Thanks again - it seems I'm doing a combination of what the two of you do for food:
http://www.hikinggeek.com/2015/06/03/trip-planning-high-sierra-trail-summer-2015#food
Q11: Where is 9-mile creek??
It is the 2nd waypoint from the left on this map:
http://www.hikinggeek.com/2015/06/03/trip-planning-high-sierra-trail-summer-2015#mapI've seen it in a couple trip reports and on the NPS site:
Beyond the junction with the Seven Mile Hill Trail, which connects the High Sierra and Alta Trails, the trail crosses the steep slopes and bluffs of the south side of Alta Meadow and Alta Peak. During 1930, a trail crew working with an air compressor and rock drills spent nearly the entire summer blasting a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of trail through this area.
Hikers taking a more leisurely trek to Mt. Whitney may wish to camp along one of the two forks of Nine Mile Creek (8.8 miles/14.1 km). After passing Nine Mile Creek, the trail descends to Buck Canyon, a spectacular canyon well-known for floods, avalanches and rockslides. After crossing Buck Creek, the trail climbs some 500' in slightly over a mile (152 meters in 1.6 km), arriving at the Bearpaw Meadow area 11.4 miles (18.2 km) from the trailhead.
source:
http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/high-sierra-trail.htmIf we're feeling good, I think we may continue onto Bearpaw Meadows instead of stopping at 9 Mile Creek. That will give us a shorter hike on Hiking Day 2 and more time to rest before the big mileage day (Hiking Day 3)
If you cut out Wallace Cr, and do the hidden Packer Camp on Whitney Creek, it's a little easier. The HST up to Wallace is just a grind, and you are rewarded by camping with dozens of JMT hikers.
Will you be taking a gps unit along?
Q12 - have you ever started at Wolverton instead of Crescent Meadows?
http://calipidder.com/wp/2009/08/high-sierra-trail-day-1-wolverton-to-9-mile-creek/
