Sierra High Route

The Sierra High Route along Minaret Lake

The Sierra High Route (also called the Roper 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 (1982; 1997).

In cross-country 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 maps, and their compasses. Sometimes it is necessary to send members of the hiking party ahead to scout terrain. As well, hikers may use 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—wondering what the next turn will reveal."

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 (2,743 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-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.

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 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. He described his trip in a series of podcasts (see “External references”).

External references

General information

• The Sierra High Route: A Journey at Timberline, Steve Roper recounts his discovery of the Sierra High Route
• Roper Route podcasts, Backpacker magazine editor Steve Howe delivers podcasts from the route
• High Sierra Route Highlights, general descriptions of the route
• Sierra High Route: Maps and Itinerary, maps and planning advice
• Questions and Answers, FAQ about the route
• Outdoor's Club Message Board: Steve Roper's Sierra High Route, a discussion about a failed excursion

Cirque Country

• Road’s End to Bishop, an account of this segment of the route with excellent photos
• Roper’s Sierra High Route – Section 1, an account with photos and maps
• Circle the Cirque Crest, "Cirque Crest in Kings Canyon National Park, mostly on the Sierra High Route"
• Dumbbell Lakes, a description of part of this segment
• Towering Peaks and Azure Lakes Reward a Timberline Trek, another description of this segment

Whitebark Country

• Sierra High Route: Kings Canyon to the Second Recess, Roper’s account of this trail segment
• Snow-Tongue Pass to Wahoo Lakes, photos and route-finding in this difficult area
• Mesa Lake to Puppet Lake, photos and commentary on this portion
• Sierra High Route, a description, with photos, of the Muriel Lake to Deer Lakes segment of this route
• Days 1-3 of the SHR, photos and commentary on the French Canyon to LaSalle Lake portion of this segment
• Sierra High Route - 1998, an account of hiking this portion of the route, from Humphries Basin to Lake Italy

Lake Country

• Sierra High Route: Silver Divide to Rainbow Fall, Roper’s description of this trail segment

Headwaters Country

• 2003 Trans-Sierra Backpacking Trip, an account of part this segment, with a detour to Yosemite Valley
• 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

• Sierra High Route North of Tuolumne Meadows Trip Report, a report of a trip in this area
• The Sierra High Route in Northern Yosemite, outline of a trip in this area

Further reading

• Roper, Steve (1997) Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country. Seattle: The Mountaineers. ISBN 0-89886-506-9.