I followed the High Sierra Trail part of the way, but at Kaweah Gap, where the trail crosses the Great Western Divide, I left the trail and hiked cross-country northeast across Pants Pass. CRESCENT MEADOWS TRAILHEAD TO PANTHER CREEK CAMPGROUND . On Friday, September 21st, I drove to Lone Pine and met up with the others in my group. But this is a whopping 60 mile one way backpack. The fastest claimed time to traverse is 15 hours 46 minutes, by Leor Pantilat. It is occasionally performed in even less time by experts. Work began on the High Sierra Trail in 1928, and it was the first Sierra trail built solely for recreational use. It is areas like this that add so much to the experience of hiking up Mt Whitney. The High Sierra Trail is a moderate to strenuous 61.5-mile trail through Sequoia National Park. I left my car at Whitney Portal and hired the Eastern Sierra Shuttle Service to drive us from Whitney Portal/Lone Pine to the trailhead at Crescent Meadows in the Sequoia National Park. High Sierra Trail – 82 mile, 8 days from Crescent Meadows to Whitney Portal. Globe Trekker. Absolutely lovely staying with Judy again but time to go further into the snowy High Sierras. Search Lonely Planet. It can be hiked within an hour as a pleasure walk for anyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors but is on a limited schedule. For a 12 person van, the Eastern Sierra Shuttle Service charged us $1,200. Treks in a Wild World. Dogs: No. Search. Lonely Planet Shorts. Across the Planet. Then again, the park is seeing daily thunderstorms and snow sometimes. LPTV. Some parking sites up to 35' long, Firewood, fire grates, piped water, restrooms. On Sept 3 - 8, I hiked solo from Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park to Whitney Portal on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. For 0.1 miles, the paved path is shared with hikers setting out on the High Sierra Trail. Whitney and Whitney Portal on the eastern slope. There is also the option of backpacking from Giant Forest/Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park via the High Sierra Trail, to the summit of Mt Whitney. Tyndall Creek to the Whitney Portal. High Sierra Trail Day 1 – Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow (11.4 miles) Sequoia National Park, California. Whitney Portal Campground. Distance: 3 miles point to point. That first day we saw a lot of wildlife. Day 6 - to the summit of Mt. Pinchot Pass to Vidette Meadow. Best to have a car shuttle set up if you do any of this route. High Sierra Trail, Day 1: Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow – After an early wake-up in Visalia, our bus dropped us off a the Giant Sequoia Museum in Sequoia National Park around nine in the morning. Work began on the High Sierra Trail in 1928, and it was the first Sierra trail built solely for recreational use. An 8 day trip from Lodgepole to Whitney Portal across the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, summiting Mt. Lone Pine (Horseshoe Meadow) to Whitney Portal. Please call or text 760-878-8047 or click here to email paul@inyopro.com for reservations, rates and further information. Whitney Portal to Crescent Meadow or Lodgepole $800 for up to 5 persons $80 for the 6th passenger. Conservationist John Muir visited this meadow many times and … Be sure to minimize your impact on this fantastic meadow so that others will be able to enjoy it in the future. His number is 760 876 1915 (eve preferred). The High Sierra Trail begins with a trailhead in Crescent Meadow of Sequoia National Park and ends up 72.2 miles later at Whitney Portal. On June 11, 2019 June 11, 2019 By René Duindam. Across the Planet. Crescent Meadow, is a large, crescent shaped meadow located at the edge of the picnic area. The High Sierra Trail, which begins at Crescent Meadow (in Sequoia National Park) and ends at Whitney Portal, is a great option for those who have a limited amount of time and want to hike to the top of Mt. Day 1: Crescent Meadow to 9 Mile Creek Day 2: 9 Mile Creek to Hamilton Lake Day 3: Hamilton Lake to Moraine Lake Day 4: Moraine Lake to Junction Meadow Day 5: Junction Meadow to Guitar Lake Day 6: Guitar Lake out to Whitney Portal. FYI the inside-the-park shuttles at Sequoia start at 9am. The four of us, Andreas, Katie, James and myself left San Diego on July 8 th at 2am. Browse more shows. Start and finish locations can be reversed on any of these routes. Users should check with park rangers before planning a trip with riding or pack stock. When to go: July through end of September. Trail Guide PAGE Vidette Meadow to Forester Pass 30 minute MAP Bishop Pass to Whitney Portal. Update, 12:40 p.m. A rockslide near the main parking lot of the Mt. The trip of a lifetime. - Duration: 52:45. fivemoreminutes 3,395 views. Crescent Meadow is a small, sequoia-rimmed meadow in the Giant Forest region of Sequoia National Park. The meadow area is also home to a beautiful meandering stream as shown in the below left hand image. Miles and Elevations NORTH. