Advertisement: The highest peak in the United States outside of Alaska at 14,505 ft. From the trail crest you will have views of the Hitchock and Guitar Lakes in Sequoia National Park. The terrain along the trail, created by snowmelt, are also interesting to see.
More photographs.
Difficulty: 22 mile round trip, 6100 ft of elevation change. Distance can be shortened somewhat by taking the chute and/or glissading down the chute (as opposed to 99 switchbacks) if there is enough snow cover. It took us 18 hours to complete this hike.
Preparation: Permit required. Monitor the conditions, e.g. in this thread, which vary between years and months. We took microspikes and ice axe for going up the chute. The chute climbs roughly 1000 ft in 1500 ft, average 33 degree slope. On the way up, snow was soft (maybe a bit crunchier at the top) and microspikes definitely were the right call, crampons would be overkill. On the way down, late afternoon, snow was slushy and you couldn't sustain a slide if you tried. Ice axe never felt necessary, but bring it anyway. Crampons get you into messy situations; ice axes will rescue you from them. (Updated 3/19/2022 from memory.)
We did this as a day hike. However, it may be better to camp somewhere along the way so that the hike is easier and also to better acclimatize. You’ll also feel less rushed; we didn't have time to stop and enjoy the landscape.
After I topped out on the crest, I was hit by altitude sickness and my pace slowed to probably no more than 1 mph. Part of this was poor preparation: I didn't expect such high winds and my jacket was insufficient, as a result I didn't pump as much water as I should have, which led to mild dehydration, which likely worsened the altitude sickness.
Bring warm clothing and layers. Bring enough water or a pump. Know the symptoms of altitude sickness, and know when to turn back because of it.
It's common for thunderstorms to pass through in the afternoon. Do not attempt a summit in a thunderstorm. Leaving early will save you from having to make the decision to turn back.
Future: Would like to try the mountaineer's route someday.
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| A pond near Trail Camp where we pumped water as the sun rose |
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| The view to the west from Trail Crest |
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| The view to the north from the summit |
More photographs.
Difficulty: 22 mile round trip, 6100 ft of elevation change. Distance can be shortened somewhat by taking the chute and/or glissading down the chute (as opposed to 99 switchbacks) if there is enough snow cover. It took us 18 hours to complete this hike.
Preparation: Permit required. Monitor the conditions, e.g. in this thread, which vary between years and months. We took microspikes and ice axe for going up the chute. The chute climbs roughly 1000 ft in 1500 ft, average 33 degree slope. On the way up, snow was soft (maybe a bit crunchier at the top) and microspikes definitely were the right call, crampons would be overkill. On the way down, late afternoon, snow was slushy and you couldn't sustain a slide if you tried. Ice axe never felt necessary, but bring it anyway. Crampons get you into messy situations; ice axes will rescue you from them. (Updated 3/19/2022 from memory.)
We did this as a day hike. However, it may be better to camp somewhere along the way so that the hike is easier and also to better acclimatize. You’ll also feel less rushed; we didn't have time to stop and enjoy the landscape.
After I topped out on the crest, I was hit by altitude sickness and my pace slowed to probably no more than 1 mph. Part of this was poor preparation: I didn't expect such high winds and my jacket was insufficient, as a result I didn't pump as much water as I should have, which led to mild dehydration, which likely worsened the altitude sickness.
Bring warm clothing and layers. Bring enough water or a pump. Know the symptoms of altitude sickness, and know when to turn back because of it.
It's common for thunderstorms to pass through in the afternoon. Do not attempt a summit in a thunderstorm. Leaving early will save you from having to make the decision to turn back.
Future: Would like to try the mountaineer's route someday.
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