Backpacking The High Sierra: John Muir Wilderness Bear Lakes Basin to Italy Pass Cross Country Loop

[@joelucia6931]

Thanks!

[@toddgrant7190]

Truly, there is NOTHING like the High Sierra - bright granitic rocks and clear blue skies. Wow.

[@wealthtrekkers]

Quality video, thanks for sharing!

[@joelucia6931]

Always enjoy watching your videos. They are unpretentious, informative, genuine, not preachy and the visuals are stunning. They are something regular people can really appreciate and empathize with.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thank you Joe, you are too kind. And I appreciate your support!

[@wildflower_gypsy]

Thank you for sharing!

[@jeannielevering6145]

WOW‼️ Thank you for the Awesome Photography! Haven't been able to get up in the Sierras since my late 40s, So Love Seeing It All🤗

[@zimmerfraugudrun]

Thank you for sharing it is fantastic your photographic skills are very good and shows me a gorgeos landscape.

[@goodmanfenceinc.927]

Great video. Thank you! I did a similar trip through that area on my first. August of 1980. Hooked on backpacking ever since

[@nedanother9382]

so funny. I was up there just a week or so before you. I left out of Southlake on a Friday - it was the last day of the hurricane that blew through for I think 6 days. The stream of soaked JMTers quitting and cussing the mountains on their way out was endless. They got beat down badly. The funniest comment was one guy who hadn't brought rain gear ...for the JMT...chimed "This is California, I thought it never rained here." I got dead eyes when I said "it would be clear and sunny tomorrow." It was. It was bad enough on the last day while I was walking up Bishop pass that the trail was flooded in a cloud at the top, I got turned around and walked down the same side I had just walked up. Why do a pass once when you can do it twice for 10 times the energy in the rain and clouds. A bad day in the Sierra is still a hell of day.

[@WildlandExplorer]

It happens! I was caught out in an atmospheric river in March. In Joshua Tree of all places. People on forums are like "it's Joshua Tree you don't need rain gear". But yeah on this Sierra trip I camped by some people by L Lake and they were like "the rain is here never more than a drizzle".

[@edenglehart2829]

​@@WildlandExplorerhi Where is this

[@Juergen732]

George Costanza in a Seinfeld episode asks Jerry "do you ever yearn?" Well, I do, especially for the Sierras when I watch this video! Thanks for sharing and bringing us along!

[@joycecaudell6047]

Thanks for the extra work of bringing a So Long and backtracking to the camera all the time. It was totally worth the two hours I just spent watching and wishing! Thanks again!

[@ropersix]

What a fantastic trip. And I appreciate you taking the time to explain your route-finding, including the "mistakes." Helps those of us who haven't done much cross-country learn more about doing it.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Yeah to me that's the part I miss the most from other creators is the in-depth descriptions of routes and just getting the overall feel for difficulty level, as it is often subjective. Thanks for watching!

[@nedanother9382]

Ha! with a last name of Roper it could be assumed that your brother is Steve and you all the high routes in these parts lol.

[@ropersix]

@@nedanother9382 Not related that I know of, but I'm sure sharing a last name with Steve has something to do with my interest in high routes :)

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Another wonderful adventure. Beautiful scenery, outstanding photography and a skillful navigator. Safe travels & blessings

[@cat30lo13]

Awesome adventure!! This hike will be on my bucket list in the near future. Thank you for sharing.

[@Dany-ii5lu]

Nice to see you again. Greetings from Germany 😀

[@marbleshikes]

You do such a great job of making these vids. The backgrounds in your walk-by shots are so well framed. My new fav channel

[@thebeartoothflyfisher]

Best videography I've ever seen.....and a legendary area near my hometown of Bishop, CA.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! That's very kind especially coming from a local to the area. I used to live in Bishop till I was about 5. Didn't come back to the Sierra until a few years ago. I wonder if the snow you got up there this year will *ever* melt. I hear it's a historic snowpack.

[@thebeartoothflyfisher]

@@WildlandExplorer Rumor has it that its the highest snowpack in 50 years. I no longer live there....now in Great Falls, Montana.....with lots of prime high country hiking.