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. The trail (from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal) is 72 miles long and takes about a week to complete. At a Glance. High Sierra Trail Summary. Work began on the High Sierra Trail in 1928 and it was the first Sierra trail built solely for recreational purposes. Hiking Mt Whitney in Lone Pine, USA. From Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal the trail is 72.2 miles (116.2 km) long and is often hiked in 6 to 7 days or more. The fastest claimed time to traverse is 15 hours 46 minutes, by Leor Pantilat. We took long breaks at Trail Crest (breakfast) and Trailside Meadow (long foot soak) and hit Whitney Portal around 2 PM. Trip: High Sierra Trail FKT - Whitney Portal to Crescent Meadows Date: 9/2/2012 Trip Report: Last Sunday I ran the 72 mile High Sierra Trail from Whitney Portal to Crescent Meadow in 15h46m starting at 3:19 am and finishing at 7:05 pm, a new FKT (previous mark was 18h39m). High Sierra Trail hike. Camping Elevation: 6,750 ft. Bear Box: No. Planet Food. Click RED DOTS Whitney Portal area closes after rockslide. Also, I had my GPS tracking our progress along the journey. Many thanks to Kerry for dropping us all off at Whitney Portal and then driving the six hours around to meet us the next evening. We even encountered three trail runners who had left Whitney Portal the night before and were already 50 miles in to a 40 hour HST East to West run – WOW! They may be going just one mile to Eagle View or 60 miles to Mount Whitney. From Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal, the trail is 72.2 miles (116.2 km) long and often takes 6 days or more for the average hiker to complete. From Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal along the High Sierra Trail. This sierran montane meadow marks the western terminus of the High Sierra Trail, which stretches from the meadow across the Great Western Divide to Mount Whitney. 1- Precipice lake is totally iced over, and surrounded by snow. When planning out our High Sierra Trail logistics, on our sixth day we initially aimed on hiking nearly 12 miles all the way through from Junction Meadow to Guitar Lake at the western base of Mt Whitney. Bob (the owner) exceeded expectations. 43 Single campsites, Some sites may be reserved in advance, while others are available on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Then, it’s a long 11 mile hike/trot in to the parking lot at Crescent Meadow of Sequoia National Park (about 6,703’). Have a read of my journal from this trip below! The trail starts at Crescent Meadow, near Visalia, California, crosses over the Great Western Divide, goes up Kern Canyon, then joins up with the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail at Wallace Creek. Whitney: If you have arranged for transportation from Whitney Portal and this is the last day of your trip, this will be a long day (19.1 miles/30.6 km). Strenuous Itinerary. It is looped by an unnamed trail which starts just beyond the picnic area itself. Horseshoe Meadow. Destinations. We are accepting reservations for the 2021 season! Whitney Portal. Day 1: San Diego to Lodgepole. It was a great experience on an immensely scenic region of the High Sierra. Please do not hike into the meadow itself. Difficulty: Strenuous. The elevation gain/loss is +15,531/-13,866 feet according to Paul Richins, Jr., author of Mount Whitney (2 nd Ed., The Mountaineers Books). Leg 6 (as tracked), Guitar Lake to Mt. We left two cars at Whitney Portal for … Fires: Yes. Not the best place to camp in my opinion but it may have melted out by then. Permits: Required. Crescent Meadow High Sierra Trail Day 5 – Junction Meadow to Crabtree Ranger Station Sequoia National Park, California. When we reached the gap, it was truly one of the most epic views in all of Sequoia National Park – and perhaps the Sierras! Day 10 - Trail Camp to Whitney Portal, 6.5 miles; Kern River Canyon . Day One on the High Sierra Trail we hiked 11.5 miles east-bound, from Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw. We hiked along the valley with Panther Creek far below us and the Great Western Divide on the other side of the valley. Hiking Mt Whitney in Lone Pine, USA. "HIGH SIERRA TRAIL" From Crescent Meadow To Whitney Portal. High Sierra Trail (Day 5 - Kern Hot Spring to Junction Meadow) - … From Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal, the trail is 72.2 miles (116.2 km) long and often takes 6 days or more for the average hiker to complete. We took four days out to do Mt Whitney, and it gave us plenty of time to just relax and have fun. Eat, Drink & Travel. 52:45. Area Status: Closed Part of the Whitney Portal Recreation area located 13 miles from the town of Lone Pine, California. When the trail splits, just after a pair of footbridges, take the trail to the left, which passes along the southern edge of the Crescent Meadow. However, if you have the time, it is a great outing. 7.5 min MAP NORTH. You may also camp at Trail Camp (65.7 miles/105.1 km from the trailhead) or Outpost Camp (68.7 miles/109.9 km) on the east side. Pioneer Hale Tharp homesteaded in this and nearby Log Meadow. I always enjoy writing every night on backpacking trips, usually just my thoughts and accounts of the day. Videos. A special thanks goes to Joel Lanz … We started pretty early at Crescent Meadow in Sequoia and headed for 9-mile creek, our first destination for the hike. 7.5 min MAP SOUTH. 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