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{{short description|Off-trail route in California's High Sierras}}
{{short description|Off-trail route in California's High Sierra}}
{{Distinguish|High Sierra Trail}}
{{Distinguish|High Sierra Trail}}
{{Infobox hiking trail
{{Infobox hiking trail
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|highest= Near [[Feather Peak]], {{convert|12360|ft|m|0|abbr=on|adj=pre|+}}<ref>Col directly to the southeast</ref><ref name=caltopo>{{cite web | url=https://caltopo.com/m/K9FL | title=Sierra High Route - CalTopo }}</ref>
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|lowest= Cedar Grove, {{convert|5020|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=caltopo/>
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The '''Sierra High Route''' (also called the '''Roper Route''' and the '''High Route''') is a cross-country hiking route, {{convert|195|mi|km}} long, through the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]. It was scouted by [[Steve Roper]] and described by him in his book ''Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country''.<ref name=Roper>{{Cite book |last=Roper |first=Steve |year=1997 |origyear=1982 |title=Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uKvYWJ2IBMEC&pg=PA12 |format=[[Google Books]] |edition=Second |location=Seattle |publisher=The Mountaineers |page=12,14,166,169,170,175|isbn=9780898865066 }}</ref>
The '''Sierra High Route''' (also called the '''Roper Route''' and the '''High Route''') is a cross-country hiking route, {{convert|195|mi|km}} long, through the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]. It was scouted by [[Steve Roper]] and described by him in his book ''Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country''.<ref name=Roper>{{Cite book |last=Roper |first=Steve |year=1997 |orig-year=1982 |title=Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uKvYWJ2IBMEC&pg=PA12 |format=[[Google Books]] |edition=Second |location=Seattle |publisher=The Mountaineers |page=12,14,166,169,170,175|isbn=9780898865066 }}</ref>


Much of the Sierra High Route runs parallel to the [[John Muir Trail]], staying east of that trail and keeping above the [[Tree line|timberline]] to higher elevations&mdash;between {{convert|9000|and|11500|ft|m}}. About a third of the route follows maintained hiking trails (including {{convert|28|mi|km}} of the John Muir Trail); the rest of the route traverses off-trail meadowlands, granite slabs, and, at high elevations, difficult loose-[[scree|talus]] terrain. Hiking the route does not require advanced [[mountaineering]] skills, but the hiker occasionally encounters [[Yosemite Decimal System|class-3]] rock faces in which footholds and handholds must be carefully chosen and tested. The route requires the use of route descriptions, [[topographical map]]s, and one or more instruments (e.g., [[compass]], [[Global Positioning System|GPS receiver]]) to navigate. Writes Roper in ''Sierra High Route'', "High Route adventurers will not be put off by the lack of an actual trail, since much of the singular joy of cross-country travel lies in wandering through the timberline country as the pioneers did--wondering what the next turn will reveal."<ref name=Roper/>{{Rp|12}}
Much of the Sierra High Route runs parallel to the [[John Muir Trail]], staying east of that trail and keeping above the [[Tree line|timberline]] to higher elevations — between {{convert|9000|and|11500|ft|m}}. About a third of the route follows maintained hiking trails (including {{convert|28|mi|km}} of the John Muir Trail); the rest of the route traverses off-trail meadowlands, granite slabs, and, at high elevations, difficult loose-[[scree|talus]] terrain. Hiking the route does not require advanced [[mountaineering]] skills, but the hiker occasionally encounters [[Yosemite Decimal System|class-3]] rock faces in which footholds and handholds must be carefully chosen and tested. The route requires the use of route descriptions, [[topographical map]]s, and one or more instruments (e.g., [[compass]], [[Global Positioning System|GPS receiver]]) to navigate. Writes Roper in ''Sierra High Route'', "High Route adventurers will not be put off by the lack of an actual trail, since much of the singular joy of cross-country travel lies in wandering through the timberline country as the pioneers did--wondering what the next turn will reveal."<ref name=Roper/>{{Rp|12}}