[@JustinMcKinneyhiker]

Those storms , with the spectacular clouds ,really enhance the video shots !! Plus it kept that burning , hot high Sierra sun off you!!

[@riograndetrout]

Always enjoy your videos and I too wanted to say thanks for all the hard work you put in to editing, shots, and descriptions of trails. I’ll probably never make this trip but your video is the next best thing.

[@johnhelmuth9718]

Nice loop! In late july 2021, we did a loop out of florence lk which took us from jmt to 7 gables lakes, vee lake, bear basin, feather pass, French Canyon, piute trail back to jmt. The off trail cross country scrambling was tough and so rewarding. Your vid quality was so great...was like i got to relive those sections! Well done!

[@johnhelmuth9718]

Someday, we plan to section hike from the pine creek TH thru granite park to lk Italy, take high route over to mono creek, go to Hopkins Pass, and exit at mcgee.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! I agree, like you said it's so rewarding. You can point a stick at a pass with no trail, decide to walk up it and over the other side to lakes that hardly anyone visits. Didn't get out there this year because of the record snowpack and an injury. Just barely getting back on the trail again after a couple months off. You ever done the so-called "hard" east-slope passes like Baxter, Taboose, Sawmill, etc.? I've got those on my mind a lot lately. Trying to figure out a way to combine Rae Lakes with those for a 9-10 day epic next year.

[@johnhelmuth9718]

@@WildlandExplorer in aug 2022, we went from south lk over Bishop into dusy basin, then went off trail over knapsack, potluck, and cirque passes. We connected with the jmt at lower palisade lk. After Mather, we planned to enter Lakes basin via the shr (frozen lks pass) and return via cartridge pass, but stayed on the jmt. After pinchot, we exited via sawmill. That was the most epic decent!!! The views up and down Owen's valley were insane. W/that said, i would not want to ascend that pass in the heat! LOL We spotted my ride at the exit TH, met a shuttle service and got dropped off at S. LK (Bishop Pass). That's a good option off 395 if a loop is not doable.

[@johnhelmuth9718]

@@WildlandExplorer hiking nerd posted a KZbin vid of ascending Baxter (to enter into the rae lks area and 60 lks basin). Looked grueling, but ya might spot big horn sheep on that eastern side. I did the rae lk loop out of rds end, but who knows when that TH will be back (rd damage). Onion valley over kearsarge w/ a taboose exit would be cool. Some folks out there went to bench lk too. Hope to see what ya do on your channel and best of luck with your recovery!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Ah cool I'm familiar with his channel - I will have to check it out! I know those passes are *very* difficult, particularly Baxter. But I'm out in Arizona and I'd rather hike up a horribly steep pass than drive to the west side of the Sierra. I'm a sucker for those climbs.

[@relaxingvideosnorthwest3646]

Amazing hike! Thanks for taking us along!

[@kawaii_channel526]

Such a wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing this beauty. I was wondering what the trees are, in light brown when you were in Fine Lake. Watching from Indonesia.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I think those are mostly lodgepole pines & Jeffrey pines. Not an expert on trees though, thanks for watching!

[@taylerbuffington5755]

Heck yeah dude, amazing video. Thanks for taking us there. This is such a great resource for planning trips in this area.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thank you, happy to help!

[@toddgrant7190]

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing this.

[@yknot.]

Great quality content with lots of effort put into it. You’ve got a pretty chill vibe as well!

[@Vito_Tuxedo]

1:23:48 "OK, I'm a moron" ...uh, yeah...right. I mean, you chose a route with such "crappy views". I had to watch the whole thing...er, just to see how terrible it was, mind you. In fact, I'll have to watch it again...and again, just to fully bask in the horribleness of it all. Seriously, you surpassed yourself on this one, amigo. Truly spectacular, brilliant work. 😎

[@WildlandExplorer]

If you aren't being self-deprecating in the middle of the wilderness then are you really hiking?? 😆

[@SummitSeeker546]

Only 8 minutes into the video and I’m blown away by the Beauty of the Sierra. Epic waterfall indeed! Ready to settle in to view what looks to be another awesome adventure. Thanks for taking us along!

