Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports HST - High Sierra Trail

Ken, I ran the first day on Topo! as well, and came up with 1000' less gain and loss. But those numbers are still high.

Looking at the map, doing it manually, to the nearest 100', I come out with a 3400' gain and 1900' loss. The day felt more like that.

The HST to Bear Paw is a gentle trail, and follows the contours pretty well. I think in this case, the trail on the map (and our tracing it on Topo!) crosses more contours than the actual trail does. Every time the trace crosses a contour, Topo! must add 40' to the profile.

When I left Bear Paw, I wasn't fully aware of what lay ahead. Bear Paw is 7700', the trail drops to 7400' at Lone Pine Creek footbridge. Up 400', down 200', then up 600 to upper Hamilton Lake. So even though it was only a 500' climb, total elevation for that part was 1000'.

SN, Bee is talking about two threads in the Chat Room, both have "politic" in the title, one locked, one not.

I was aware of one of those threads, now I see the other.

I think Steve has done a good job bringing controversial threads to a conclusion before people start hating each other.
With the country so strongly polarized, and this being an election year, any political topic can easily spin out of control on any forum. We have a common appreciation of Mt Whitney, the mountains, and wilderness, that should be good enough. I love to vent and debate as much as anyone, but this isn't the place.

Sad times we live in but it is what it is. Two separate universes with completely different world views. Facts don't seem to matter and opinions are mostly carved in granite.

I finally put together the picture album, and started a trip report. So much to write, I hope I don't bore too many.

The first installment of the report is here:
  High Sierra Trail and Pants Pass

And just for fun... A picture of bear scat in the middle of the trail; purple with berry juice, and full of seeds. On the trail near Bearpaw.