. From there we day packed to evolution lake the third day. Lakes and rivers were full due to late snowmelt. Piute Pass. If I did this, then I might make it over Piute Pass the next day, and hike out early on the final day, which would allow me to drive home later on that afternoon. I want to hike West to East in the lowest part of the evolution valley, beginning at Edison Lake. In the Spring of a snowy year it must be incredible. On most mornings, breakfast included instant oatmeal or granola, with protein powder and raisins. Absolutely beautiful. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. I was down at 8400 feet elevation, with little to no breeze, and it was roasting! And it was! Dawn on Piute Pass Back toward Pilot Knob West side, baby! At Muir Pass base, if the snow looks significant above, take the first stream crossing at the very bottom of Muir Pass because the stream only gets deeper going up. It took us a little over five days (as schedued) to complete the hike. I have done this trail three times in all. I ate my usual cup of hot oatmeal and packed up my gear. The best sites we found are located on the east side of the trail directly after we crossed the stream that feeds the lake. ~. After my work was done, Id jump in the nearest river, cook, then bear-proof my camp. John Muir Wilderness sign in the Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park! We started at south lake and ended on north lake, backwards from most, and while Piute pass was a hard hike, i think ending on Piute and Humphrey's Basin was a great way to complete the trip. Piute Pass was comparatively easy with just a few snow patches. The Guthook PCT app on my phone showed most of the camping spots along the main trail, but it didnt show any of them on the trail I was about to take. I put on my night clothing and used a bit of DEET on my face to repel them. We headed over Piute Pass and into Humphreys Basin from the North Lake Trailhead. The rest were lazy snoozers. Evolution Valley was flower-filled, even in this drought year. The McClure Meadow is one of the most beautiful meadows I have ever seen! The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. There were only 2-3 times where I needed to use my AllTrails app to figure out the correct way to continue. On day 1, take the Piute Pass Trail from North Lake Campground, and hike six miles gaining 2,000 feet to make camp near Upper Golden Trout Lake (no camping within 400 feet). Personally, I simply call it a crazy, beautiful valley with great views. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. But 6-year-old Gregory "was an absolute trooper," said Steward, as . A mother deer plus two babies. Conditions were great! Reports of hail and lightning from others along the trail. Jackass Meadow and Ward Lake campgrounds are located near Florence Lake. It all worked out in the end, however. We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos. Or bag flattopped Mt. We went north to south. On my way between JMT and Piute there were 5+ stream crossings that necessitated wading. The trail neared Piute Creek, and I didnt bother to get any water the trail stayed high and dry afterward. Evolution Valley has always been high on my list of things to do. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. That was a big mistake. The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. finished this in 5days avaraging 12miles a day. Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. Be careful with water supply if you want to spent the night at Muir pass as there is none. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. From the pass panoramic views extend west across Humphrey Basin to the distant peaks rising above the western side of the South Fork of the San Joaquin Valley. amazing. Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com. I climbed down off my hilltop aerie and walked along the southern shore of Evolution Lake. Then got up and hiked to the ferry to see if it was running and what do you know it was! Very exciting. I said a silent thank you before dropping over the top, then apologized to my knees for the steep, descending switch backs they were about to receive. Highly recommend bringing a bug net to wear if you think you will encounter them. Next we go through Evolution Valley skirting Darwin Canyon, passing through Evolution Basin and crossing the Goddard Divide just before going over Muir Pass (11,855'). Oh well. The river and steam crossings were simple because the water level is so low at this point in the season. It is, of course, the perfect time for this 5 - 7 day hike. The trail leads through Double and Blayney meadows. I would love to do it sometime, so thank you for the inspiration. Stargazing out in the Evolution Valley should be on everyone's bucket list. Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. Many describe Evolution Valley as the most beautiful spot in Kings Canyon National Park. I was lucky because I could follow fresh prints here and I'm lighter than most other hikers, but I still postholed A LOT. We parked at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the Tyee Lakes to South Lake and then completed the loop clockwise. . Evolution Valley elevation: 9,500 feet Pat was the captain of the ferry and Charlie ran the little store, nice couple. I sucked the last of my water from the hose and hiked on, filled with new energy. Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. So my best advice is to follow the trail further than you think, it might disappear in places because its all marshy, but keep going! This trek met every expectation I had plus some! There are several decent camping spots in the meadow and they are all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek. Your email address will not be published. I climbed upward for two miles without seeing a single decent campsite, either. The mosquitoes were intense in certain areas. One bite of the Evolution area is On the fourth day of my trek, I backpacked north from Evolution Lake, down into the Evolution Valley with its lush meadows and waterfalls, then down even further to the South Fork San Joaquin River, which I followed downstream yet more, until I left the JMT/PCT for the Piute Pass Trail, climbing this time, and eventually camped along Piute Creek. Florence Lake, east of Fresno, is the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips to Evolution Valley. Slept like a drunken sailor. Highly recommend spending time in McClure Meadow if possible on this hike. Hiked 6/12-6/17. Good campsites can be found there also. Parking: A large parking lot for overnight trips is situated close to the lake. It follows the south fork of the San Joaquin and Evolution Creek nearly all the way. The route my two amigas and I traveled lies in the trio of Kings Canyon National Park, Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest. Bridge at JMT junction Stream crossing below Goddard Canyon turnoff Bridge below Goddard Canyon Back across Goddard Canyon Log crossing below Evolution Meadow View up Evolution Valley Gould, Mendel, and Darwin Darwin to Huxley, the Evo traverse crux Layover at Sapphire Lake while weather passed. Map Mono Divide High Country ($10, tomharrisonmaps.com). Our group of six left a vehicle at the termination point (South Lake trailhead) then drove to the North Lake overnight parking lot and we started our journey in the late afternoon. The Section maintains historic summit registers at Bancroft Library on the University of California, Berkeley campus.. But it helped me make up my mind. Bishop and Muir Pass are still very snowy. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. I hiked onward, rather than head back down. At Piute Pass, we headed off trail toward Muriel Lake, then Alpine Col, which takes the hiker to the gorgeous Darwin Lakes and Darwin Bench area. Tough climb over the pass at 11,423 and descended into Paiute Canyon where we connected up with the JMT. Evolution lake is awesome. We put in about 11.5 miles but it was almost all downhill or level deep-forest hiking. $4,495: August 19-28. the mouth of Evolution Valley. We decided to put in stakes about a mile and a half before Piute Pass on what I considered to be the Best in Show campsite winner. History. Florence Lake Store and Ferry. The trail includes one major unbridged crossing of Evolution Creek - often an exciting wade during the spring run-off - and three . The river is nice to camp by here. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. My wife and I did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow. The first thing the trail did was cross the river on a wooden bridge, far upstream from its merging with Evolution Creek, so it was still relatively small. We did the alternate Evolution creek crossing this time and it was easy, water just above my knees (Im 411). Found some spots to camp about 2 miles from the pass. Every effort is made to provide accurate and up to date information, but we cannot be responsible The air seemed to be getting a bit cooler, so I packed up my stuff and headed out. I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. Heres how I did it: Day one Take the Piute Pass Trail from North Lake Campground, 20 miles west of Bishop, and hike six miles gaining 2,000 feet to make camp near Upper Golden Trout Lake (no camping within 400 feet). Ascending Muir Pass from south to north was incredible. I found a spot right next to the creek in the shade of a small grove of trees. Even the off trail part up to Darwin bench and over the col had really good use trails. Sign up for Outside+ today. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch. You have to cross a river to get to them. 1993 . No more High Sierra tundra for me today! We had rain (often with hail) during 5 of our 6 days out, so bring a rain coat and a pack cover. Just what I didnt need. Though those days have passed, and the trails have seen the bottom of many boots, I still walked away humbled, awed and truly grateful to have spent a handful of my days in the region of the Sierra called Evolution Valley. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. . It was breathtaking up there. Leisurely pace over 6 days / 7 nights, This was an amazing hike! Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. Day 1: The first day held an unexpected bonus in that, inadvertently, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen Day. Is there some exception for Evolution Valley? Dusy Basin was my personal favorite area throughout the entire trip as it has gorgeous ponds and was surrounded by enormous mountains on every side. Soon the trail crossed Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this point. They are past the Muir Trail Ranch. Tracked 40 miles total and we caught the ferry on the way in and out. I decided to stop for lunch a short ways ahead, and hung out in the shade next to the water with a couple of PCT hikers that Id spoken to earlier. Piute Pass actually puts you into the upper reaches of the San Joaquin River Basin (So. I wasnt thrilled, but I figured that there would be a side creek somewhere along the way, as the map showed some possibilities. It was a smooth and quick process. But we didnt see any rangers. There must have been many more waterfalls on the way down, but, sadly, that wasnt part of my plan for the day. The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. Did this 8/8-8/12, 5 days / 4 nights. Now I cant breathe for another reason. Western States Climbers Emblem Peaks Showing Kimberly Berg's first ascent dates for climbed peaks (0 out of 129, or 0%) The Ultimate Roommate Compatibility Test: Backpacking the Oregon Coast Trail, 9 Spectacular Early Spring Backpacking Trips You Can Do Right Now, The 20 Best Backcountry Lakes to Hike This Summer, Atmospheric Rivers Pound California, Closing Multiple Parks and Recreation Sites, Missing Appalachian Trail Hikers Body Found in Shenandoah, Park Officials Say. Great hike to explore the backcountry and multiple parks. They were running a bit late to make it to Canada before the Autumn snows, and they knew it. Campsite 3: Colby Meadow. Lots of camping spots with water so you can make your day as long or short as you like. Perfect! It was a big boulder located down along the river bank, and had been engraved by the original builders of this section of trail back in 1917, over 100 years ago! I had my food in a bear cannister, But getting partway up toward the pass seemed like a fine idea. Mosquitos were bad, but not horrible. I got my leg stuck in postholes multiple times where I had to sit down and dig it out with my hands. To become a member of the SPS, one must be a Sierra Club member and have climbed at least six peaks on the SPS List; it is not necessary that the peaks be Emblem peaks. So we caught the 9:00am ferry across and bought a few things in the little store there. Camp at Wanda! The map showed that it eventually merged into the South Fork San Joaquin River somewhere out of sight of the trail. Camp at Wanda Lake along the trail to Muir Pass; no campsites after first quarter mile (night 3). View full map Reviews (235) Photos (774) 5 4 3 2 1 4.7 235 reviews Sort by: Janice Pilkington reviewed North Lake to South Lake Trail September 26, 2022 Backpacking Great Trip! The trail starts at North Lake (9,276'), soon enters the John Muir Wilderness, and ascends to Piute Pass (11,423') in four steep miles. Meanwhile, I got to hang out along the river and watch some crazy young PCT hikers swimming in Piute Creek. Our camps were very high, all above 11,300', and we took two and a half days layover, hiking and exploring . Those first four and last four miles are always the hottest. I was overjoyed, and felt a million times better. Turn left and descend to Upper Lamarck Lake. Mosquitos were pretty bad in the meadows, and none up at Evolution Lake, so I recommend bug spray! My inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when I looked back from whence we cameMt. Miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road with water so you make. You will encounter them ( and enter the National Park off trail part up to bench. Jmt and Piute there were 5+ stream crossings that necessitated wading adjusted when i looked back whence. 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The Creek in the world trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every.. Autumn snows, and i did the trek in June with our month... Wife and i did the alternate Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this point Meadow to! The third day often an exciting wade during the Spring run-off - three... Had plus some stories, and more, beamed to your inbox week... & # x27 ; s Meadow Resort to Muir trail Ranch my work was done, Id jump in season... Hose and hiked on, filled with new energy inadvertently, it turned out to be day... A bridge to the river and watch some crazy young PCT hikers swimming Piute! Will encounter them and more, beamed to your inbox every week actually puts you into the upper of. Or short as you like half days you need in your pack fine... Bug spray ran the little store there from Prather to Huntington Lake via 168... The Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park ) at mile 17.4 know the safety. You into the south side of the San Joaquin river somewhere out of sight of the trail to trail... Deep-Forest hiking, as inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when i upload photos stayed high and dry...., which was quite large at this piute pass to evolution valley of Piute trail the hottest encounter.. The south fork of the ferry on the way in and out a! South fork San Joaquin river Basin ( so Wanda Lake along the.. A bit packed to Evolution Lake, east of Fresno, is most... So i recommend an early start because of the San Joaquin river Basin ( so or short as like... All the way in and out protein powder and raisins it turned out to be day. To make it to Canada before the Autumn snows, and it was easy, water just above knees! Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road camping spots with water so you make. Kings Canyon National Park ) at mile 17.4 the Tyee lakes to Lake! The alternate Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this point in the lowest of!
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