[@SummitSeeker546]

Only day 1 of 7 and you’re blown away already. Me too! That’s the beauty of the Sierra! Each day just gets better as you get deeper into the backcountry and gain in elevation. Fucking love tree line; oh, and love the high alpine! Watch on….

[@SummitSeeker546]

Oh man Merriam Lake at sunset is absolutely gorgeous! Great colors! What an awesome basin. Can’t wait to go over Feather Pass!

[@SummitSeeker546]

Ok add Vee Lake to the 5 Star campsite list. Gorgeous!

[@WildlandExplorer]

This is up there with my favorite trips so far. You're lucky to live so close! I talked to a lot of regulars to the Sierra out there and I just kept getting more and more jealous haha.

[@stfnjng]

EXCELLENT PRODUCTION MY FRIEND! SUCH BEAUTY AND RUGGED BACK COUNTRY SCENERY TRULY AWE INSPIRING. I NEED TO GET BACK OUT THERE IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG. PLANNING FOR A 3 NIGHTER IN SEPTEMBER AND 7 DAYS NEXT SPRING/EARLY SUMMER. THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION, LIKED AND SUBD!

[@YongsungKim]

Wow, this is an epic trip. I really liked how you filming and editing. Thanks for sharing.

[@rayrasmussen4936]

Good to see the Sierras after so many years since I did the Muir trail. I'm planning to copy some of your video techniques in my next videos. Ray Rasmussen

[@SummitSeeker546]

Puppet Lake! Ha, we are doing the North Lake to South Lake in mid October with a slight variation and we will be staying at Puppet after climbing Pilot Knob but then our trip heads up into Evolution Basin. Love the loop you are doing. May have to put that in the books for 2023.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Great minds think alike! My whole plan originally was a longer version of that loop but I couldn't get permits in time. I'm always last minute with that stuff. I was so close to deciding to go over puppet, but it would have been 13 miles to Merriam then - which is normally fine. But when filming hikes, that mileage starts to feel more like 20 miles.

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Great hike in beautiful landscape 👍

[@this-is-slammin-549]

Wish I was young again. This looks Epic!!! I will have to look up the area to see what overnight or two night hikes there are.

[@AnnSagerdahl]

Stunning views! Thank you!!

[@olivierdumazedier8826]

Thank you for taking us with you on that epic journey. That trip to the sierra wonderland was so far one of the best you ever edited. Keep up the good - and hard - work ! Greetings from 🇨🇵.

[@tangenttrails]

Stunning! It’s been absolutely wonderful the be able to watch a n in-depth video of the Sierra range that’s not about the John Muir Trail. Thanks for the hard work to bring us the experience.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Absolutely! I wouldn't have the time off all at once to do a major thru hike anyway. It's odd that the Sierra is a place that can be difficult to find true solitude. I think you almost have to go off trail for that out there.

[@jyc313]

I love those desolate high sierra lakes. Peaceful and so quiet.

[@spellbound021]

Wow what a beautiful hike! Thanks for sharing!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Absolutely, thank you for watching!

[@kozmiczian]

nice trip, beautiful rugged landscapes. Nice to be alone, I always hike solo.

[@WildlandExplorer]

There's nothing else like being in the wilderness alone! It evokes something primal.

[@musthaveblues]

What a great adventure! Thanks for sharing! I can only dream of a hike like this.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I used to think the same years ago! I stared at Google earth for years before I got into backpacking. Eventually I just made it happen! 5 years ago I would probably have been too timid to do this much off-trail solo.

[@fuzzyduckize]

Absolutely awesome content! Thanks for taking us along with you. Can't wait to get out to the Sierra Nevada's too!

[@arinkim708]

Amazing hike, absolutely beautiful! Well done! Do you have gpx tracks for your trip by any chance?

[@WildlandExplorer]

I don't do GPX, but I do have CalTopo. I occasionally post a public link: caltopo.com/m/20AH5 Just keep in mind it's a rough estimation of the route - especially the cross country parts. Definitely need to use in conjunction with guidebooks & maps, off-trail experience a must.

