High Sierra: A Journey on the John Muir Trail

The film will probably be of more interest to backpackers, or to folks thinking seriously about backpacking. If you've done it, the film will rekindle enough good memories that it might inspire you to do it again.

If you haven't done it, it may seem a little boring. These are typical young men, not movie actors. There's no "story" to keep it interesting, other than the trip itself. And while the trip itself is plenty interesting for a hiker to actually do, does it provide enough interest for the casual viewer to watch just for entertainment?

The young and inexperienced hikers made a lot of mistakes. But so what? Even experienced backpackers have adventures (and sometimes misadventures) while pitting themselves against real challenges. The film isn't intended to set an example for how to do it right -- just as often, it's about how to do it wrong. But at least it's real.

This is not a blockbuster movie intended for big audiences, like a few of those about Everest have been. No, it's obviously shot on a cheap budget. But it's got one thing in common with those Himalayan flicks: absolutely spectacular views of John Muir's "Range of Light." So give it a try. You'll know in the first 5 or 10 minutes if you're going to like it or not.