The Sierra High Route vs. the JMT last summer

I had to pick between the Sierra High Route and the John Muir Trail for a 10 day trip in August. Went with the High Route for the solitude, and honestly crossing those Class 3 passes solo wore me out more than I expected. Anyone else find route finding adds a whole other layer of exhaustion?

2 comments

2 Comments

eva_lewis7d ago

Crossing those Class 3 passes solo wore me out more than I expected" - yeah no kidding, it's like playing chess while running a marathon. The route finding alone makes you feel like you're mapping the moon every time you look at a pile of rocks. I did the High Route a couple years back and spent half my time second guessing every cairn. Gets old fast when you're already tired from hauling your life on your back. The JMT is basically a sidewalk in comparison, but that solitude on the High Route is something else. Hard to beat waking up alone in the middle of nowhere even if your legs hate you for it.

allen.amy7d ago

Man that cairn second guessing is the worst. I did a loop in the Winds last year and must have backtracked like three times on one pass because I kept convincing myself the pile of rocks was just a random pile of rocks. By day 4 I was practically hugging every cairn I found just out of relief.