Vent: I thought the High Sierra Trail was better than the John Muir Trail for views

I always pushed the High Sierra Trail because it's shorter and you hit Whitney. But I finally did the full JMT from Happy Isles to Whitney Portal last August. The constant, day after day scenery on the JMT, especially the Evolution Basin section, just blew the HST's shorter highlights out of the water. The longer trip lets you really sink into the landscape. Anyone else switch their favorite after doing both?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyc531mo ago

Funny how that works. It's like the difference between watching a movie trailer and actually seeing the whole film. You see it everywhere, people swear by the quick, easy version of something until they try the real, long form deal. Then they can't go back. The JMT just gives your brain the time it needs to actually adjust to being somewhere that big.

scott.charlie1mo ago

My buddy swore by the HST for years, called it the perfect sampler. We finally convinced him to do a JMT section from Red's to VVR last summer. He came back totally quiet for a week, then admitted he was wrong. Said the scale of everything on the JMT just rewired his brain. It's that immersion factor you can't get on a shorter route.

the_stella1mo ago

Ever notice how some places just need time to sink in? Reading what scott.charlie said about his buddy hits home. I did a three day trip in the Winds once, felt like I was just getting started when I had to leave. It was all packing and unpacking, never just being there. That's the real shift, when you stop feeling like a visitor passing through. You have to be out long enough to forget what day it is.