten sections.
This Great Sierra Loop is a narrow loop that stretches from Twin Lakes all the way south of Mount Whitney to Horseshoe Meadows. My goal is to find the most remote and scenic non-technical route while utilizing the JMT/PCT only went it offers the finest scenery.
The route is ~600 miles long with a significant portion of off-trail travel. This will no doubt be a challenging but rewarding hike. It includes > 65 passes and over 100,000 feet of elevation gain. It passes through some of the most remote locations in the lower 48 and in all the Sierra. The route is divided into ten sections based off surprisingly available resupply points.
1. Twin Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows
Starting clockwise in the north at Twin Lakes the Great Sierra Loop follows the Sierra High Route to Tuolumne Meadows.
2. Tuolumne Meadows to Red's Meadow
3. Red's to Bishop Pass
*profile is actually backwards (Bishop to Red's)
4. Bishop Pass to Horseshoe Meadows
5. Horseshoe Meadows to Road's End
6. Roads End to VVR
From Road's End the route follows the shared SHR/SoSHR until descending to and crossing the Middle Fork of the Kings River and ascending Goddard Creek. The route continues to climb with an option of a side trip to the summit of Mount Goddard via the Southwest Ridge/West Chute Route. Then it descends to Martha Lake and continues through Goddard Canyon. Next it follows Piute Creek before climbing up to Turret Lakes and Three Island Lake. Then the route joins the JMT and follows it to the Bear Ridge Trail and VVR.
7. VVR to Red's Meadow
8. Red's Meadow to Yosemite Valley
From Red's Meadow the Great Sierra Loop follows the Sierra High Route until after Blue Lake Pass. Then it follows trails in Yosemite over Red Peak Pass and along Illilouette Creek. Then the loop follows the Panorama and Pohono trails for great views of Yosemite Valley before descending and hiking through the valley. (If looking for more solitude the Yosemite Valley ection can be skipped by heading from Illilouette Creek to Nevada Fall and continuing the route).
9. Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows
10. Tuolumne Meadows to Twin Lakes (west)
From Tuolumne Meadows the Great Sierra Loop follows the Pacific Crest Trail to Smedberg Lake. Then it goes off-trail to Doe Lake and then over Suicide Ridge to Rock Island Lake. Next it follows trail over Rock Island Pass and past Crown, Robinson, and Barney Lakes before turning east and finishing at Twin Lakes.
Here is a caltopo.com map of the route (current as of 4/3/16):
Logistics
As a loop a hike on the Great Sierra Loop can start at many locations and there are several options for public transportation.
A bear canister will be required for the majority of this route.
Permits
I believe only a single permit is necessary for this route. I believe as long as a backcountry hiker attains a permit from the entry trailhead, that permit should be valid for the entire hike unless the hiker leaves the backcountry for greater than 24 hours.
If this is the case, then acquiring a permit will not be an issue as a hiker will be able to choose any available trailhead along the loop.
As a loop a hike on the Great Sierra Loop can start at many locations and there are several options for public transportation.
A bear canister will be required for the majority of this route.
Permits
I believe only a single permit is necessary for this route. I believe as long as a backcountry hiker attains a permit from the entry trailhead, that permit should be valid for the entire hike unless the hiker leaves the backcountry for greater than 24 hours.
If this is the case, then acquiring a permit will not be an issue as a hiker will be able to choose any available trailhead along the loop.
Useful resources
Sierra High Route
Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country
SHR passes: http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7509
Ultimate Sierra High Route Ideas- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=79744
SHR trip report- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=68276
SHR notes, thoughts, and photos- http://talusfield.net/blog/2014/8/30/sierra-high-route-route-notes-thoughts-and-photos
Southern Sierra High Route
http://www.adventurealan.com/SoSHR/
Kings Canyon High Basin Route
http://andrewskurka.com/adventures/kings-canyon-high-basin-route/
Kings Canyon and Sequoia hikes- http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~sierrahiker/
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,58544
Sierra High Route
Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country
SHR passes: http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7509
Ultimate Sierra High Route Ideas- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=79744
SHR trip report- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=68276
SHR notes, thoughts, and photos- http://talusfield.net/blog/2014/8/30/sierra-high-route-route-notes-thoughts-and-photos
Southern Sierra High Route
http://www.adventurealan.com/SoSHR/
Kings Canyon High Basin Route
http://andrewskurka.com/adventures/kings-canyon-high-basin-route/
Kings Canyon and Sequoia hikes- http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~sierrahiker/
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,58544
Maps:
Andrew Skurka's SHR mapset-http://andrewskurka.com/product/sierra-high-route-map-set-databook/SOSHR mapset
KCHBR mapset
SoSHR mapset
KCHBR mapset
SoSHR mapset
Sequoia/Kings Canyon Trails Illustrated 205
Yosemite Trails Illustrated 206
http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com
erik the black jmt (personally owned)
And if this loop isn't enough see the comment below for a northern extension!
http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com
erik the black jmt (personally owned)
And if this loop isn't enough see the comment below for a northern extension!
