On September 8th, 2020, I will go back for another effort at the Sierra High Route. The Sierra High Route extends from Sequoia-Kings Canyon to Yosemite National Park, boasting roughly 200 miles and 59,000 feet of vertical gain. It is often confused with the High Sierra trail, however these are wildly different adventures.
The Sierra High Route crosses 33 high passes and an infinite number of alpine Lakes, creeks, and tarns. These numbers are somewhat trivial in comparison to the difficulties faced along the High Route as the majority of this trek is not labeled on any maps. Its junctions are not met by signs with mileage or direction, and its terrain is not marred by footprints, but instead large talus blocks and steep scree slopes. Some have estimated that the High Route sees maybe a dozen people a year and of these individuals, most set out with the intention of managing a segment as opposed to the entire route.
My system for travel has a base weight of 13.42lbs. The extra weight is mostly due to electronics which I intend to use to document the trek. I will start on September 8th and intend to finish on September 18th for a total of ten days.
The difference between this effort and the previous one: About 10 lbs, 60 miles per week, and whatever the mountain decides to throw at me. Lets get it.
You can follow my progress on the TRVRS Outdoors Facebook Page (daily updates by satellite beacon) and you can see my entire itinerary, gear list and nutrition plan below.
I will share my location on the TRVRS Apparel Facebook page once per evening when I reach camp and maybe sporadically throughout the day if I feel like it. I will not be live tracking due to the battery usage, but I may start live tracking after I reach my resupply if I can.
This is a brief article on the importance of creating an outdoor itinerary before going outside which will allow search and rescue responders to find you and minimize panic in an emergency situation. It includes a downloadable/printable itinerary and a tutorial on creating a virtual itinerary using caltopo.
Ricardo Soria
Author