Yosemite-Tahoe, HST or TRT?

[Jim W.]

Hi all,

My wife and kids will be out of town for 2 weeks in early July so I'm planning a hike. My hike window will be 7/2 to 7/19, including travel from LA. Last year I did the JMT, this year I'm considering one of the following four hikes.

Anyone who has done one or more of these routes please let me know which would be your favorite to repeat.

High Sierra Trail: Start at Kennedy Meadows, hike 70 miles up the PCT to the junction with the HST, then head west 50 miles to Giant Forest on the HST. To keep weight easy at the start I would probably resupply at Horseshoe Meadows, adding an easy 6 miles. Conveniently I have rides available at both ends!

Tahoe Rim Trail. 165 miles. Transport is easy, apparently resupply is as well.

PCT from Kennedy Meadows to Red's Meadow. Although I did most of this last summer, it's worth repeating and it has the cachet of being 200 miles of no roads. Direction is undecided. I can arrange a car shuttle so transport is easy.

PCT from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite to Donner Pass north of Tahoe. 220 miles, sections I, J, & K per the guidebook. Undecided which direction to go. From descriptions it sounds like the PCT would be nicer than the Tahoe-Yosemite trail. Probably drive up, place a cache at Sonora Pass, then park in Bridgeport and bus/hitch to/from the trail endpoints. At the end drive back to Sonora Pass to pick up cache (spare bear can). This is currently the leading contender and has the added benefit of putting me well on my way to section hiking the PCT.

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