Forum Index > Trip Reports > Kings Canyon National Park / Palisades traverse 7/10-18/2020
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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostMon Aug 10, 2020 3:12 pm 
The original plan was to do a traverse in Canada. Scrap that. Covid-19 The first backup plan was to do a traverse by Mt. Crowder. Scrap that. Weather was not good enough. The second backup plan was to do Kings Canyon and traverse by the Palisades. Awesome!!! I have talked to several PCT thru hikers in my life. I have always asked them what was the most scenic of the trip. Everyone of them has said the Sierras. I agree that this section of the PCT is more scenic than the Washington Cascades! Not a single drop of rain touched me on the entire traverse. There were some threatening rain showers in the afternoons. We never put the rainfly on the tent either, and my sleeping bag was NEVER zipped up. The lakes are amazing. They really are! Many of the pictures below are from cascadetraverser! Day 1. The master of the plan was cascadetraverser, with Will and Greg. After setting up an extra car shuttle we left from the Sawmill Pass trailhead at 7:30am and almost 80 degree heat at an elevation of 4600 feet. Oi. The first three hours with food for 9 days in your pack and ZERO shade was HOT. HOT. It took us a long time and we eventually made it to Sawmill Pass (11,347’) via the trail and then on to the lakes just on the other side which were north of Woods Lake. Over 10 miles and 7000 feet of gain on day 1. Yes. I was tired. After this we were barely below 10K for the rest of trip until the exit.
Day 2. Greg and I scrambled up Mount Cedric Wright in the morning and came back down to the camp while Will and Marc investigated Woods Lake. We intersected the PCT and then went to Pinchot Pass. Holy cow. The lakes are gorgeous. Yes, there is a lot of rock in the pictures, and the lakes in the pictures with the granite backdrops are not justified. From Pinchot Pass, Greg and I did a very tight scree scramble up to Mt. Pinchot (13,494’) while Marc and Will headed off to our potential campsite at a lake prior to Bench Lake. Beautiful. The hike out to our campsite was gorgeous. I can’t recommend it enough.
Day 3. We took the trail down to the South Fork of Kings River and followed the “approximate” but not maintained trail to around 9500 feet where we went up towards Cartridge Pass. These trails, although not maintained, are easy to follow. We always stayed on the north side of Kings River though. We found the trail up to Cartridge Pass after the HEINOUS mosquitos at 9500 feet. INTENSE mosquitos there. The lake up to Cartridge Pass is gorgeous. As always and we met a great couple at the pass. We easily scrambled up Cartridge Peak to the west and then went down to Lake Basin which sadly to say, is still fricken gorgeous!
Day 4. Rest day. Greg and I went up Vennacher Needle (12,995) going to the pass between Vennacher Needle and Mt. Ruskin. Easy scramble, and I was still winded! I swam in a lake at 11,800 feet…because well, I have never swam at that elevation. Marc and Will headed of for some fishing towards Marion Lake. Later in the day Marc caught some fish and we had it for dinner. I will have to say, Marc made the best fish I have ever tasted in my entire life. It was that good!
Day 5. We left Lake Basin and headed northwest to a pass going to Dumbell Lakes. Lots of rock jumping and meadows. At the pass before going down to Dumbell Lakes we scrambled up a peak to the west of the pass. Unknown named peak. Dropping down to Dumbell Lakes the scenery just keeps on staying awesome. We went up another pass just to the east of Observation Peak. Marc, Greg and I scrambled up Observation Peak and then back to the packs and back down tot eh Amphitheater Lake. Seriously people, there is not a bad lake in the area.
Day 6. We headed more cross country to the east and came across zen like lakes. These are just to the east of Amphitheater Lake. Really cool looking lakes. There is also a program there that the NPS has put up fish nets to capture non native fish. That was really interesting to come across and see. We went up a pass and over and down into Upper Basin and the PCT. Upper Basin is huge! The PCT goes up and over Mather Pass. Greg and I went to the summit of Twin Peaks east of Mather Pass and there was a register there with an old date in it. Cool to see. We camped at the main inlet to the lower of the two Palisades Lakes. This valley is fricken gorgeous. Amazing for the PCT. I truly get the understanding of why the PCT is more scenic than Washington!
Day 7. We traversed cross country up a minor pass and then over to Potluck Pass. We are now in “Palisades Country” and the mountains here do tower above you to the north east. The lakes continue on their gorgeousness. We traversed over to Palisade Basin where on one lake a helicopter landed. Out came NPS people with their masks on. They were repopulating frogs in the lakes. Now that was unusual to see. Greg and I scrambled up Columbine Peak while Marc and Will went into Dusy Basin to set up camp. Dusy Basin. Once again. All the lakes are gorgeous. Seriously. I can’t believe how beautiful this place is.
Day 8. From Dusy Basin we headed towards up Jigsaw Pass. Well, not the exact Jigsaw Pass, but two gullies to the north of Jigsaw Pass. But before we went up Jigsaw Pass, we all summitted Mt. Agassiz (13,893) This had the best overall view of the entire area for a peak that we were on. Truly a great place and quite a few people scramble up to this peak due to its close location to the South Lake Trailhead. On to Jigsaw Pass. This unfortunately was the place of a fellow nwhikers.net wife who died due to a boulder. Our ascent was tedious and doable up to the pass—or two gullies north of the pass. The east side was mucho easier and we made camp at the small lake 11240 which is southwest of Fifth Lake.
Day 9. We scrambled to the east and then descended down to Fifth Lake and then walked the trail out to our car at Glacier Lodge. I do believe this trail is the “Colchuck Lake” of Bishop area. We saw hundreds of people. What a grand tour the entire trip was!!!

