Day 4 was all about going down, and also seeing some things I would not see anywhere else.
Also, a small fire that I found out closed the trail a couple days after I left it, but not for long. It was a small fire, but very close to trail (there was a larger one much farther up the hill). So close, I could have roasted some marshmallows. I passed some firefighters going in as I was going out.
I finished pretty early in the day, leaving me time to get back in my rental car and be the smelliest tourist at all the driveable sites in Kings Canyon Sequoia National Parks!
I finished the day with California’s other state treasure:
Day 4: Charlotte Creek to Road’s End Permit Station
After the deer I saw the only marmots of the trip (3) but not near enough to get a decent picture.
Day 3 was the day I needed to cross Glen Pass, the high point of the trip at nearly 12,000 feet. But first, Middle and Lower Rae Lakes.
Here’s what I had to climb up. What you can’t tell from the picture is that there’s about 30 switchbacks between me and that saddle at the top, which is the pass, still like 1800 feet away.
I made it!
On the way down, I had to balance on some loose scree while another mule train passed, going UP. The trail at the top of the pass was so narrow and crowded. I’m glad I wasn’t up there then while a dozen mules and horses were trying to get past.
On the way back down:
More green the farther down you go:
I camped the third night next to Charlotte Creek, too tired to take any pictures. Another deer did wander through.
Thanks to my love of slow mornings I was one of the last ones to leave Upper Paradise Valley on Wednesday morning. This granted me the privilege of being visited by some of the locals. Three deer ran down from hillside and frolicked a bit and nibbled a few mushrooms.
Then I started walking. Uphill mostly, for the rest of the day.
Then I had to walk across a very bouncy bridge:
Did I mention I was walking uphill?
Til it finally leveled out around all the lakes
Campsite at Upper Rae Lakes
This was a very hard day and the last several miles were very difficult. It was worth all the effort in the end and I slept very well.
*A disclaimer: Everything I saw on this trip was huge: huge mountains, huge trees, huge rocks, huge “creeks”. And I am not a great photographer. Thus, Items in this post are larger than they appear.*
I arrived in Fresno about 3:30 on a Monday afternoon, picked up my rental car and headed East for Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. At first there was a lot of driving through trees but then I came around a bend and had one of the most awesome sights of the whole trip. I guess it never occurred to me til then that King’s Canyon was an actual Canyon.
Fun side note: I did see some wildlife on the drive in, crossing the road: a tarantula and a rattlesnake. And here is where I’m going to sleep on the ground.
Monday night the plan was just to stay at a car campground so I could start the loop early Tuesday morning. It was a night filled with crying babies, barking dogs and the people right next door to my campsite talking late into the night in a language I didn’t understand. No problems sleeping though.
Tuesday morning, I picked up my permit, got a long lecture from the ranger and started walking. Pretty good start:
Soon, I saw something that I would see several more times on the trip, a mule train! (I would also follow their poop the whole way)
I was in the trees pretty much all of Tuesday, but I got glimpses of where I would be headed.
Took a break at Mist Falls:
And was reminded again that I was in a Canyon
I finally found a campsite in Upper Paradise Valley (sounds pretty nice right).
Day 1: Road’s End Permit Station to Upper Paradise Valley
Snowmass Creek over Buckskin Pass back to the Trailhead
6.7 miles +1725' / -2944' elevation gain
I had beautiful weather up to the last day which was gray and drizzly. But still pretty
It was so windy at the top of the pass, I had to sit down till it slowed a bit. It was a little scary. There was still snow at the top and the trail was very narrow. However, this photo is mostly for dramatic effect.
After that it was all downhill the rest of the day.
Looked down at one point and noticed this perfect little shadow:
There were wildflowers EVERYWHERE. The whole trip. Perfect timing.
And then....there were marmots. So many marmots. Whole familes of marmots with little babies rolling around on the ground. Excellent choice of lunch spot!
Later on I walked past huge boulder piles that had marmots popping out of it everywhere. From now on August 1 will be known as Marmot Day!
The day before really wore me out so it was a little more walking and then camping with a view of Snowmass mountain.
Day 4
Geneva Lake over Trail Rider Pass to Snowmass Creek
6.2 miles +2017' / -2123' elevation gain
Can you spot the pika?
Another pass, with lots of people climbing up behind me.
First looks off the bus. Apparently this is the most photographed place in Colorado. One of the 1000 other people there took this for me to prove I started out clean.
Only hiked 2.25 miles the first day to site #10 at Crater Lake. But that earned me these views:
And I was visited by this noble and marvelous beast.
Day Two
Crater Lake, over West Maroon Pass, over Frigid Air Pass to Fravert Basin
8 miles, +3233 / -1959 ft in elevation
Good morning sunshine.
How about about a walk through rough, knee deep snowmelt to start the day?
Everywhere you look it’s just awesome all the over the place.
After a long time climbing I finally make it to the top of the West Maroon Pass. There were lots of little chipmunks up there that were very accustomed to people stopping at the top and having a snack. One ran right up to my shoe and looked at me until he saw that I was not eating a snack, then ran off again.
Time to head down the other side and find a campsite.
a chance encounter with a curious and friendly marmot while attempting to photograph the tatra mountains of poland, captured by an accompanying photographer. (x)
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