[@bomarfamily]

Wow, just finished watching this - you have shot the most incredible video - it is just stunning! Like I am there!!! I also found it very inspirational, can't wait to watch a few more.

[@samwoo7935]

Great video and great commentary of your trip. Also thank for doing a bunch of miles to get those shots of you in the video. Must of been a bit tiring doing that.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! It's tiring but it's not. It's more miles hiked, but instead of taking long breaks - I take many short breaks while I'm setting up and tearing down the camera. Works out well.

[@jamesbadham228]

Nice shots. Love that area. FYI: pines turn yellow and orange not from the change of seasons but from drought. They are evergreens, but dead ones are all over the Sierra thanks to our long drought.

[@WildlandExplorer]

I've heard some pines drop needles and turn yellow beforehand in response to the change in temp. But you're probably right.

[@michaelschafer5493]

Terrific hike. What month? Your photos are spectacular. What camera did you use?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! This was late Aug '22 if I remember. Low-ish snow year. For tripod shots and zooms I use a Lumix G9 + Leica 12-60mm f/2.8. Walking shots on a GoPro Hero 11.

[@pathfinderwest]

Great video! You really captured the beauty of the Sierras. Makes me want to set up a trip in this area!

[@sweetbodhisoul891]

This was AMAZING!! Loved the video, very well done, easy to follow and some of the best cinematography I have ever seen. Thank you so much for capturing and sharing this trip. I have been as far as Honeymoon Lake. It was very cool to see what was beyond. Maybe someday I will venture further! Oh, what was the book you used for a resource? (you mentioned it in the vid, but more info would be appreciated) :)

[@mistercataldo]

Amazing video! Thank you for sharing. I’m trying to figure out where to begin my hiking career. I’m not a hiker yet so video like this inspire me. BTW. What hiking shoes do you have? I’m in the market and I like the way your look. I’d like to research them. Keep up the great work!!!!

[@samketchum406]

Great video. Curious what cameras you are using?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! For stationary shots I use a Lumix G9 + Leica 12-60mm f/2.8 lens. Sound is with a Movo VXR3000 mic. For walking shots I use a GoPro.

[@zzww9483]

When you go from Vee lake to lake italy trail, I wonder why not take brown bear pass and brown bear lake to get to lake italy trail? It's much shorter. Looking forwards to another great video in Eastern Sierra from your 2023 adventure!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Several other hikers suggested brown bear pass. The locals I camped by who go cross country in the area all the time had no knowledge of the east fork bear creek route, even though it is cairned and has trail lower down. So I set out to explore the unknown. I think it added nice variety to the trip.

[@JustinMcKinneyhiker]

Epic trip !!!! Jaw dropping views everywhere. I love that area and trailhead. I did a similar trip a couple of years ago with a couple of friends, but one of my backpacking friends came down with a bad cold at Honeymoon lake, she hung in until French lake and we had to cut the trip short. Your description of a moon scape is right on. I love the sounds of the Clarks Nutcracker in the back ground. One of only a few hardy birds that actually overwinter in that harsh winter environment. They cache pine nuts , and amazingly know where to find them in the snow during the winter.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks man! I've been sick on trail before, no bueno! I always love to learn new things from my viewers. I have no clue about birds - good to know! I don't blame them for caching pine nuts, so expensive! 😆

[@StephanieHughesDesign]

Excellent video once again. Thanks. What would you suggest for a Sierra Route? Love to do the JMT but obtaining a permit SOBO is difficult mid summer. Would the Sierra High Route be too difficult for an intermediate non technical hiker? What route you suggest?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Almost missed this comment! I am not the most experienced Sierra hiker out there as I've only begun to dip my toes the last couple years. It sounds to me like you could do everything shown in this video no problem. The passes in this video are probably on the easier side of the challenges that the SHR presents and I would probably not do the full SHR myself without further experiencing some of the more difficult passes and probably not alone. In fact the reason I created this route was to familiarize myself more with Sierra cross country hiking. The passes I've done in the Sierra were all easier than anticipated/described and any hiker with a reasonable route finding ability can do it as long as the snow has melted. However, this winter has been wild and I would anticipate greater than average issues with late season snow. If not familiar with the High Sierra Topix website, I'd go there first and start researching passes along the route. They are good at recommending trip ideas based on skill level. Final caveat: go in Aug/Sept when ice fields & cornices will be the least of your worries as that's going to ratchet up difficulty & risk by an order of magnitude. Hope it helps!