Art is an adventure.
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostMon Aug 10, 2020 3:44 pm 
Stefan wrote:
I have talked to several PCT thru hikers in my life. I have always asked them what was the most scenic of the trip. Everyone of them has said the Sierras. I agree that this section of the PCT is more scenic than the Washington Cascades!
Looks like a fantastic trip. Dusy Basin is right at the top of my list for favorite places in California. I too love the Sierras, but I gotta say they don't have the diversity the Cascades do. If you like granite and lakes, it's the place to be, like the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on steroids. But there is nothing in California like the Glacier Peak Wilderness, or the North Cascades NP complex. Not a lot of greenery, and barely any glaciers left. I love visiting the Sierras, but I'm always happy to be home in Washington.

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raising3hikers
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PostMon Aug 10, 2020 5:56 pm 
Looks like a great back up plan. Glad you guys had great weather, views and a good time

Eric Eames
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Jake Robinson
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Jake Robinson
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PostMon Aug 10, 2020 7:56 pm 
Extremely envious of this trip! I agree, the Sierra are amazingly beautiful and I need to get back down there! That day 1 sounds terrible. Not acclimated, 9 days of food, heat, 7000 elevation gain. Dang.

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Tshletshy Dreamer
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PostMon Aug 10, 2020 9:33 pm 
COVID taketh away (Coast Mountains, BC) and COVID giveth (Sierra Nevada). What a great trip - thanks to Marc, Stefan, and Greg. Couldn’t have asked For better compadres. Here’s a few more shots:

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benneke
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benneke
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PostTue Aug 11, 2020 2:30 pm 
That second-to-last photo with the ice chunks in the lake is amazing, where did you take it?

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Tshletshy Dreamer
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PostTue Aug 11, 2020 8:57 pm 
From the summit of Mount Agassiz, looking south towards Mt Winchell and Thunderbolt Peak

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cascadetraverser
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PostTue Aug 18, 2020 3:58 pm 
This was a really great trip in all ways. Weather was excellent, Cross country travel fun and isolated, and my companions were awesome! I didn`t plan a very good start but ultimately that onerous first day worked out. The basins were really really amazing too. Thanks for all the work on the TR and your awesome off trail skills, Stefan and I am glad you liked the fish.... wink.gif

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Tshletshy Dreamer
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PostWed Aug 19, 2020 4:24 am 
Thanks again for planning the route
Marc - every day was better than the last!

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