| Sierra High Route | |
|---|---|
| High Route hikers travel around Minaret Lake[1]:166 | |
| Length | 195 miles (314 km) (different source: 220 miles)[2] |
| Location | Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA |
| Trailheads | Yosemite NP Kings Canyon NP |
The Sierra High Route (also called the Roper Route) is a cross-country hiking route, 195 miles (314 km) long, through the Sierra Nevada. It was scouted by Steve Roper and described by him in his book Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.[1]
Much of the Sierra High Route runs parallel to the John Muir Trail, staying east of that trail and keeping above the timberline to higher elevations—between 9,000 and 11,500 feet (2,700 and 3,500 m). About a third of the route follows maintained hiking trails (including 28 miles (45 km) of the John Muir Trail); the rest of the route traverses off-trail meadowlands, granite slabs, and, at high elevations, difficult loose-talus terrain. Hiking the route does not require advanced mountaineering skills, but the hiker occasionally encounters class-3 rock faces in which footholds and handholds must be carefully chosen and tested. The route requires the use of route descriptions, topographical maps, and one or more instruments (e.g., compass, GPS receiver) to navigate: "High Route adventurers will not be put off by the lack of an actual trail, since much of the singular joy of cross-country travel lies in wandering through the timberline country as the pioneers did".[1]:12
Very few people have hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one trip. Roper divides the route into five segments:
More details about the route can be found in the "List of coordinates" section, below.
From south to north (the direction Roper recommends hiking it), the Sierra High Route passes through Kings Canyon National Park, the Inyo National Forest, and Yosemite National Park.
In 2006, Backpacker magazine editor Steve Howe hiked the entire Sierra High Route in one month.[2]