High Sierra Trail
Sierra Nevada, CA
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Late-season winter storm is hitting the High Sierra right now — 90% chance of snow today, lows down to 17°F tonight, and another round Sunday. This is a legit cold-weather backpacking situation, not a sprinkle. If you're starting today, go prepared for full winter conditions; if you have flexibility, Sunday night through Monday looks like the window clears.
35°/17°F · Light Snow Likely
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37" depth
Normal flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
13h 29m daylight · Sunrise 6:08 AM · Sunset 7:37 PM
Full Briefing
The weather is the whole story this weekend. A strong late-April storm is pushing through with 90% precip probability today and tonight, dropping snow at route elevation through at least Sunday. Highs are 31–35°F and lows are 17–20°F Saturday and Sunday nights — that's well below freezing, and with 10–15 mph WNW winds, wind chill will be in the single digits overnight. Pack accordingly: this is not marginal cold, this is winter camping. Monday night clears out at 9% precip and lows of 21°F, so the back half of your trip looks much better.
Snowpack at route elevation is real and present. The Long Lake SNOTEL at 8,400 ft is sitting at 95 inches depth with 39.7 inches SWE — that's a deep late-season snowpack and the trend is slowly falling (settlement, not melt, given these temps). Expect continuous snow coverage on most of the High Sierra Trail above 8,000 ft. Travel will be slower than a summer trip and route-finding on snow may require map and compass work where trail markers are buried. The storm adding new snow this weekend means fresh accumulation on top of an already deep base — plan your mileage conservatively.
Stream crossings are not a concern right now. All five gauges are running 87–118% of median with stable to slowly rising trends — well within normal range and nowhere near the 150%+ threshold that signals crossing difficulty. The warming trend that typically drives dangerous afternoon snowmelt flows isn't happening this weekend with highs in the low 30s, so melt-driven surge isn't a factor until temps climb. Monitor flows later in the trip if Monday warms up, but right now crossings should be straightforward.
No active fires within 50 miles and no smoke issues. Avalanche data is unavailable for this zone — the HST doesn't fall within a forecasted avalanche zone, but fresh snow loading on steep terrain is always worth being aware of at Sierra elevations, especially after a storm cycle like this one. Aim to start each day early — you have 13.5 hours of daylight — so you're in camp before afternoon conditions deteriorate and you're not navigating snow in fading light. If you're flexible on start date, waiting until Monday morning would let the storm fully clear and give you better visibility and trail conditions for the bulk of the trip.
Waypoints
Crescent Meadow Trailhead
Start near the giant sequoias of the Giant Forest. Stunning beginning to the route.
6,299 ft
Hamilton Lakes
Beautiful alpine lakes with dramatic views of Kaweah Peaks Ridge.
9,603 ft
Kern Hot Spring
Natural hot spring in the Kern River canyon. Rest day destination.
6,299 ft
Guitar Lake
Alpine base camp for Whitney summit. Named for its shape.
11,447 ft
Mount Whitney Summit
Eastern terminus. Summit of the highest peak in the contiguous US.
14,505 ft
Route Details
Distance
72.0 mi
Elevation Gain
17,999 ft
Elevation Loss
10,000 ft
Max Elevation
14,505 ft
Estimated Days
10
Trailhead
Crescent Meadow (Sequoia NP)
Best Season
July through September. Stream crossings high in June. Permits from Sequoia NP.
Permit Required
Sequoia NP wilderness permit from Lodgepole Visitor Center. recreation.gov advance reservations.
About This Route
The High Sierra Trail is one of the finest trans-Sierra routes, traversing 72 miles from Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park to the summit of Mount Whitney. The trail offers a complete Sierra experience—giant sequoias, deep river canyons, high alpine terrain, and the highest peak in the lower 48. Unlike the more crowded JMT, the HST sees a fraction of the foot traffic despite comparable scenery. The trail begins in the Giant Forest near Crescent Meadow, drops into the Kern River canyon (one of the deepest in the US), and climbs back up to Whitney through the Guitar Lake basin. The trail crosses several streams that can be challenging in early season snowmelt—particularly in June. Rattlesnakes are common in the lower canyon sections. The final approach to Whitney involves the same summit plateau as the main Whitney trail. Most hikers complete the HST in 8-12 days. Permits are required from both the Sequoia and Inyo National Forest sides. The route is well-maintained but gets minimal maintenance compared to the JMT, so expect some blowdowns after winter storms.
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