Photo: Steve Wilson Adventurous Beginner Backpack in the Silver Divide, John Muir Wilderness, California Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 09108A Price: $595 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 12 Rating: M Leader:
The Trip  Photo: Steve Wilson Many think the High Sierra is perfect place to backpack. Sharp granite peaks, pristine lakes, tumbling cataracts, blooming wildflowers, excellent camping, all with generally good weather are earmarks of the High Sierra wilderness experience. Possessing all these attributes and more, the Silver Divide provides a wonderful setting for the adventure-seeker to develop their backpacking skills. Lying between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks, the Divide runs west of, and slightly lower than, the main Sierra crest. A number of trails, including the famous John Muir Trail, provide access. Glacial cirques carved against the granite ridges contain cobalt lakes, many loaded with trout. Our 33-mile loop is designed to be progressively more challenging, culminating with an exciting 11,200-foot cross-country pass. Hiking off trail is the best way to learn navigational skills, increasing your self-reliance and providing a more intimate connection to more pristine surroundings. You'll be prepared for this adventure with comprehensive pre-trip guidance on equipment selection and physical conditioning from your experienced and enthusiastic leaders.
 Photo: Steve Wilson Day 1: Our first day is devoted to preparing equipment and learning essential skills for our adventure. We’ll meet in the morning at the Forest Service campground, review equipment requirements and individually review each participant’s pack. We’ll explain the practice of moving and living in the wilderness, with particular emphasis on Leave No Trace principles and hands on practice. Spending a day at altitude prior to hitting the trail will facilitate our adjustment to altitude. Day 2: After a short drive to the trailhead, we’ll put what we learned into practice, hoist our packs and hit the trail. Our goal for today is Devil’s Bathtub, allowing us to spend our first night in the wilderness at a spectacular High Sierra lake. Day 3: We’ll continue hiking through the lodgepole pine forest, pass the open expanse of Graveyard Meadows, then ascend into the open granitic high country surrounding our 10,000 foot camp at one of a chain of glacial lakes. Day 4: After descending back to the main trail, we’ll climb above timberline as we surmount the 11,000-foot high crest of the Silver Divide at Goodale Pass. We’ll then descend to Lake of the Lone Indian, in a setting as sublime as the name suggests.  Photo: Steve Wilson Day 5: Perhaps our longest day, we begin by meeting the John Muir Trail and follow it down into a deep glacial canyon. We’ll then follow its stream back up into timberline and camp a short distance off-trail in a lake-filled plateau west of the Sierra crest. Day 6: A well-deserved layover day affords the opportunity to climb a nearby peak, perhaps 13,163-foot Red Slate Peak or sample the fishing in the tributaries of Fish Creek or nearby lakes. One may also choose to just relax in a classic High Sierra setting, enjoying contrasting views of bright granite, dark red metamorphic rock, azure lakes, and emerald sky parlor meadows replete with bursting wildflowers. Day 7: We will apply our recently developed wilderness skills and embark on an adventurous cross-country journey back over the Silver Divide. The leaders will mentor the group on cross-country hiking and navigation techniques as we negotiate the granite slabs and boulder fields typical of the High Sierra above tree line. Once over the 11,200-foot pass, we continue cross-country and camp once again at a gorgeous timberline lake. Day 8: Once again on trail, we descend almost 2,500 feet down to Lake Edison. The ferry returns us to the Vermilion Valley Resort, where we’ll enjoy refreshments and celebrate our accomplishments. Getting There  Photo: Steve Wilson The campgrounds and trailheads are located in the vicinity of Lake Thomas A. Edison at about 7,600 feet. Lake Edison lies at the end of the scenic Kaiser Pass Road, 27 narrow, twisting miles from the end of Highway 168 at Huntington Lake, which is located about 70 miles northeast of Fresno, California. Private or rental vehicles are the only viable transportation options. Pre-trip communications will include a trip roster with contact information to facilitate ride sharing, as well as meeting times and detailed directions to the campground and trailheads. In addition to flight schedules and fares, carpooling arrangements often dictate the best airport to fly into. The closest airport is the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Sometimes participants from the San Francisco or Los Angeles metro areas can provide a ride from the airports located there, or you may arrange to share a rental car. While not part of the formal trip, participants are encouraged to join the leaders at the starting campground the night prior to the official trip start date.
All meals, snacks, and drinks are included, from the lunch on in the campground on day one to lunch on day 8. The cost of the first day’s campground and the ferry across Lake Edison is included in the trip price. The menu is designed to minimize weight, simplify preparation, and maximize taste. Since we use bear canisters, the menu will emphasize low-bulk foods. It will also emphasize vegetarian dishes, with meat served at some meals. We can accommodate ovo-lacto vegetarians if the leader is informed well in advance of the trip. More restrictive diets are very difficult to accommodate. Contact the leader prior to sign-up to determine if we can accommodate your specific needs without impacting the group. You must not bring personal food supplies on the trip -- the bear canisters can only hold so much.