[@StephanieHughesDesign]

@@WildlandExplorer Absolutely helps. Thank you. Response is magnificent. Yes, this summer season on JMT or SHR i think would have too much snow and ice. Love your videos. Avid watcher.

[@Wondering_Fireball]

That trip looked awesome. What shoes /boots do you recommend in that type of terrain.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Ha I’m a bad person to ask about shoes. I’m on probably 10th pair of Topo Athletic Terraventure trail runners. Love ‘em. So I thought I’d try their boots on bigger trips (this one). Killed my right Achilles! For a few weeks.

[@dr.maturin4648]

Beautiful, stunning scenery! Well done, thank you.

[@SummitSeeker546]

Mountains above Lake Italy to the East/NE are Mount Julius Caesar and Bear Creek Spire to the NW it’s Mount Hilgard.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Finally figured that out when I was doing the map scenes of the video, lol. thanks for confirming!

[@bradleyoser947]

Great video and unreal scenery. Question for you- a couple of times you said something like “it says” or “supposedly there is a chute…” or something to that effect. What guide did your reference and where did you information that helped you navigate outside of maps? Thanks !

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Yeah I was using info from Sierra South by Elizabeth Wenk. Mostly for the east fork bear canyon route from Feather Pass to the JMT. It's a good guidebook but it's not all encompassing. You'd want to also have a look at the website forum highsierratopix for info on the cross country passes. Most of the info can also be found in Roper's Sierra High Route guide.

[@goodmanfenceinc.927]

Again, great job on the video. I’m planning to revisit this area this fall. I have a couple specific questions about the cross country routes at Vee lake and a couple of routes you took. Is that information you would be willing to share with me? I would really appreciate your input. Happy Hiking! Randy

[@WildlandExplorer]

Definitely! Ask away, I remember pretty much all of it - most of my planning came from highsierratopix forums and the book 'Sierra South'.

[@goodmanfenceinc.927]

Hey thanks for replying. I have a permit for pine creek this august and plan to go to upper pine lake,Elba lake, Merrian then xcountry to Vee and then Jumble with last night at Honeymoon. One of My concern is campsites at Elba and Jumble. I’m considering calling the ranger station on the quality of campsites as well as possibly changing. Also concerned a little on the xcountry routes. I’ve studied maps and it looks fairly straight forward but want to be sure. I have Sierra South and wondered what you used as additional resources for exact information regarding route finding. Your route was a bit different but I would really be interested in your input. I have watched this particular video numerous times and really enjoy your laidback style. I appreciate all the work you put in. I did this same route 44 years ago with my uncle and cousins so I can’t wait to be there again. Thanks again Randy

[@WildlandExplorer]

