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{{short description|Off-trail route in California's High Sierra}}
[[Image:MinaretLake.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Sierra High Route along Minaret Lake]]
{{Distinguish|High Sierra Trail}}
{{Infobox hiking trail
|name=Sierra High Route
|photo=MinaretLake.jpg
|caption=High Route hikers travel around [[Minaret Lake]]<ref name=Roper/>{{Rp|166}}
|location=Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA
|designation=
|length={{convert|195|mi|km}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}<br>(different source: 220 miles)<ref name=Howe/>
|trailheads=[[Yosemite NP]] {{Coord|38.146859|-119.377522|region:US-CA_type:landmark|format=dms|name=Kings Canyon}}<br>[[Kings Canyon NP]] {{Coord|36.795574|-118.584366|region:US-CA_type:landmark|format=dms|name=Sierra Crest trailhead}}
|use=
|elev_change=
|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>
|lowest= Cedar Grove, {{convert|5020|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=caltopo/>
|difficulty=
|season=
|months=
|sights=
|hazards=
}}
⚫
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 — 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}}
⚫
The '''Sierra High Route''' (also called the '''Roper Route''') is a cross-country hiking route, 195 miles (314 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'' (1982; 1997).


Roper divides the route into five segments:
In cross-country [[Backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]] terminology, a "route" is an unmarked passage through the wilderness. Without a trail to follow, hikers must find their way by consulting the route finder’s descriptions, their [[topographical map]]s, and their [[Compass|compasses]]. Sometimes it is necessary to send members of the hiking party ahead to scout terrain. As well, hikers may use [[Global Positioning System|GPS devices]] to pinpoint their location. 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&mdash;wondering what the next turn will reveal."<ref>Roper, Steve (1997) ''Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.'' Seattle: The Mountaineers. p. 12.</ref>
⚫
* ''[[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.
⚫
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 9,000 and 11,500 feet (2,743 and 3,505 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-[[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.
⚫
* ''Lake Country:'' Lake Italy to [[Devils Postpile National Monument|Devils Postpile]] by way of Bear Lakes Basin, Mono Lakes Basin, the Recesses, the Silver Divide, and the Mammoth Crest.

Very few people have hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one trip. 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 National Monument|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]].
* ''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 National Park |Yosemite's]] north country.
* ''Canyon Country:'' Tuolumne Meadows to [[Twin Lakes (Bridgeport, California)|Twin Lakes]] through [[Yosemite National Park|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]].
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. He described his trip in a series of [[podcast]]s (see “External references”).
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>


== External references ==
== 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
General information
* [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://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/ca/roper_highsierra.htm The Sierra High Route: A Journey at Timberline], Steve Roper recounts his discovery of the Sierra High Route
* [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
* [http://rodale.typepad.com/backpacker_podcasts/2006/08/index.html Roper Route podcasts], ''Backpacker'' magazine editor Steve Howe delivers podcasts from the route
* [http://www.redpoint.org/HSR/highlights.html High Sierra Route Highlights], general descriptions of the route
* [http://www.redpoint.org/HSR/Maps/index.html Sierra High Route: Maps and Itinerary], maps and planning advice
* [http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett/shr/questions.html Questions and Answers], FAQ about the route
* [http://www.outdoorsclub.org/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=14002&PagePosition=1&ThPage=1 Outdoor's Club Message Board: Steve Roper's Sierra High Route], a discussion about a failed excursion
''Cirque Country''
* [http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett/shr/leg1.html Road’s End to Bishop], an account of this segment of the route with excellent photos
* [http://outside.chromoly.net/highRoute/ Roper’s Sierra High Route – Section 1], an account with photos and maps
* [http://www.accesscom.com/~ddonehoo/ctcc/ctcc1.htm Circle the Cirque Crest], "Cirque Crest in Kings Canyon National Park, mostly on the Sierra High Route"
* [http://sekihiker.home.comcast.net/DumbbellLakes/index.html Dumbbell Lakes], a description of part of this segment
* [http://www.highonadventure.com/Hoa00jun/Sierra/sierra.htm Towering Peaks and Azure Lakes Reward a Timberline Trek], another description of this segment
''Whitebark Country''
* [http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/ca/roper_highsierra5.htm Sierra High Route: Kings Canyon to the Second Recess], Roper’s account of this trail segment
* [http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/204292063DBnuAH Snow-Tongue Pass to Wahoo Lakes], photos and route-finding in this difficult area
* [http://community.webshots.com/album/394632585CPfmnj Mesa Lake to Puppet Lake], photos and commentary on this portion
* [http://jimsauer.com/?a=58 Sierra High Route], a description, with photos, of the Muriel Lake to Deer Lakes segment of this route
* [http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/459161226YqZNAv?start=0 Days 1-3 of the SHR], photos and commentary on the French Canyon to LaSalle Lake portion of this segment
''Lake Country''
* [http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/ca/roper_highsierra6.htm Sierra High Route: Silver Divide to Rainbow Fall], Roper’s description of this trail segment
''Headwaters Country''
* [http://arden.org/photos/2003TransSierra/index.html 2003 Trans-Sierra Backpacking Trip], an account of part this segment, with a detour to [[Yosemite Valley]]
* [http://www.exo.net/~pauld/adventures/sierrahighroute/highroute2003.html Mt. Lyell: Up and Around], an account of climbing Mount Lyell and hiking the Sierra High Route from Thousand Island Lakes to Vogelsang Pass
''Canyon Country''
* [http://forums.backpacker.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/603107219/m/4371037251/inc/1 Sierra High Route North of Tuolumne Meadows Trip Report], a report of a trip in this area
* [http://www.adventuretaxi.com/view_articles.php?cmd=det&id=154 The Sierra High Route in Northern Yosemite], outline of a trip in this area


⚫
==References==
== Further reading ==
{{Reflist}}
* Roper, Steve (1997) ''Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.'' Seattle: The Mountaineers. ISBN 0-89886-506-9.


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{{Sierra Nevada}}
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== References ==
{{California hiking trails}}
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>


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[[Category:Sierra Nevada]]
[[Category:Yosemite]]
[[Category:Hiking trails in California]]
[[Category:Hiking trails in California]]
[[Category:Sierra Nevada (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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