I backpacked the High Sierra Trail and the John Muir Trail from August 3rd to August 21st. It was quite the experience as the weather did not fully cooperate. I became intimately familiar with Thunderstorms. Here are some photos........you can see more and more of the photos at: http://calicokat.smugmug.com/Hiking/Sierra-Nevada There are Topo Maps of my entire journey to see as well and some videos at a later time.

I am in the process of blogging about the day to day adventure and if anyone is interersted, it is here: http://calicokat-hstjmt2012.blogspot.com/

Hamilton Lake (Day One)


Precipice Lake (Day Two)


Vista On The Way To Mt. Whitney (Day Four)


Mt. Whitney From Timberline Lake (Day Four)


University Peak & Mt. Bradley From Forester Pass (Day Five)


Bullfrog Lake Reflections (Day Six)


Mt. Brewer & Bullfrog Lake (Day Eight)


Mt. Clarence King (Day Nine)


The Palisades From Mather Pass (Day Ten)


Lower Palisade Lake (Day Ten)


The Black Giant (Day Eleven)


Helen Lake (Day Eleven)


Sunset From McClure Meadow (Day Eleven)


Lake Of The Lone Indian (Day Thirteen)


Camp Vista Supreme (Day Sixteen)


Pre Dawn At Thousand Island Lake (Day Seventeen)


Banner Peak (Day Seventeen)


Black & White Version (Day Seventeen)


Warm Early Morning Light From Half Dome's Summit (Day Nineteen)


Myself On The Summit Of Half Dome w/ JMT/HST 2012 Bandana (Day 19)

Thank you for sharing these great photos, and congrats on doing JMT. Some day I hope to get on that as well.

Great pictures thanks for sharing. Nice job covering the JMT.

CALICOKAT,
Extraordinary !!!
Fantastic !!!

Great photos! We are going to do the HST this summer (2013) any tips? We are going west to east

Wow, some really great pics of your trip. Summertime in the Sierra's! Already dreaming about it now here in January.

they are ALL B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.

simonov wrote:

iHartMK wrote:Great photos! We are going to do the HST this summer (2013) any tips? We are going west to east

GF and I were meant to do it in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Maybe this year will be a breakthrough.

You gotta do it! Are you going to go east to west, or west to east?

Congrats on what looked to be a stunning journey. Thanks for sharing!

After just meeting with the accountant to do my 2012 taxes, your post was a much needed dose of beauty and escape to an otherwise grim morning. Thanks much.

simonov wrote:

iHartMK wrote:

simonov wrote:

iHartMK wrote:Great photos! We are going to do the HST this summer (2013) any tips? We are going west to east

GF and I were meant to do it in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Maybe this year will be a breakthrough.

You gotta do it! Are you going to go east to west, or west to east?

Just pulled the trigger on this. Applied for a permit for 14 August, west to east. Nine days.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to carry nine days of food.

Nice dude! Congratulations.

iHartMK wrote:Great photos! We are going to do the HST this summer (2013) any tips? We are going west to east

Consider doing a slight variation of HST via Colby Pass. Beyond Colby Pass, consider a night alongside Pickett Creek Lake... amazing color and scenery along this entire stretch over Colby and down the Kern-Kaweah drainage.