HI Randy, firstly feel free to use the CalTopo link in this video's description. It's a fairly accurate retracing of the route I took. Elba lake, you will have no issues finding camping. It's flat over there with some short pines, beautiful spot. Jumble lake however looked like a PITA to camp at. There is a large and steep boulder field surrounding it. However if you keep going past Jumble lake, some flat spots appear below the approach to italy pass; there were obvious flat/cleared spots where people tent over there. There are some small seasonal streams below those flat spots you can get water from (probably). That would be my choice over Jumble. The xc routes in the middle of this trip are pretty straightforward. Merriam lake trail ends before the lake but route is obvious; it's a fun little jaunt around some tarns. Once at Merriam, the route contours the south shore - aim for the waterfall. Jsut below the waterfall, you will at some point notice primitive switchbacks going up through the granite to get you above the waterfall. You might need to hand hold onto the granite in a couple spots, if you have a heavy pack. Steep but short. From there it's pure xc over feather pass. You stay on the east side of the outlet stream & LaSalle lake. The chute from LaSalle that gets you to the feather pass approach will be self evident, but there are going to be a couple spots that will have late season snow and a couple spots that involve easy scrambling - I think anyone can do it. Wasn't a problem for me in '22, but it was a low snow year. North side of feather pass is an easy scramble and then there are random cairns indicating Roper's Sierra High Route that you follow to get into bear lakes basin - a use trail kind of comes and goes. You curve around the north side of Bearpaw Lake, then the south side of Ursa Lake by crossing over Bearpaw's outlet stream. From there the route to Vee Lake will be obvious, you meander south-southwest to Vee Lake and take one of multiple ways to walk down. I believe the way I took was technically the "wrong" way from how it was described in Sierra South but it was an easy walk anyway. From Vee Lake, you find a faint trail hugging the north shore, where the campsites are. Stay right of the outlet stream and you'll find the "rocky chute" you see in my video. To me it barely qualified as a scramble -- like a class 2.5 there. After this chute, just head straight down aiming towards the Seven Gables, to where you find a trail that follows East Fork Bear Creek. You can see the trail from high above - impossible to miss it. However after this, I made the mistake of crossing over the stream right here. That's the part of the video where I'm a bit turned around. If you stay on this trail, it takes you high above a waterfall - this is where I got turned around. Just keep going through some trees that look like you're going to have a sheer drop... It's actually not a drop at all and the trail continues. From there, trail follows east fork bear all the way to the JMT. It's what I'd call "semi cross country", there are cairns, but you'll be making your own adventure through there. Super fun hiking on that part. After that it's all trail back to Pine Creek. I didn't have any major issues with route finding, and it was my first time through that part of the Sierra. Hope this helps!

[@wellseasonedhiker]

Good job on this video. Looks like an awesome loop trip. We'll be in Bear Lake Basin twice this summer, once from VVR and second when we complete the SHR. That's a heck of a zoom lens you have - what is it?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Enjoy the trip it's near perfect hiker paradise! The lens is not actually a long zoom. It's only a standard 12mm-60mm in m4/3 format. So about 120mm full frame equivalent at the long end. The G9 camera I use records approx. 6K video native in the sensor and crops to 4K. There is an internal sensor crop function that is less lossy than a traditional digital zoom that allows me to get 1.4x past the optics to 85mm. This results in about a 7X zoom and no one can tell it's not 100% optical because of atmospheric effects at that range. I have to sharpen the image in post dramatically at that range. This allows me to keep weight and complexity down and only carry one lens.

[@wellseasonedhiker]

@@WildlandExplorer Yeah, epic area. I went through there in the late 70's. Back then it was pristine - no trails...no one went there. Looking forward to getting back. Thanks for the info on photography. Most of that went over my head LOL!!!

[@edenglehart2829]

Beautiful...where's the trailhead?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Pine Creek Trailhead @ Inyo National forest on recreation dot gov

[@edenglehart2829]

Thanks...im going soon​@WildlandExplorer

[@juanbackpacks]

Great video! My first backpacking trip in the Sierra started at Pine Creek Pass. That was prior to 2020. Since I’ve thru hiked the JMT, HST and the TRT. I would love to do this exact track/trip. Do you have a gpx file or mapping that you would be willing to share?😊

[@WildlandExplorer]

No prob I added a Caltopo link the description! This trip was really rewarding in terms of wilderness feel. My favorite area of the Sierra so far is the bear lakes basin / vee lake.

[@juanbackpacks]

@@WildlandExplorer Is there a guide book and/or paper map that you would recommend for the area. I’ve done a lot of my own map study of the area so many of the lakes and passes in your video are familiar to me because of that. Just curious about any resources you may have used.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Hi! sorry for the late reply. On this trip I used 'Sierra South' by Elizabeth Wenk; really these books are just a jumping off point - I like to make my own routes and stay away form the popular spots. Keeps me safe by knowing intimately what the plan is. I synthesize guidebook data with CalTopo maps. On desktop, there is a layer you can turn on which overlays other people's routes who have chosen to make their maps public. There is a wealth of information there, effectively creating a heatmap showing where other adventurers are hiking, particularly off-trail. This is how I figure out things like "follow the east bank of the lake" or if I'm trying to figure out where to find the exact location of a chute that is mentioned in a guidebook; and can occasionally help you avoid cliff out spots that aren't apparent from topo lines. Also the forum highsierratopix (dot com) has been invaluable, especially for cross country passes - learning which direction is better and which passes hold late season snowfields, etc. Hope it helps!

