High Sierra Trail
High Sierra Trail (HST) is the classic west-to-east Sierra Nevada crossing in Sequoia National Park, beginning at Crescent Meadow (Giant Forest) and running to the junction with the John Muir Trail on the climb toward Mount Whitney. The mapped length is 103.92 km (~79 km from Crescent Meadow to the JMT junction per the route description).
The route starts through mixed conifer forest on the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River canyon, then pushes up toward Kaweah Gap (10,700 ft / 3,261 m), a key Great Western Divide crossing. After Kaweah Gap, it drops into Big Arroyo, then works back up toward the Chagoopa Plateau before descending into Kern River Canyon.
A big middle section is the Kern River run up the valley: the trail tracks the canyon floor, climbs through the Kern Trench, and eventually reaches Junction Meadow at about 42 miles from Crescent Meadow in the step-by-step planning breakdown. Conditions here can be hot and dry mid-day while the canyon keeps cold air at night.
Kern Hot Springs is one of the signature stops on the Kern River stretch, with a crude cement bathtub for soaking. The hot-water location is very close to the cold, rushing Kern River, so expect a soak option right where the trail continues through the glaciated Kern canyon.
As you head east toward the end of the High Sierra Trail, the route continues along the Kern Canyon corridor to the Junction Meadow area, then climbs out toward Crabtree Meadow (and the John Muir Trail connection at about 48.9 miles / 78.2 km from Crescent Meadow in the published day-by-day plan). Guitar Lake is identified as the last campsite with water before the Mount Whitney summit approach on the east side.
The finish is the Mount Whitney climb after connecting onward via the John Muir Trail: the planning guide calls the final day long, with the Whitney switchbacking ascent beginning from the east-side traverse and continuing to Trail Crest and the summit spur. Between Guitar Lake and Trail Camp, the guide explicitly notes no reliable water supply for planning purposes; fill before starting that segment.
More information: Visitor information, Wikipedia, Guide to Backpacking the High Sierra Trail - Treeline Review