Great Sierra Loop

*disclaimer- this route is currently in the planning stages and has not been completed.  Please proceed with caution.

Background

In the summer of 2011 I had my first extended backpacking adventure on the John Muir Trail.  It was a great experience, one that has inspired me on many thrilling adventures.  Through these experiences I have gained an appreciation for designing personal adventures whether near the Colorado Trail, Big Bend National Park, Wind River Range, or the North Country Trail. These opportunities have opened up possibilities that wouldn't have been possible if I had limited myself to trails.

The Sierra High Route has always been on my list of top hikes in North America.  While researching it, I have become inspired to complete an even larger route, one that will take at least a month and combine some of the most scenic and remote locations in the Sierra.  Somewhere I heard the idea of a loop with the John Muir Trail (JMT) and it made me wonder, would it be possible to do a loop with the Sierra High Route(SHR)? Maybe it could even be done without much hiking on the JMT at all.

As I have investigated route options I have discovered several other excellent off-trail routes that can be a part of the route. The big three that form a significant portion the loop include the previously mentioned Sierra High Route, Skurka's Kings Canyon High Basin Route (KCHBR), and Dixon and Wilson's Southern Sierra High Route(SoSHR).  The designers of these routes have put a lot of thought, research, and experience into these exceptional routes. Please refer to them for detailed information for corresponding sections of the loop.

There were a few gaps and I have recieved helpful advice from online forums such as highsierratopix.com and also researching other trip reports online.

At this point I have come quite near to finalizing my route. Certainly with a route like this there will be a great deal of flexibility.  If you have stumbled upon this page, some portions of this route may not be for you.  For example, I included a section of the JMT from Shadow Lake to Red's Meadow as I missed it when I hiked the JMT.  Do your research and find the best route for that meets your needs and skill level. Hike your own hike and hike at your own risk.

Ideally I will begin my hike in August 2017.

Great Sierra Loop

Youtube playlist of Google Earth flyover overview and  flyovers of all ten sections.

 This Great Sierra Loop is a narrow loop that stretches from Twin Lakes all the way south of Mount Whitney to Horseshoe Meadows.  My goal is to find the most remote and scenic non-technical route while utilizing the JMT/PCT only went it offers the finest scenery.

The route is ~600 miles long with a significant portion of off-trail travel. This will no doubt be a challenging but rewarding hike.  It includes > 65 passes and over 100,000 feet of elevation gain.  It passes through some of the most remote locations in the lower 48 and in all the Sierra. The route is divided into ten sections based off surprisingly available resupply points.

1.  Twin Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows

Starting clockwise in the north at Twin Lakes the Great Sierra Loop follows the Sierra High Route to Tuolumne Meadows.

2. Tuolumne Meadows to Red's Meadow

From Tuolumne Meadows the route will quickly depart the SHR near Fletcher Lake and cross the Cathedral Range and a pass south of Amelia Earhart Peak.  The route joins the John Muir Trail and goes over Donahue pass before heading off-trail to Marie and Davis Lakes.  The loop then rejoins the JMT and follows it to Red's Meadow.

3. Red's to Bishop Pass

*profile is actually backwards (Bishop to Red's)

From Red's the loop follows the Sierra High Route all the way to Bishop Pass (with optional detour into Ionian Basin near Muir Pass).

4. Bishop Pass to Horseshoe Meadows

From Bishop Pass the route follows the shared SHR/SoSHR (optional summit of Mount Sil) until leaving at Palisade Lakes and joining the Kings Canyon High Basin Route heading up Cataract Creek.  It follows the KCHBR until reaching the JMT at Bullfrog Lake.  The loop follows the JMT until leaving for Center Basin and Junction pass and continuing on the SoSHR to Horseshoe Meadows (including Mt. Whitney via Mountaineers route).

5. Horseshoe Meadows to Road's End

From Horseshoe Meadows the Great Sierra Loop follows trails to Kern Canyon and then ascends to Franklin Pass before heading over to Mineral King.  After Glacier and Black Rock Passes the route goes to Nine Lakes Basin near the Kaweahs for several impressive passes: Lion Rock, Lion Lake, and Triple Divide.  After going over Colby pass the loop joins the KCHBR and follows it including a portion on the Sphinx Pass alternate on the way to Roads End.

6. Roads End to VVR

From Road's End the route follows the shared SHR/SoSHR until descending to and crossing the Middle Fork of the Kings River and ascending Goddard Creek. The route continues to climb with an option of a side trip to the summit of Mount Goddard via the Southwest Ridge/West Chute Route.  Then it descends to Martha Lake and continues through Goddard Canyon. Next it follows Piute Creek before climbing up to Turret Lakes and Three Island Lake.  Then the route joins the JMT and follows it to the Bear Ridge Trail and VVR.

7. VVR to Red's Meadow

From VVR the loop follows trail and then heads up to Graveyard Lakes and heads over the Silver Divide and follows trail past Ida Hot Springs to Red's Meadow.

8. Red's Meadow to Yosemite Valley

From Red's Meadow the Great Sierra Loop follows the Sierra High Route until after Blue Lake Pass. Then it follows trails in Yosemite over Red Peak Pass and along Illilouette Creek. Then the loop follows the Panorama and Pohono trails for great views of Yosemite Valley before descending and hiking through the valley. (If looking for more solitude the Yosemite Valley ection can be skipped by heading from Illilouette Creek to Nevada Fall and continuing the route).

9. Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows

From Yosemite Valley the Great Sierra Loop goes past Vernal and Nevada Falls and then up to Clouds Rest.  Then off-trail to Mathes and Nelson Lakes and over the Cathedral Range to Elizabeth Lake and on to Tuolumne Meadows.

10. Tuolumne Meadows to Twin Lakes (west)

From Tuolumne Meadows the Great Sierra Loop follows the Pacific Crest Trail to Smedberg Lake.  Then it goes off-trail to Doe Lake and then over Suicide Ridge to Rock Island Lake. Next it follows trail over Rock Island Pass and past Crown, Robinson, and Barney Lakes before turning east and finishing at Twin Lakes.

Here is a caltopo.com map of the route (current as of 4/3/16):

Logistics
As a loop a hike on the Great Sierra Loop can start at many locations and there are several options for public transportation.

A bear canister will be required for the majority of this route.

Permits

I believe only a single permit is necessary for this route.  I believe as long as a backcountry hiker attains a permit from the entry trailhead, that permit should be valid for the entire hike unless the hiker leaves the backcountry for greater than 24 hours.  

If this is the case, then acquiring a permit will not be an issue as a hiker will be able to choose any available trailhead along the loop.

Useful resources

Sierra High Route

Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country

SHR passes: http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7509

Ultimate Sierra High Route Ideas- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=79744

SHR trip report- http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=68276

SHR notes, thoughts, and photos- http://talusfield.net/blog/2014/8/30/sierra-high-route-route-notes-thoughts-and-photos


Southern Sierra High Route
http://www.adventurealan.com/SoSHR/

Kings Canyon High Basin Route
http://andrewskurka.com/adventures/kings-canyon-high-basin-route/

Kings Canyon and Sequoia hikes- http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~sierrahiker/

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,58544 

Maps:

Andrew Skurka's SHR mapset-http://andrewskurka.com/product/sierra-high-route-map-set-databook/SOSHR mapset
KCHBR mapset
SoSHR mapset

Sequoia/Kings Canyon Trails Illustrated 205

Yosemite Trails Illustrated 206
http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com
erik the black jmt (personally owned)

And if this loop isn't enough see the comment below for a northern extension!