Very few people have hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one trip. Roper divides the route into five segments:
Roper divides the route into five segments:
* ''[[Cirque]] Country:'' Cedar Grove to Dusy Basin, traversing the Monarch Divide, Lake ([[Cartridge Creek]]) Basin, Upper Basin, Palisades Basin, Barrett Lakes Basin, and Dusy Basin.
* ''[[Cirque]] Country:'' Cedar Grove to Dusy Basin, traversing the Monarch Divide, Lake ([[Cartridge Creek]]) Basin, Upper Basin, Palisades Basin, Barrett Lakes Basin, and Dusy Basin.
* ''Whitebark Country:'' Dusy Basin to Lake Italy, through LeConte Canyon, Muir Pass, [[Evolution Basin]], the Glacier Divide, Humphrey's Basin, and Bear Lakes Basin.
* ''Whitebark Country:'' Dusy Basin to Lake Italy, through LeConte Canyon, Muir Pass, [[Evolution Basin]], the Glacier Divide, Humphrey's Basin, and Bear Lakes Basin.
Line 32: Line 32:
From south to north (the direction Roper recommends hiking it), the Sierra High Route passes through [[Kings Canyon National Park]], the [[Inyo National Forest]], and [[Yosemite National Park]].
From south to north (the direction Roper recommends hiking it), the Sierra High Route passes through [[Kings Canyon National Park]], the [[Inyo National Forest]], and [[Yosemite National Park]].


In 2006, ''[[Backpacker (magazine)|Backpacker]]'' magazine editor Steve Howe hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one month.<ref name=Howe>{{Cite web |last=Howe |first=Steve |date=August 31, 2006 |title=Sierra High Route, Day 6: Suddenly, solitude disappears |url=http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html |work=Backpacker Podcasts |accessdate=2010-08-25 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927145125/http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html |archivedate = 2007-09-27}}</ref>
In 2006, ''[[Backpacker (magazine)|Backpacker]]'' magazine editor Steve Howe hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one month.<ref name=Howe>{{Cite web |last=Howe |first=Steve |date=August 31, 2006 |title=Sierra High Route, Day 6: Suddenly, solitude disappears |url=http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html |work=Backpacker Podcasts |access-date=2010-08-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927145125/http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html |archive-date = 2007-09-27}}</ref>

==Southern Sierra High Route==
In 2014, Alan Dixon and Don Wilson developed the Southern Sierra High Route, a similar cross-country route that can be hiked as an extension to the Sierra High Route, or on its own.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dixon |first1=Alan |last2=Wilson |first2=Don |title=Southern Sierra High Route - An Alternative to the JMT |url=https://www.adventurealan.com/southern-sierra-high-route-soshr-guide/ |website=Adventure Alan |accessdate=2 June 2020}}</ref> The route is divided into four sections, given from north to south:
* ''South Lake to Upper Basin'': Starting at South Lake near [[Bishop, California|Bishop]], the Southern Sierra High Route joins the SHR at Dusy Basin and runs concurrently with it until Upper Basin, parallel to the [[Palisades (California Sierra)|Palisades]]. Dixon and Wilson include an optional spur route to the summit of [[Mount Sill]].
* ''Upper Basin to Vidette Meadow'': Here, the Sierra High Route turns to the west and departs the High Sierra, while the Southern Sierra High Route continues south. Two routes are given for this section of the trail: one which follows the John Muir Trail into Woods Hole, and an off-trail route that leaves the JMT after Pinchot Pass and travels over the summit of [[Mount Baxter (California)|Mount Baxter]], before rejoining the JMT near Glen Pass. If the off-trail path is taken, the Southern Sierra High Route never descends below 10,000 feet.
* ''Vidette Meadow to Upper Boy Scout Lake'': While the John Muir Trail continues south to [[Forester Pass]], the Southern Sierra High Route turns slightly east to Junction Pass. What follows is the most treacherous section of the route; over Shepherd Pass, past Wright Lakes and Tulainyo Lake, and over the summit ridge of [[Mount Russell (California)|Mount Russell]], before descending to Upper Boy Scout Lake.
* ''Upper Boy Scout Lake to Horseshoe Meadows'': From Upper Boy Scout Lake, the Southern Sierra High Route takes the Mountaineer's Route to the summit of [[Mount Whitney]], a class 3 scramble. There, it follows the [[Mount Whitney Trail]] for a few miles, before heading south to Sky Blue Lake, where the Southern Sierra High Route rejoins the trail for good. From there, the route passes over New Army Pass into Horsehoe Meadow, where the route meets its southern end at Cottonwood Lakes trailhead.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100507103222/http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-inyo-national-forest-yosemite-bishop-sierra-nevada-mountains-sidwcmdev_054016.html The Sierra High Route: A Journey at Timberline], Steve Roper recounts his discovery of the Sierra High Route
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100507103222/http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-inyo-national-forest-yosemite-bishop-sierra-nevada-mountains-sidwcmdev_054016.html The Sierra High Route: A Journey at Timberline], Steve Roper recounts his discovery of the Sierra High Route
* [http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-yosemite-inyo-national-forest-sierra-nevada-mountains-california-sidwcmdev_054025.html Sierra High Route: Kings Canyon to the Second Recess], Roper’s account of this trail segment
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100409042042/http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-yosemite-inyo-national-forest-sierra-nevada-mountains-california-sidwcmdev_054025.html Sierra High Route: Kings Canyon to the Second Recess], Roper's account of this trail segment
* [http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-sequoia-kings-canyon-national-park-fresno-inyo-national-forest-yosemite-sidwcmdev_054021.html Sierra High Route: Silver Divide to Rainbow Fall], Roper’s description of this trail segment
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100427074909/http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-sequoia-kings-canyon-national-park-fresno-inyo-national-forest-yosemite-sidwcmdev_054021.html Sierra High Route: Silver Divide to Rainbow Fall], Roper's description of this trail segment
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927145125/http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html Podcast description of route]



