The Sierra Nevada is a fabulous range of mountains for both on and off trail backpacking and peak bagging. The section between Cottonwood Pass, south of Mount Whitney, to the Mono Recesses, south of Mammoth, offers the finest of scenery and wilderness experiences, but the areas both north and south of this region are quite rewarding to visit as well. Over the decades James has designed routes to take us to new areas we had not previously visited and to SPS peaks we had not previously climbed. Mid-August to the end of September is our favorite time as the weather is usually fine and the mosquitoes are usually gone. Although the John Muir Trail corridor is heavily used, there are ample opportunities for solitude just about everywhere else.
Individually or together, we have taken over 70 trips to this range of mountains and over time we will add more reports. The map shows the routes we have walked; some segments have been hiked more than once.