Route conditions & updates

Several sections of the Pfiffner Traverse were significantly impacted by wildfires and storms in fall 2020, including both on- and off-trail portions, and both the Primary Route and Section Hikes. These events caused an official area closure by the National Park Service and de facto closures on NPS and US Forest Service lands because of…

Quick start guide: Hayduke Trail

Read more about and by Sam at Engineered for Adventure. For years I have wanted to explore the American Southwest, with its iconic walls, rock formations, and mesas. But as a college student I’ve always struggled to get out there, due to the summertime heat and aridity. This year, however, record snowpack in the Four…

Trail & Route Comparisons

If you have undertaken a thru- or section-hike of another high route — such as the Sierra High Route, Kings Canyon High Basin Route, Pfiffner Traverse, or Wind River High Route — then the Yosemite High Route will feel familiar. These routes all involve extensive off-trail travel, substantial vertical change, prolonged exposure, and high altitudes. The most…

Thru- and Section-Hike Itineraries

For the fullest experience, the Yosemite High Route is best completed as an end-to-end thru-hike. For most backpackers, however, it will be more practical to undertake the route in more bite-sized pieces. These section-hikes are: More compatible with family and work commitments; Loops, and therefore logistically simpler than point-to-point itineraries; and, Less physically difficult, due to…

Route Overview

This page provides a broad tour of the Yosemite High Route, so that interested hikers can get a better sense for its basic line, terrain, and highlights. For a step-by-step description that is suitable for field use, consult the Yosemite High Route Guide. For an approximate topographic reference, use this map. The heart of the Yosemite…

History

For a brief natural and human history of Yosemite National Park, read: National Park Service: History & Culture; National Park Service: Nature & Science; Wikipedia: Yosemite National Park; and/or, Smithsonian Magazine: John Muir’s Yosemite. For more in-depth reading, consider: Historic Yosemite National Park: The Stories Behind One of America’s Great Treasures, by Tracy Salcedo; and/or Geological…

Section Hikes & Runs

The Pfiffner Traverse is best completed as end-to-end thru-hike. Budget 6 to 10 days depending on your fitness, skills, and ambition. For most, however, undertaking shorter sections will be much more practical. While some loops can be completed as a day-hike or trail run, most will require a multi-day effort. Section hikes are: More compatible with work and…

Route Parameters & Difficulty

The basic idea with all high routes is to: Follow a topographic feature like a watershed divide as closely as possible, and Avoid technical terrain so that it can be completed as a backpacking trip. In the case of the Pfiffner Traverse, the topographic feature is the Continental Divide, which in northern Colorado forms the…

Trail & Route Comparisons

The Pfiffner Traverse has most in common with other backpacking high routes like the Sierra High Route, Kings Canyon High Basin Route, Wind River High Route, and Glacier Divide Route. These routes feature extensive off-trail travel and substantial vertical gain and loss while tracing a definitive topographic feature like a mountain crest or watershed through…

History & Karl Pfiffner

The route is named after Karl Pfiffner, a young climber who died in an avalanche on La Plata Peak in 1960. According to a friend, Gerry Roach, “[Pfiffner] spoke passionately about his idea of traversing the Continental Divide from Longs Peak to North Arapaho. We discussed the various technical difficulties of staying exactly on the Divide.…