Photo: Greg Hill Trans-Sierra Backpacking Adventure, Kings Canyon National Park and John Muir Wilderness Area, California Highlights:
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Trip Number: 09119A Price: $1,095 Deposit: $200 Capacity: 10 Rating: S Leader:
The Trip Unfortunately, this trip has been cancelled. If you have questions, please contact us. Photo: Vernon Smith On this trip you’ll complete the rarely traveled east to west traverse of the High Sierra. The logistics of such a trip are complicated, but the Sierra Club has taken care of them so that you can focus on the beauty of the High Sierra. Your trip begins with a privately chartered flight from Fresno to Bishop, California. The pilot will give us a bird’s-eye preview of our upcoming backcountry experience by flying over the very trails we’ll later be traveling on. Once in Bishop we’ll be shuttled to the Piute Pass Trailhead near 9,300 foot North Lake. If you love hiking over rarely traveled challenging cross-country routes, this is your trip! We’ll cross two major divides: the Glacier Divide and the Mono Divide. You’ll enjoy the challenge of cross-country passes such as the 12,500 foot Keyhole and 12,200 foot Gabbot Pass. Our journey will take us near the headwaters of the San Joaquin River and by lakes such as Vee, which points toward the impressive Seven Gables peak. We’ll camp near a myriad of exquisite lakes in the Bear Lakes Basin where you can take a refreshing dip or enjoy fishing. During our 50 mile, 10 day expedition you’ll experience both alpine and subalpine Sierra regions. We will complete our trip at the Vermilion Valley Resort, a celebrated Pacific Crest Trail through-hiker resupply station, at Lake Edison. Once there we’ll enjoy their fine cooking, outdoor kettle fires and all manner of refreshing beverages. This trip is rated strenuous because of the exciting and challenging territory that we’ll be covering, and the rigors of the cross-country route, but not because we’ll be hiking from dawn to dusk, though we will have a few long days on the trail. We will always strive to reach camp by 3:30 p.m. so that you’ll have time to relax and enjoy the splendor of the Sierra.
Day 1: Our adventure begins at Fresno International Airport located in Fresno, California. There we’ll board our chartered aircraft and fly to the town of Bishop, California. Once there we’ll be shuttled to the Piute trailhead near North Lake. We’ll spend our first night here acclimating to the altitude at our 9,300-foot camp. Day 2: We’ll begin our hike on the Piute Pass trail, with Bishop Creek to our south and Piute Crags and Mt. Emerson to our north as we make our way to Piute Pass which overlooks the vast Humphreys Basin. We’ll continue on and make camp at 11,300-foot Muriel Lake. Day 3: We’ll wake earlier than usual this morning to allow time to pass through the exhilarating and challenging Keyhole col which is our gateway across the Glacier Divide on our way to Darwin Bench. If the conditions are right we can expect the evening delight of alpenglow over the Evolution Basin. Day 4: After a hearty breakfast, we’ll descend from Darwin Bench to the John Muir trail where we’ll head west through the lower reaches of the wooded Evolution Valley. We’ll be hiking beside the imposing Hermit, a star peak, and make camp in Evolution Meadow after 7 miles of hiking. Day 5 – 6: We’ll hike through alpine and subalpine regions as we pass through Goddard Canyon, with its impressively steep western canyon walls, then turn north up Piute Canyon were we’ll begin a short and steep cross-country segment to Big Moccasin Lake. We’ll camp at this lake, with the craggy Pinnacles skyline to our west. A layover day is planned here so that you can explore the surrounding area, swim, fish or just relax with a favorite book.  Photo: Greg Hill Day 7: After an early breakfast we’ll hike past Aweetasal Lake as we gain a loose pass and descend into Seven Gables Lakes, then move cross-country past Vee Lake to our camp at Ursa Lake in the Bear Lakes Basin. Here you’ll find jeweled lakes and cascades over granite spillways. Day 8: We’ll continue cross-country to Lake Italy and then cross over the Mono Divide via Gabbot Pass and drop into the Second Recess and camp in the Mills Lakes area. The portion of our trip between Lake Italy and the Second Recess coincides with Steve Roper’s famous Sierra High Route. Day 9: This is our last day in the backcountry. From Mills Lakes we hike to Edison Lake where we’ll board a ferry that will take us to the Vermilion Valley Resort. Here we’ll enjoy meals and celebratory beverages that will be available from the resort. Camp sites at the Vermilion Valley campground will have been reserved and waiting for us. The cost of the campsites is included in the trip price. Day 10: After having breakfast at the Vermilion Valley Resort we will board a privately chartered bus for the trip back to the Fresno airport. This will mark the end of our exciting trans-Sierra journey. Getting There The trip starts at Fresno International Airport which is located on the east side of the city of Fresno, California. We will meet on day one to distribute the commissary items among the group and then board our flight to Bishop at 12:30 p.m. The leader will send specific instructions about where and when the group will meet to all participants. Flying into Fresno airport is the most convenient way for you to begin the trip, unless you live within driving distance. Alternately, San Francisco airport is 190 miles northwest of Fresno, while Los Angeles airport is 230 miles southwest. To allow for weather or baggage delays – depending on where you're traveling from -- trip members are advised to arrive in Fresno the day before the trip begins. Similarly, you're advised to make flight reservations to leave Fresno no earlier than 6 p.m. on the final day.
