I’ve been calling this trip a beautiful bummer, and that about sums it up. My time on the High Sierra Route was everything I’d hoped for—challenging, rewarding, and full of beauty—but an old injury came back to cut things short.

Getting Going


Starting out I was a little nervous mostly because someone told me “It’s super easy to get hurt and cliffed out on that route, I’m glad you’re going with someone” and I let this get a little too stuck in my head. While I knew this route was going to be challenging and tricky, if you know how to read maps and take your time to find the correct route, it’s supposed to be a doable route--doable, as in not needing ropes and other technical mountaineering gear. With that said, I do want to mention this is an advanced hiking route and I DO NOT recommend it for novice hikers or as an early experience cross country route

We've Got This!


It had been a while, but I grew up backpacking on off trail routes and though I was rusty, I could feel the ability to read the terrain coming back to me as we hiked along. The more passes we completed the more comfortable I grew in knowing we would be able to do this route. One of the harder passes, Frozen Lake Pass, was early on and though it was slow going and very talus laden, it was also very doable. Making it over that one had me thinking, we’ve got this!

Noticing My Knee


One thing that I didn’t think would be an issue was my knee. I injured it in late 2023, a severe hyper-extension, from being kicked, by a calf, right below the knee, it went back and in--in the wrong direction-—I thought I broke the tib-fib at first, thank goodness I didn’t. I couldn’t put weight on it for a few weeks and then it took a couple of months to start walking normally and without pain again. But by April 2024 it felt good enough to start the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). It felt great while hiking, the only time I had an issue with it was when post-holing. If you’ve never post-holed before, your knee tends to do a slight hyper-extension in the snow. So that movement was a no-go for my knee. Luckily, on the CDT there is a lower non-snowy route I could take that kept my knee happy. After that, I honestly forgot about the injury because it does not bother me at all. Not during my 100-Kilometer race, not during my 100-mile race, not during any hiking or backpacking I’ve done since.


After Frozen Lake Pass however, I could feel that my knee felt a bit off. No pain, just a little looser/ not quite as stable as usual. I was hoping it would work itself out. But after a couple of days, I woke up with it stiff and sore. Luckily that day we were going into town for a zero and resupply. I mentioned it to my friend because, how it was feeling at the time, I could tell it had the potential to be a trip ender, and I wanted to let her know as soon as possible in case I had to stop.

Bishop and Back Again


The timing was lucky—we were headed into Bishop for a zero and resupply. Coming down Bishop Pass, my knee was sore enough that I thought, This might be it. I told my friend I might have to end my hike, but since we already had a room booked, I decided to rest and see how it felt.


Around town, my knee actually felt better. I really didn’t want to quit. The next stretch followed the Pacific Crest Trail for about 20 miles, so I decided to test it—if things got worse, I’d have an easier exit.


The climb back up Bishop Pass felt great. Yes!!! But as soon as the trail turned rocky on the descent, my knee started complaining again. No!!! By the time we reached Dusy Basin, I knew. If I kept pushing, I risked doing real damage or even needing rescue.


I decided to called it.


The Beautiful Bummer


Hiking out the next day confirmed the decision—it hurt. Stopping wasn’t what I wanted, but it was the right call.


I’m proud of what I did complete: the first section of the High Sierra Route from Road’s End to Bishop Pass. It was breathtaking, challenging, and full of adventure. But yes—it was also a bummer to end early.


For now, I’ll stick to trails and less talus-heavy terrain while I work on building strength (probably with a little physical therapy). The High Sierra will still be there when I’m ready.


Until then, you’ll find me wandering the trails!