Waking up on our fifth morning, we were already a day ahead of schedule and still technically had that Guitar Lake rest day built-in, so we decided to break up that section with a night at Crabtree Ranger Station before continuing on the Guitar Lake.

Leaving camp at Moraine Lake, the trail meandered east, south of Funston Creek and after a quick mile or so, we crossed the creek and rejoined the official High Sierra Trail at Sky Parlor Meadow.

From Kaweah Gap, the High Sierra Trail began a long, gradual descent through drastically different terrain going from the the barren alpine zone to a flourishing tundra.

Right from camp, the trail crossed Hamilton Creek and quickly started switch-backing along the side of the northern wall of Hamilton Lake’s basin.

In under a quarter mile, we quickly found ourselves at the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, a wilderness lodge (glamping) perched on a cliffside high atop a 7,800′ granite saddle overlooking the Great Western Divide.

It turns out that the High Sierra Trail (HST) is like the JMT’s little brother and an incredible alternative. At only 72 miles, it can be completed in under a week, but it still features everything the Sierras have to offer; Colossal mountains, jagged peaks and ridges, crystal clear alpine lakes, magnificent lush forests, stunning meadows, towering waterfalls, and an abundance of wildlife.