Atlas of Plant Basedthe PCTwaterabout
The view down the Whitney switchbacks to Guitar Lake and the snow chutes
NO. 9 OF 26 · THE HIGH SIERRA · DAYS 42 to 48 · 110 MILES TRACKEDPHOTO #1104 · DAY 45, THE WHITNEY SWITCHBACKS · ROUTE APPROX.
110 miles tracked·7 days, June 2021·high point Forester Pass, 13,153 ft·bear can from here onThe High Sierra, leg 9 of 26

Kennedy Meadows to Bishop

Into the Sierra with a bear can, up Whitney, over Forester Pass, and out Kearsarge to the bulk bins in Bishop.

Day 42, Strava title: “start of the Sierra.” The bear can went in the pack, the desert let go, and the trail crossed the South Fork Kern on a real bridge over real water, which after 700 miles of guessing at seasonal streams felt like wealth.

Day 45 is the only day of the hike Strava recorded in three acts: “Whitney Summit,” “down Whitney,” and my favorite title of the whole log, “post nap finisher.” Dawn from the roof of the lower 48, back down, sleep in the dirt, then four more miles.

Every quoted line is from 2021, verbatim.

Atlas grinning at the Forester Pass sign
the Forester Pass sign, day 46 · photo #1197
Atlas from behind looking up at the Kearsarge Pinnacles over the lakes
the Kearsarge Pinnacles, day 47 · photo #1227

The next day was Forester Pass, the high point of the PCT at 13,153 feet, and then pure Sierra decompression: barefoot on granite beside an alpine lake, hikers strung out across a plateau under streaked clouds.

Day 47 I went out over Kearsarge Pass to resupply in Bishop, past the Kearsarge Pinnacles at morning. It costs you eight miles and pays you back in scenery.

Start // Kennedy Meadows, mile 702
Summit // Whitney at dawn, day 45
Finish // Bishop, over Kearsarge Pass
Eat // Looney Bean, the Bishop bulk bins

Day by day

25 frames from these 7 daysWhitney, midnight to sunrise →
DAY 42 · JUN 10
“start of the Sierra”
22.9 MI
the trail plaque
the South Fork Kern bridge
first Sierra meadow

#966 the trail plaque · #975 the South Fork Kern bridge · #982 first Sierra meadow

DAY 43 · JUN 11
“Sierra fun”
19.5 MI
foxtail pine over Owens Valley
evening reflection
into Sequoia and Kings Canyon

#987 foxtail pine over Owens Valley · #993 evening reflection · #998 into Sequoia and Kings Canyon

DAY 44 · JUN 12
“to Whitney base”
21.2 MI
above the basin
a lake in the foxtails

#1006 above the basin · #1013 a lake in the foxtails

DAY 45 · JUN 13
“Whitney Summit,” “down Whitney,” “post nap finisher”
20.0 MI IN 3 PARTS, FROM 12:19 AM
the summit sign
a hot pot in a sleeping bag
first light on the summit rocks
the sign at sunrise
Guitar Lake

#1035 the summit sign · #1049 a hot pot in a sleeping bag · #1094 first light on the summit rocks · #1083 the sign at sunrise · #1111 Guitar Lake

DAY 46 · JUN 14
“Forrester Pass”
18.8 MI
the lake below Forester
the cliff cut under the pass
the north side
barefoot on granite

#1165 the lake below Forester · #1189 the cliff cut under the pass · #1206 the north side · #1139 barefoot on granite

DAY 47 · JUN 15
“Kearsarge Pass to Bishop”
7.6 MI
dawn at the lake
still water, pyramid peak
Big Pothole Lake from the pass
the shoes, retired
the Bishop shelf

#1220 dawn at the lake · #1222 still water, pyramid peak · #1234 Big Pothole Lake from the pass · #1243 the shoes, retired · #1247 the Bishop shelf

DAY 48 · JUN 16
Bishop, a town day
NO MILES
the TVP bag
the haul on the floor
bars for the next section

#1250 the TVP bag · #1259 the haul on the floor · #1260 bars for the next section

the bulk bins in Bishop
the bulk bins in Bishop · photo #1245

The food, Bishop

The resupply went down on the floor before packing: a bag of Bob’s Red Mill TVP front and center, Muir Energy gels from the gear shop, and a Dirty Hippie chai with oat milk at Looney Bean on the receipt. People ask what a vegan eats in the High Sierra. The answer was on that floor.

keep walking

Whitney, midnight to sunrise the summit night, in photos →
Leg 10: Bishop to Mammoth being written
The High Sierra, leg by leg every leg in the section →