[The Bubbly Hiker]

I joined a trip with Aussie and her friends Steve and Mark to Kings Canyon Nat'l Park. We started at Roads End (end of hwy 180) and spent day 1 climbing 5500' to Grouse Lake, just off the Canyon Creek trail. Saw my first rattlesnake ever, at over 6,500'. It rattled at us, then scurried off. Ugh, it was pretty brutal in the 80+ deg temps. Even at 10,500' it was in the high 70's. I climbed Mt Hutchings, an easy walk for the most part with a short easy scramble. The skeeters were out en force. Day 2 we rambled off trail from Grouse Lake to State Lakes over gorgeous, albeit buggy terrain. This part of the Sierra is like the Enchantments on steroids. Lots of granite, some ground cover, lots of flowing streams and lakes and ponds and tarns... spectacular stuff! I wandered up Goat Mtn, which doesn't get climbed much per it's register. We walked past Glacier Lakes and dropped down a more challenging section of granite slabs, then through a super buggy valley. We ended up at Horseshoe Lakes to a less buggy camp. Day 3 we moseyed over Gray, White, and Red Passes, passed Glacier and dropped down an interesting gully to Marion Lake. This was superb country also, with towering peaks over beautiful valleys filled with babbling brooks, tarns, pools, waterfalls, lakes... wow! I climbed a peak just above Marion Lake that evening to take in the view. Earlier we had walked to Windy and Red Points. Marion was pretty buggy too. Man, there's a lot of bugs this year! Day 4 we sashayed down the abandoned trail to Cartridge Creek, up that abandoned former John Muir trail (really just a sheepherder route) to Lakes Basin. Yet another spectacular highlight, this basin was full of ... lakes... how 'bout that? Wide open terrain with views of cliffs surrounding. Stupendous stuff. We continued up the surprisingly intact trail up Cartridge Pass. Here we took in our last views of the high country for a while, then dropped down and down and down then followed abandoned trails that disappeared more than showed to the current John Muir trail. Then up a bit and scooted over to Bench Lake. This is a very pretty lake with reflections of Arrow Peak to distract you... but the bugs weren't quite as bad here. Day 5 we ambled back to the John Muir trail and followed it up to 12,230' Pinchot Pass. Wow, this point is nearly as high as Mt Adams! En route were more and more valleys, towering granite peaks, pretty streams, ponds, tarns... just as good as the off trail but with more human company. We took a long break at Pinchot Pass. Then, we pounded down and down and down and down, and down some more, through more beauty and changing vegetation to Woods Creek trail. Then down and down and down some more until we'd hiked 20 miles for the day to collapse in a heap at camp. Bugs were tolerable but present. Day 6 was relatively short hiking back to the trailhead, where we were soaking in showers by 10am. On the drive out we toured the General Grant tree, 3rd largest tree on earth. The trip went through amazing terrain that we only get snips of here in Washington. In the Sierra is an entire range of Enchanting views. Y'all should check it out some time! We had pretty good, albeit hot, weather. Nearly every afternoon thunderclouds formed with some rain in the distance and a few thunderclaps. Pictures: here

[mgd]

Nice pictures! For some reason I especially like this one.

[meandmyaussies]

Great trip and pics! A lot of folks have problems with trips on the JMT due to going from sea level straight up to 10k+ on the same day. Anyone in your group have probs with altitude sickness?

[The Bubbly Hiker]

One in the party had a little trouble, but his pack was heavier too. I didn't find it all that bad, other than breathing more.

[ree]

Glad you all had a nice trip! Did you drive all the way from WA, or fly to Fresno and rent a car? Would love to see a map of your route for reference. Did you need permits for your trip? Carry bear vaults or hang food?

[Bright River]

HO!! Glad you liked the terrain down there = like "The enchantments on steroids". I have been trying to lure Washingtonians down to CA for years with little effect. Guess you have to see it to believe it! Everytime I go there, I figure I have found the best place, and now I know that it is like that all over the Sierras. There are a few areas that are predominantely volcanic ( Mt Goddard, Sonora Pass), but they also are really beautiful. June was a cool month and the snow pack stayed low, so the bug are worse than usual in the Sierras right now, not to mention here in Washington. Usually by mid July- August, bugs are gone, but the temps go way up down there. Fall in the sierrras is cool and quiet and no bugs - but you miss the beautiful flowers and can deal with a lot of talus going cross country.

[The Bubbly Hiker]

We flew to Sacramento and were picked up by a local. He got permits months ago. We carried bear cannisters (per the rules). Sorry, no map available!

[The Bubbly Hiker]

Yes, there were 6 very full days.