Redefining "Walking Distance"

stories from my summers of long distance backpacking

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Category Archives: Sierra High Route

A Redemption Story

Last year I shared a story of a horrible choice I made on the trail in the blog post titled One Bad Decision. When simple decisions gone wrong can end in hunger, a […]

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Decisions, Sierra High Route

Handsomely Rewarded

Featuredby Carolyn Grumm 4 Comments

I’ve debated putting a disclaimer at the end of each of my blog posts. Every book or blog that I’ve read includes some sort of warning that this is not […]

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Outdoor Adventure, Sierra High Route

Breaking News: The Sierra High Route

February 18, 2014by Carolyn Grumm 1 Comment

I now interrupt this blog stream of anecdotes from last summer’s escapades for breaking news on plans being developed for the summer of 2014. Four esteemed members of the outdoor […]

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Sierra High Route

Carolyn

I'm Carolyn, an elementary school teacher who believes in making the most of my summer vacations. This blog started so that I could tell the story of my 450 mile backpack from Lake Tahoe to Mt. Whitney on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013. Another summer has passed and with it another adventure, I'd like to share, on the 200 mile Sierra High Route. Wallace Stegner wrote that, "We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in." I hope that in some way this blog will make the wild country that I got to pass through available to you to look in at.

Posts

A Redemption Story
A Room With A View
Unicorns
Handsomely Rewarded
What do you mean there is no trail?
A Trip Takes Us
Living between Earth and Sky
Frequently Asked Questions Part 2.0: What did you eat?
Front Country vs Back Country
A Tent Hug
Endless stories
Breaking News: The Sierra High Route
One Bad Decision
I Love Maps
Frequently Asked Questions
Use it Up – Wear it Out – Make it Do!
Happiness at Miller Lake
I Got Scared
The Most Beautiful Sight
My Tribe

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“The Earth Laughs in Flowers” Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Room With A View

A Room With A View: Talk about a room with a view!

A Room With A View: Twin tents camped our in Lakes Basin.

A Room With A View: Enjoying a rest day, waiting for our mule resupply.

A Room With A View: The rain stopped for a bit so we could enjoy the sunset.

A Room With A View: Can you find the grey tent, on the right, in front of the large trees?

A Room With A View: We had more than our fair share of rainy camps and dinners cooked in vestibules.

A Room With A View: A spectacular campsite along the outlet from Lake Italy.

A Room With A View: A short day of hiking followed by a spectacular camp at Laurel Lake.

A Room With A View: One of Karen’s best hammock sites, at unicorn infested Pika Lake.

A Room With A View: Karen hanging out under the tarp, hoping the rain will relent so she can hang a hammock under it.

A Room With A View: Bench Valley, gorgeous even through the smoke from a lightning fire and drizzle from the clouds.

A Room With A View: A view of the mountains for another beautiful night.

Tent Hug

Camped near the outlet of Smedberg Lake with Junction Peak overlooking us.

I can’t thank Tom Rennie enough for this Go Pro shot of our camp near an unnamed lake.

Enjoyed two nights here with friends at Kearsarge Lakes

Doing some evening reading at Pocket Meadow

Summer Solstice at Aloha Lake

Drying out after two wet nights at Lost Lakes

Tucked in above Dick’s Lake

My blue sleeping bag is laid out with a view of Garnet Lake

Bedded down at the Frog Ponds

Spent two nights at Guitar Lake waiting for the storm to clear and a chance for a Whitney summit.

Set up with a view down LeConte Canyon

Morning by Garnet Lake. Photo credit to Rich Caviness

My cabana at Aloha Lake

I’m not a morning person. Waking up at our dry camp north of Glen Aulin.

We got in early to Richardson Lake, and I do believe there was a tent nap.

I love maps!

Playing my favorite game on the top of Pinchot Pass; Name That Peak. Photo Credit: Rich Caviness

Checking out the route for tomorrow at Evolution Lake. Photo Credit: Rich Caviness

Enjoying a boots off lunch break, with a map. Photo Credit Rich Caviness

About to make a final push into Tuolumne Meadows, but checking it out on the map first. Photo Credit: Rich Caviness

Even in the rain, I love a good map. Photo Credit: Rich Caviness

Even my friends love maps, descending into Mammoth.

Enjoying the morning light with a map at Smedberg Lake. Photo Credit: Rich Caviness

On top of Benson pass, map in hand. Photo Credit: Tom Rennie

Map on the table, beer in hand, friends by your side. This is how trips get started.

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Taking a break after climbing the Golden Staircase

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: An amazing lunch nap. Thanks to Rich Caviness for capturing it.

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Diego walked from Mexico to rest up with us in Tuolumne meadows.

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Boots off at lunch was one of our few rules

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Photo credit to Rich Caviness for capturing our sloth during a layover day at Kearsarge Lakes

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Seriously, how much happier could a person be?

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: A master at being comfortable in the backcountry – photo credit to Rich Caviness

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: A spectacular camp at Evolution Lake to rest up after a long day. Photo credit: Rich Caviness

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Give us some dirt and rocks and we’ll be more comfortable than you ever are in your La-Z-Boy

There’s no rest like a well deserved rest: Rich, log lounging as we waited to gather up before our last push into camp that day

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