[@markwharton6108]

Awesome video! Is it difficult to get permits? I have never hiked in California.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Permits are only for overnights, day hikes you just show up and hike. The permits are a pain but it's still easier than the Grand Canyon. You get a permit via recreation.gov. It can be difficult or easy to obtain depending on where you're trying to hike. If you've got like 3-4 months lead time, that helps. You have to read the fine print on each trailhead description for things like "does allow connecting to John Muir Trail" or similar. Some trailhead permits only allow you to hike to specific places in and out the same way you came.

[@markwharton6108]

@@WildlandExplorer Thank you!

[@matthewparker7515]

New subscriber here. Great video! I've been wanting to go over Royce Pass and down to Vee Lakes so this video was very informative for my planning. What camera do you use? Cell phone camera? The resolution is impeccable.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Hope it helps! I do want to advise that the boulder scramble alongside the south bank of Royce Lake was unexpectedly difficult and the only part of the hike I felt was genuinely risky. This was not mentioned by anyone on the High Sierra Topix forums, where it seems the best info on the Sierra is. Royce Pass itself is accurately described as easy class 2, but no one talks about the lake. While skirting the bank I had to turn around and go higher up to traverse it. I didn't film any of that part of it as it was unsafe to do so. I would advise going high and side-hill the ridge as soon as you get to the lake to avoid the sketchy boulder scramble and then drop from there to the plateau. Early season I'd expect ice field / cornice against the bank anyway. As for cameras, I use a Panasonic Lumix G9 w/12-60mm f/2.8 lens for main shots and a GoPro Hero 8 for walking shots (now using a GP11). I do the color grading & sharpness in post, as cameras themselves are bad at that, so I turn those to zero in-camera.

[@matthewparker7515]

@@WildlandExplorer greta intel, thanks! I too feel that the scrambles around lakes can be more difficult than the passes. There is a talus field at the first Darwin Lakes after coming down from Lamarck Col that is not physically large but has extremely large boulders. That talus field has kicked my ass all 3 times I have navigated through there. Per Royce Lake how about the north bank approach or is that impossible due to talus? You have some great high quality video footage. I used to carry a Canon SLR years ago but have gotten lazy and resorted to just using my iPhone to cut down on weight and size. What video editing software do you use? I use Power Director which is pretty good but it's a little minimalistic in its abilities. Have you tried any other of the Sierra High Route pasess/sections? I think you would really like them given you went over Feather Pass on this trip. I have been up and over Feather, White Bear, and Gabbot in the area of your video and they are all wonderful. Tried going down to Vee Lake a few years ago but heavy smoke rolled in from the bad fires that summer so I had to turn around. Looked like a really place. How was the descent down from there down to the JMT/PCT? I ask because I did take the unmaintained trail down from Italy Lake to the PCT/JMT a few years back and it was a bit challenging at times. Doable by challenging even though there was an unmaintained trail.

[@justinnikodemski383]

Is the trila in teh video - The High Sierra Camps Loop?

[@WildlandExplorer]

I make all my own routes from scratch so I have no idea. I don't really do named hikes from books because they tend to be popular & crowded.

[@darklyte24]

How do you like that pack? Do you backpack often?

[@WildlandExplorer]

That's the 2019 version of the Exos 58. It's ok, I don't love it and have mostly retired it. It had a defect where the brain straps rub on the shoulder straps and eventually wear through them. I hear the newer Exos fixed this issue. This year I switched to a Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 for bigger trips. But I mostly still use the grey Levity 45 pack you see on most of my videos (discontinued).