==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Sierra Nevada}}
{{California hiking trails}}


[[Category:Hiking trails in California]]
[[Category:Hiking trails in California]]
[[Category:Sierra Nevada (U.S.)]]
[[Category:Sierra Nevada (United States)]]
[[Category:Long-distance trails in the United States]]
[[Category:Long-distance trails in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 01:20, 6 December 2023

Not to be confused with High Sierra Trail.
Sierra High Route
High Route hikers travel around Minaret Lake[1]: 166 
Length195 miles (314 km)[citation needed]
(different source: 220 miles)[2]
LocationSierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA
TrailheadsYosemite NP 38°08′49″N 119°22′39″W / 38.146859°N 119.377522°W / 38.146859; -119.377522 (Kings Canyon)
Kings Canyon NP 36°47′44″N 118°35′04″W / 36.795574°N 118.584366°W / 36.795574; -118.584366 (Sierra Crest trailhead)
Highest pointNear Feather Peak, 12,360+ ft (3,767 m)[3][4]
Lowest pointCedar Grove, 5,020 ft (1,530 m)[4]

The Sierra High Route (also called the Roper Route and the High Route) is a cross-country hiking route, 195 miles (314 km) long, through the Sierra Nevada. It was scouted by Steve Roper and described by him in his book Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.[1]

Much of the Sierra High Route runs parallel to the John Muir Trail, staying east of that trail and keeping above the timberline to higher elevations — between 9,000 and 11,500 feet (2,700 and 3,500 m). About a third of the route follows maintained hiking trails (including 28 miles (45 km) of the John Muir Trail); the rest of the route traverses off-trail meadowlands, granite slabs, and, at high elevations, difficult loose-talus terrain. Hiking the route does not require advanced mountaineering skills, but the hiker occasionally encounters class-3 rock faces in which footholds and handholds must be carefully chosen and tested. The route requires the use of route descriptions, topographical maps, and one or more instruments (e.g., compass, GPS receiver) to navigate. Writes Roper in Sierra High Route, "High Route adventurers will not be put off by the lack of an actual trail, since much of the singular joy of cross-country travel lies in wandering through the timberline country as the pioneers did--wondering what the next turn will reveal."[1]: 12 

Roper divides the route into five segments:

  • Cirque Country: Cedar Grove to Dusy Basin, traversing the Monarch Divide, Lake (Cartridge Creek) Basin, Upper Basin, Palisades Basin, Barrett Lakes Basin, and Dusy Basin.
  • Whitebark Country: Dusy Basin to Lake Italy, through LeConte Canyon, Muir Pass, Evolution Basin, the Glacier Divide, Humphrey's Basin, and Bear Lakes Basin.
  • Lake Country: Lake Italy to Devils Postpile by way of Bear Lakes Basin, Mono Lakes Basin, the Recesses, the Silver Divide, and the Mammoth Crest.
  • Headwaters Country: Devil's Postpile to Tuolumne Meadows, crossing the Ritter Range and the Cathedral Range. Roper calls this "Headwaters Country" because the route crosses headwaters of the San Joaquin River.
  • Canyon Country: Tuolumne Meadows to Twin Lakes through Yosemite's north country.

From south to north (the direction Roper recommends hiking it), the Sierra High Route passes through Kings Canyon National Park, the Inyo National Forest, and Yosemite National Park.

In 2006, Backpacker magazine editor Steve Howe hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one month.[2]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Roper, Steve (1997) [1982]. Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country (Google Books) (Second ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. p. 12,14,166,169,170,175. ISBN 9780898865066.
  2. ^ a b Howe, Steve (August 31, 2006). "Sierra High Route, Day 6: Suddenly, solitude disappears". Backpacker Podcasts. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  3. ^ Col directly to the southeast
  4. ^ a b "Sierra High Route - CalTopo".
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