The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country [Paperback]

Steve Roper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

Guide to a spectacular 195-mile timberline route in the sub-alpine region of California's High Sierra.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 2 edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898865069
• ISBN-13: 978-0898865066
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #652,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Excursion Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars practical guide to an undescribable experience, December 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country (Paperback)

This book outlines a magnificent experience following an off-trail, higher version of the Muir Trail through the High Sierra. We have followed most of Roper's route over several years: sometimes we thought we were lost or overwhelmed, but it always turned out fine, and usually excellent. He treads a fine line between complete instructions that would allow no mistakes, and an experience that gives the hiker their own opportunity for route-finding, discovery, and growth. This is one of our favorite books, and we keep an intact copy plus another one torn apart for each journey and sometimes given away to people met along the way who need it. We still travel the trail some of the time, but genuinely value this alternative farther away from the crowds.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the strong willed, November 27, 2000

By 

Alexander Rose "Zander" (Sausalito, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country (Paperback)

My girlfriend and I recently took some of Ropers advice on a Mt. Conness Loop 5 day hike in Yosemite. It was an increadible trip. Roper gives just enough hints to get you there but few enough to make it still feel like exploring. Be advised however when he referes a section of your hike as 'adventurous' or 'exciting' he means it. We pushed ourselves to the physical and mental limit on this trip.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thru-hiker's best friend, October 16, 2009

By 

Andrew Clifford (NZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country (Paperback)

My girlfriend and I now refer to this book as 'Stevie' after spending a month thru-hiking the SHR with it this fall. I'm not sure that Mr Roper would approve of having his name taken in vain, but we sure took a liking to his style and found that his words of wisdom quickly became our loyal companion.

Like others before us (and it broke my heart to do it) we cut out the actual guide section of the book to keep weight down, and I highlighted all route-finding information to make it stand out from the amazingly informative and, at times, highly entertaining, descriptive detail. Used in conjunction with Andrew Skurka's excellent accompanying map set (available via web) we had very few route-finding problems, although we were blessed with exceptionally good weather and zero snow cover. It appears that the guidebook maybe too good, as we found that use trails had become pretty well established over large portions of the route, possibly to the dismay of Roper and cross-country purists.

If you are planning to thru-hike the SHR, you need this book. It is not an easy trek (much more rugged than the JMT) and there is no other hard-copy guide. The book's also worth buying if you are craving a shorter High Sierra trip, as some great options are described for incorporating sections of the route into loops with access points on both sides of the range.

The author's advice is priceless for safe cross-country travel through some of the world's most spectacular mountainous scenery. May Stevie become your friend too - but tread lightly so that it remains as rewarding a challenge for future Sierra lovers as it was for us.