 Photo: Steve Wilson While this trip is rated Moderate (M), backpacking is inherently a strenuous activity. You’ll be carrying a pack loaded up to 45 pounds and ascending more than 1,500 feet in one day, sometimes combined with a 1,500 foot descent. Elevations on this trip range from 7,300 to 11,200 feet, exclusive of peak climbs, and five nights will be spent at or above 10,000 feet. Daily hiking distance can exceed 7 miles. You must be in good aerobic condition and health to be successful and an asset to the group. This will require your commitment to an active aerobic training program. Prior to the trip, we’ll actively guide you along the path to prepare you for this rewarding journey. Comprehensive pre-trip communication will guide you through equipment selection and acquisition, physical training for the rigors of a week of high elevation wilderness travel, and initiation of a positive group dynamic. On the trip, we’ll foster a friendly environment for learning and take advantage of opportunities along the way to explain, demonstrate, and practice various backpacking skills. The leadership team combines the experience garnered from several decades of high country backpacking with the enthusiasm of younger generations. We’re committed to seeing that you have a good time while turning you into a avid, knowledgeable backpacker! Participants are encouraged to arrive at the area a day or two prior to the trip start date to spend some time at altitude (above 7,000 feet) to help with acclimatization. A map of the route, as well as a table of daily mileage and elevation gains and losses will be provided in the pre-trip correspondence. This is a group trip whose success relies upon the cheerful, active contribution of all participants. You’ll assist with cooking, cleaning, sanitation, camp set-up and break-down, food storage, etc. We’ll be following a Leave No Trace ethic in all aspects of our operations. Participants will need web access and email to participate effectively in pre-trip communication. A private blog or group will be set up on the internet for participants to access trip materials, share information, ask questions, get answers, and become acquainted. This will be supplemented with email communication as necessary.
The Sierra Club provides the group commissary equipment including cooking pots, utensils, stoves, fuel, group tarp, rope, group first-aid kit, water purification, and bear canisters for food storage. Each participant will carry a share of the commissary, typically consisting of one loaded bear can and a portion of the other group items. Your share of the commissary will be about 13 pounds at the start of the trip, and steadily lighten as the food is consumed. You are responsible for everything else that you want/need. The pre-trip communications will include detailed equipment lists, recommendations, and discussion. In summary, you will need stout, over the ankle hiking boots, a tent or other shelter, a backpacking-type sleeping bag, sleeping pad, a range of lightweight clothing layers including good rain jacket and pants, various other smaller items, and a well-fitting pack with a minimum capacity of 4,000 cubic inches. The boots should be bought early and worn frequently to break them in. Tent sharing is encouraged and will be facilitated by the pretrip communications. Packs and sometimes sleeping bags can be rented. The goal will be for all your equipment to weigh less than 25 pounds, though less than 30 pounds is acceptable.
Maps
Books For beginner backpackers, one of the following books is highly recommended to supplement the materials that will be provided in the pretrip communications:
Optional – for those inspired to learn more, before or after the trip
Conservation John Muir and others began Sierra Club Outings back in 1901 because, in his words, "if people could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish." We'll spend our entire trip in wilderness areas that were protected as a direct result of Sierra Club conservation efforts. In the evening, we will present a series of conservation readings, drawing upon resources such as the Sierra Club Bulletin and the writings of John Muir, Wallace Stegner, and others to gain inspiration and an appreciation of the history of wilderness conservation action. We'll discuss the current initiatives to expand wilderness areas in California, the importance of doing so, and how to become involved. Participants are encouraged to discuss a conservation topic of interest to them, whether a local issue specific to their home or a global issue. We’ll learn and practice Leave No Trace principles in all aspects of trip operations. We’ll take steps to mitigate impacts left behind by less knowledgeable visitors should we encounter them.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Leader:
Assistant Leader:
Trainee:
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
|
Steve Wilson started backpacking in 1969 at age 11 and hasn't stopped since. He has led or assisted on more than 20 outings since 1997, primarily into the High Sierra but also into the Rockies and Big Sur. He is the former chair of the Sierra Club's Knapsack Subcommittee, and and is a certified Leave No Trace Trainer. A licensed civil engineer, he prides himself on his cross-country navigation skills and enjoys climbing an occasional peak. You’ll often find him skiing at Kirkwood, shredding his favorite secret powder stash.
Janet Craig is a California native who has assisted with three Sierra Club backpack trips. She gains considerable enjoyment from helping those who are new to the outdoors achieve new experiences and new heights. She spends her free time hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing in the Wasatch, when she can get away. When at home she spends free time hiking in the southern California mountains and running along the beach - some of the pleasures of living in beautiful Malibu.
Amanda Robinson was born in 1989 and grew up in Chicago. She has been an avid backpacker since moving to California in 2005. Recent trips took her through Desolation Wilderness, Yosemite, and the Eastern Sierra. She took her first Sierra Club trip last year with Steve Wilson, and wants to ensure that participants have as positive and rewarding an experience as she did. When she is not backpacking, she is rock climbing and attending UC Santa Cruz.