I had self-imposed a deadline of March 1 for publishing the Yosemite High Route Guide, knowing that backpackers are making their summertime plans (and in some cases have already made them).

The Guide is not yet complete — it’s about 85 percent of the way there — but today I’m releasing it anyway so that it can be put to use, especially its planning resources. The Yosemite High Route Guide is available for immediate download.

After I complete the remaining 15 percent sometime this month, I will send to all customers a new download link for the missing files or for the fully completed Guide (especially if I end up tweaking anything in the “finished” 85 percent portion). Expect another update in Fall 2019 based on guided trips on the route this July.

Rock Island Lake, a rarely visited alpine basin

The current edition, which I’ve designated 1.0, includes the following materials:

“Guidebook — Part 1: Before you go” includes essential preparatory information (e.g. permits, travel, regulations, scheduling) that is supplementary to the existing online information;

Annotated topographic maps for the Core Route, all twelve Approach Routes, and eight recommended Section-Hikes;

Datasheets for the Core Route, all twelve Approach Routes, five Alternate Routes, six featured Thru-Hikes, and eight recommended Section-Hikes; and a,

Rudimentary GPX file to help find trailheads and download maps for off-line use.

The current edition does NOT yet include Part 2 and Part 3 of the Guidebook, which will have route descriptions for the Core Route, Approach Routes, Alternates, and Section-Hikes. I’m working on these documents now, but they’re not ready for prime-time. Thankfully, they’re not necessary in planning a thru- or section-hike of the Yosemite High Route.

Samples of these resources can be found here.

I’m frustrated that I’m not yet done with the Guide — I don’t like missing deadlines, and just as much I’d like to move on to other projects. But I’m satisfied with the current quality of the materials, and I’d rather that Part 2 and Part 3 of the Guidebook be late but good (instead of on-time but shoddy).

Partly responsible for the delay are the multiple revisions that I made to the route’s fundamental structure. Ultimately, I identified a 94-mile Core Route that is consistently world-class: it’s 70 percent off-trail, gyrates 630 vertical feet per mile, and accesses rarely visited pockets of America’s third National Park.

To reach this Core Route, I’ve offered twelve Approach Routes: eight for the northern terminus, ranging from 17 to 50 miles; and, four for the southern terminus, ranging from 10 to 18 miles. All told, there are thirty-two potential thru-hiking itineraries, making it possible that no thru-hikers in 2019 will do the same route.