We will plan a diverse and appealing menu to accommodate both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Dishes such as pesto pasta with pine nuts, Thai peanut pasta and chicken stuffing with cranberries will be served. Your leader dehydrates components of the meals to offer fantastic flavor while minimizing the weight of the food we carry. If you are a vegetarian please let us know as soon as possible so that the meal plan can be created accordingly. Responsibility for cooking will be shared among the trip participants on a rotating basis. Dinner and breakfast at Vermilion Valley Resort are not included in the trip price, to allow greater freedom and flexibility in your choice of post-hike meals.
This trip is rated strenuous (S), and is intended for experienced backpackers in excellent physical condition. Parts of our route will be cross-country or on primitive, un maintained trails. Total mileage is about 50 miles; total elevation gain is 11,000 feet, while elevation loss is approximately 12,700 feet. Daily mileages are between 4 to 10 miles. The cross-country segments will be shorter, on average 4 miles per day, but more difficult -- possibly involving long climbs over loose talus, granite, ice and snow. All but three of our campsites will be above 11,000 feet. Experience in cross-country backpacking is required. The rocky terrain does require strong aerobic conditioning, superior balance and agility, good humor, and a patient, tolerant attitude. Participants must maintain a regular fitness program, supplemented with weekend practice hikes wearing the boots and pack (loaded with at least 40 pounds) that they plan to bring on the trip. We also strongly recommend taking at least one "warm-up" backpacking trip at altitude prior to this outing. You are encouraged to arrive in the area a day or two before the trip to begin high elevation acclimatization. Higher altitude lodging is available in the beautiful Shaver Lake (5,300 ft) area north of Fresno on Highway 168. You should know how you react to high altitude. Excellent physical condition does not guarantee immunity to altitude sickness. The High Sierra is renowned for its excellent summer weather. However, extended rain or snowstorms can occur at any time of the year and afternoon thunderstorms with sudden cloudbursts, wind and hail are possible. Be prepared for extremes: temperatures can exceed 80F during the day and dip into the low 20s at night. We may encounter snowfields on our route, especially on the north faces of the high ridges. Participants need to be flexible, as we may change the daily itinerary to accommodate unforeseen conditions or circumstances.
We provide the following commissary items: food (including trail snacks), pots, cooking utensils, bear cans, stoves, fuel, first-aid kit, repair kit, toilet paper, rope, and cooking tarp. On each day of the trip you will be given a share of the commissary items, which could weigh up to 18 pounds at the start of the trip. Your pack needs to be large enough to accommodate your share of the commissary -- approximately the size of a full size paper grocery sack, in addition to your personal gear. Please limit your personal gear to 25 pounds or less so that your total pack weight is no more than 40-45 pounds. We provide each participant with a small bottle of iodine solution for treating drinking water, but you may bring a water filter if you prefer. Sturdy, fully broken-in boots, recently water-proofed and with rubber lug soles are required for this trip. Tents are strongly encouraged; lightweight waterproof tarps are an acceptable alternative. For rain gear, a waterproof jacket and pants work much better than a poncho. A more complete equipment list will be sent out closer to the departure date.
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Conservation We will witness firsthand the striking contrast between heavily traveled lake basins along two of the Sierra Nevada's major corridors, and the less accessible and rarely visited neighboring basins, which appear today much as they must have to the early mountaineers of the 19th century. As a group we will diligently observe "Leave No Trace" principles, and invite discussion of current efforts to protect our wilderness lands.
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.
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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Greg Hill has loved the outdoors all of his life. A native Californian, he took his first wilderness trip in the Sierra Nevada in 1999 after he moved from the East Coast back to California. He looks forward to his yearly backpacking and rock climbing adventures in the Sierra, preferring cross-country travel in the higher elevations. While Greg lived on the East Coast, he spent nearly every weekend on Maryland, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania rivers in his whitewater kayak. After moving back to California, he traded his boat for a pack, and enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, and swimming. Greg is a Master Diver and Wilderness First Responder. He lives in Santa Rosa, California, is married to Michele and is the father of Emily and Karen.
Maureen Stubblefield has assisted on many Sierra Club National Outing trips. Each year she looks forward to the rejuvenating affects of the High Sierra and the company of fellow travelers. Maureen enjoys long early morning trail runs, biking and kayaking. She lives in the heart of California's wine country.