橫渡雪山+ 登頂美國本土最高峰 惠特尼14505ft

Day 2 - to Big Arroyo Junction (11 miles/17.6 km): East of Bearpaw, you begin your ascent into the Great Western Divide. After passing some nice campsites at Lone Pine Creek (13.1 miles/21.0 km from the trailhead), the trail follows a long series of switchbacks, overshadowed by the Angel Wings, a sheer granite wall to the north of the trail. The route crosses Hamilton Creek just above the lower Hamilton Falls and climbs another series of switchbacks to Big Hamilton Lake (16.6 miles/26.6 km). The popular campsites here offer outstanding views and fair to good fishing for brook, rainbow and golden trout.

Beyond Big Hamilton Lake, there is nowhere to go but up! The climb begins with a series of sweeping switchbacks across the bluffs to the north of the lake, before turning east towards the sheer-walled avalanche chute known as Hamilton Gorge. In 1932, Park Service engineers erected a steel suspension bridge across the Gorge, but in the winter of 1937, a massive avalanche tore the bridge from its moorings and swept its twisted wreckage down to the shores of Big Hamilton Lake. You can still see the bridge's concrete foundations and a few scrap metal remains, but the trail now uses a ledge and tunnel that were blasted by the Civilian Conservation Corps the next summer.

East of Hamilton Gorge, the trail enters the alpine life zone of the Sierras, a region where the short growing season, avalanches and lack of soil make life impossible for plants other than herbs and low shrubs. Precipice Lake, which is nestled beneath the north wall of Eagle Scout Peak, often stays frozen into mid-summer. Beyond the lake, the route passes a series of shallow glacial ponds, to finally arrive at Kaweah Gap on the Great Western Divide (20 miles/32 km). From this pass at 10,700' (3261 meters) it is only a few hundred vertical feet down to the open valley of the Big Arroyo. The trail continues a steady to moderate descent to the campsites at Big Arroyo Junction (22.5 miles/36 km).

Day 3 - to Moraine Lake (8 miles/12.8 km) or Upper Funston Meadow (12 miles/19.2 km): After 2 strenuous days of hiking, the journey from Big Arroyo to Moraine Lake is relatively easy. If you have a tighter schedule, you may wish to bypass Moraine Lake, an extra .8 miles (1.3 km), and proceed directly to Upper Funston Meadow, at the bottom of the Kern Trench.

After leaving Big Arroyo Junction, the trail makes a moderate ascent up the north wall of the Big Arroyo, providing views of the east side of the Great Western Divide. Once it reaches the Chagoopa Plateau, the trail levels off, and soon reaches a junction on a tributary of Chagoopa Creek. The right-hand trail branches off from the main High Sierra Trail to Moraine Lake (30 miles/48 km from Crescent Meadow). The left-hand trail follows a more direct route across the Chagoopa Plateau, rejoining the Moraine Lake Trail at Sky Parlor Meadow (30.8 miles/49.3 km). From here, it descends to the bottom of the Kern Trench. The drop is moderate at first, but concludes with a series of steep, rocky switchbacks. This stretch of the trail can be long and dry, so be sure to fill your water bottles at Sky Parlor Meadow. To reach Upper Funston Meadow (34.5 miles/55.2 km), turn south (right) upon reaching the bottom of the canyon.

Day 4 - to Junction Meadow (13.7 miles/21.9 km from Moraine Lake/9.7 miles; 15.5 km from Upper Funston): If you are coming from Moraine Lake, continue about 1 mile (1.6 km) beyond the lake to rejoin the High Sierra Trail at Sky Parlor Meadow. Descend into the Kern Trench, but turn north (left) upon reaching the bottom. If you are coming from Upper Funston, retrace your steps to the junction with the trail from the Chagoopa plateau, and continue north along the bottom of the canyon.

The Kern River Trail drops into a marshy area beyond the junction, then leads through a forest of Jeffrey pine and incense-cedar. Keep an eye through the trees to the west to catch a glimpse of Chagoopa Falls tumbling down from the rim of the canyon. At 36.8 miles/58.9 km from the trailhead (excluding the side-trip to Moraine Lake), you will arrive at Kern Hot Springs, complete with a crude cement bathtub in which to soak your aching muscles. The water from the spring is 115 degree F (46 degrees C). The tub is only a few feet from the cold, rushing Kern River, and runoff from the tub mixes with river water to create a warm pool, allowing you your choice of temperatures for bathing. (Please, no soap in the river or tub.) If your schedule allows, you may wish to camp here, but you must stay in the designated camp sites, which are often heavily used.

Beyond Kern Hot Spring, the trail continues along the bottom of the glaciated valley of the Kern River. This canyon runs almost due north and south for about 25 miles (40 km) along the Kern Canyon fault. The trail ascends steadily to Junction Meadow (42 miles/67.2 km). Hiking along the bottom of the canyon can be hot and dry during the middle of the day. If you have camped at Kern Hot Springs, however, remember that cold air from the surrounding peaks flows down the canyon at night, and that the sun will not clear the 2000 to 5000' (610 to 1524 meter) high canyon walls until relatively late in the morning.

Day 5 - to Crabtree Meadow (8.9 miles/14.2 km): Leave the park-like Jeffrey pines of Junction Meadow and cross a steep, rocky slope covered with manzanita and currant. Soon, the trail begins to climb out of the Kern Canyon, offering increasingly impressive views of the canyon to the south, and west to the Kaweah Peaks, which were to the east of you three days ago when you came over Kaweah Gap. At 48.9 miles from the trailhead (78.2 km), you will reach the junction with the John Muir Trail, which runs from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney. There are campsites here, as well as at Crabtree Meadow (53.1 miles/85 km). Guitar Lake (56.6 miles/90.6 km) is the last campsite with water before the summit of Mt. Whitney.

Day 6 - to the summit of Mt. Whitney: If you have arranged for transportation from Whitney Portal and this is the last day of your trip, this will be a long day (19.1 miles/30.6 km). You may also camp at Trail Camp (65.7 miles/105.1 km from the trailhead) or Outpost Camp (68.7 miles/109.9 km) on the east side. If you are hiking back to Giant Forest, plan to return to Crabtree Meadow (round trip to the summit, 16.8 miles/26.8 km).

PS: 入山證每人＄15 PS: 需要帶冰爪，若是今年雪下太多，7月初，高山的雪應該還未融，尤其 Kaweah Gap