Thank you for signing up for the "Humphreys Basin High Base Camp, John Muir Wilderness, California", Sierra Club trip #10175A

I'm the leader for this trip. Jim Balsitis, our assistant leader, and I will do everything we can to help you have a comfortable, safe and enjoyable hiking outing.

Forms - Approval:
When you signed up you should have gotten email with web links to three forms: 1. Medical, 2. Liability Release and 3. Approval. Yon need to get those back to so I can officially approve you for the trip.
I'll be in contact with you when I receive your approval forms. Please don't make any travel arrangements until after approval. Be sure to contact me if you have any questions.

Our Camp:
Our base camp will be in John Muir Wiilderness, an area with some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the country. From our basecamp there you will have options ranging from strenuous hikes with a optional overnight (for those who want) to just lounging around one of the many lakes and swimming or fishing (license required).

Start-up:
Our hike up to basecamp on day 1 will be the most strenuous required hike. 8 1/2 miles with almost 2,500 feet elevation gain.
See profile at https://donsnotes.com/places/california/piute_pass.html The packers will start loading gear at 6:30 AM.

We highly recommend that people stay overnight at the packers station (9,000 ft. elevation) Saturday night to get acclimatized. If you try to go from Bishop (4,000 ft) over Piute pass at 11,500 you risk getting altitude sickness. The atmospheric pressure at 11,500 ft. is about 2/3 that of sea level.

We'll meet at the packers station at 5 PM Saturday then go into Bishop (30 min. drive) for a group dinner (dutch).

Reno is the closest airport. It is about 5 hours from the Reno airport to the packers station.
Links to maps at:
https://donsnotes.com/sierraclub/outings/humphreys_basin-bc/index.html

Preparation:
The most important two things you can do to prepare are:

• Aerobic conditioning. Our camp is at 10,400 ft. elevation and some of the surrounding mountains are over 13,000 ft. Hiking at altitude would be good preparation, but at any rate, go on hikes, climb stairs, walk, bicycle -- anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up is beneficial. Treadmills and stairmasters are good to a point, but it is important to spend time walking on uneven terrain to simulate a mountain trail. Both uphill and downhill are important as they use different muscle groups.
• The main thing you need to consider now is your boots. You'll be much happier if they're well broken in BEFORE the trip. You won't need heavy-duty hard-core stiff all-leather boots - nylon uppers with non-slip soles are fine. However, high-top boots are recommended over "walking shoes".
  I will be sending a complete equipment list later.

Correspondence - Links:
In future correspondence to the group I'd like to share participants e-mail addresses so they can arrange ride sharing from the airport or compare notes. If you'd rather I not share your e-mail please let me know.

I have several email addresses which all work. See dtmcbride.name/contact.html

I have a web site where I post copies of the bulletins I send out and information about the Humphreys Basin area at:
https://donsnotes.com/sierraclub/outings/humphreys_basin-bc/index.html

Don't hesitate to call if you have any questions. I am retired, so you can call anytime 8 AM-11 PM EST (732) 560-0369.