[@austinjones7802]

Hey man just came across your awesome videos! What camera do you use? The colors are so vibrant it’s amazing!

[@WildlandExplorer]

Thanks! Very kind! Short answer is: Panasonic Lumix G9 + Leica 12-60mm lens for stationary & panning shots. And a GoPro Hero 8 for walking shots. Long answer is mostly this is done in editing. I use color & shape masks in layered color adjustments to break a scene into "adjustment zones" that allow independent exposure & color adjustment in different parts of a scene. There is also frequently motion tracking applied to parts if the camera was moving. the result is an HDR-like look that is closer to how it looked in real life vs. traditional technique. I wanna make a video series about how I do this eventually, prob next year - if anyone would watch it.

[@austinjones7802]

@@WildlandExplorer you do a very nice job in post! Definitely some of the highest quality I’ve seen🙏

[@navigator8222]

What do you do in regards to bear safety?

[@WildlandExplorer]

Most places I hike in the southwest are not bear country or at least not dense with bears. Usually an Ursack hung on a large diameter branch. In the Sierra I just bring a canister since it's required almost everywhere out there. Bears are not a safety concern outside of grizzly country or the problematic areas of the Smokies. My main nightly deterrent is a long podcast playlist I keep at a volume high enough to deter animals but low enough not to be heard by other campers.

[@navigator8222]

Interesting thank you@@WildlandExplorer

[@yebushibukeyi]

Excuse me, is there an entrance fee for hiking here?

[@WildlandExplorer]

not for day hiking but yes for backpacking - you would need a permit from recreation dot gov

[@MojaveZach]

this was such an awesome video! the views are just awful! lol nah the views are just absolutely astounding!

[@WildlandExplorer]

truly the worst views don't go

At $12.00 a meal, I'm sure there must be some cheaper options for food on the trail! Mountain House Adventure Meals can take a flying leap into the lake, as far as I'm concerned.

[@WildlandExplorer]

K

[@SylvainSybaris]

So I'm guessing John Muir hiked through here? and doing so with NO TRAILS, and perhaps NO MAPS either, maybe NO COMPASS.... and this region & trail is named after him? Quite an honor I'd say... Surely, he blazed his way with some sort of markers, so as to fins his way back to his car, I mean "HORSE", right? Well, he lived to 1914, so cars were kind of new and not many had those Model T Fords, so maybe he had a horse, not sure.===== Much of this hike has NO TRAILS at all.... Just walking on grassy areas & rocks & creeks aimlessly.... Perhaps you have to know what the mountains look like and just go in that general direction and hope for the best.... and then you said it at video clip 1:28:22 when you said "Dozens of WRONG directions I keep taking".... Yes, I can see many people getting lost out there.... Be sure to watch out for human remains!!!

[@edenglehart2829]

Where's the trail head

[@edgeplay4205]

1 : 18 : 37 - the quintessential posterboy of the Sierra

[@cliffdwelling3807]

54:14

[@JohnCantHike55Amorosano]

Strange... is YT jacked up or do you have to approve these comments before they post? TESTING! LOL

[@JohnCantHike55Amorosano]

Nope, looks like this one posted. Anyway sent you a comment before this one to see if you'd be interested in joining on an 11 day off-trail Grand Canyon hike in March which includes pack rafting and/or a two week Kings Canyon High Basin Route adventure in July? Been watching your videos lately and it looks like you not only possess the skills, physically and mentally, to complete off-trail hikes, but thrive on the challenges as well. So, we wanted to extend the invite for one or both and would love to get to know you. Contact me for details... happy trails! Great video by the way!!

[@SummitSeeker546]

@@WildlandExplorer If you can do 2 long trips this year you must do the GC trip in addition to the KCHBR. I too had never pack-rafted. Having the right pack raft is critical. Sooo much fun! Even better when the river rafters share their beer with you! As Johnny says miles in the GC are different than miles in the Sierra. I didn’t understand that until my first GC trip. I now love the GC! I’ve come to the conclusion that 2 epic trips per year are better than several shorter blah trips. IMO! Get ready, the KCHBR is a ball buster. Yew!