The next day we made it up to evolution valley. Good thing bruins dont like whiskey. Then I got some water and filtered it. The Sierra Peaks Section was established in 1955. Tehipite Valley Trail: Begins at Wishon Reservoir. Not only that, but the trail was going to head even lower as I followed the river downstream. Solomons christened these mountains the Evolution Group because I could think of none more fitting than the great evolutionists, so at-one in their devotion to the sublime in Nature.. We slept near the shores of Evolution Lake. We had perfect weather, saw some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time! Bonner explored this area in 1895 while scouting a hikers route along the crest of the Sierra (it would eventually become the John Muir Trail). 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 . Again, I will say that there is plenty of water the whole way, so drink up. Did it South Lake to North Lake so the slog at Muir Pass was real and all trails GPS offline helped me navigate through snow/now visible trail, Did it in equiv of 4 days. Inside the hut, I swear I felt intensely connected with the energy of the many hikers who entered tired, cold and grateful. After lunch was finished, I reluctantly put on my pack and continued hiking in the roasting sun. The first day we stopped at the Florence lake bridge. But it was still too hot for climbing, I told myself. Excellent! Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. Setup camp and to our delight very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet. By trying to further lighten our loads over and over again, we hit the trail far later than expected, so by necessity had to pitch our tents after only four miles at Saddlerock Lake (11,128 feet). Either way takes you over 3 high mountain passes and through incredibly beautiful terrain throughout. Sign up for Outside+ today. dirt and rock trail. There must have been many more waterfalls on the way down, but, sadly, that wasnt part of my plan for the day. From there we had discussed going over Alpine Col back to Humphrey's and out Piute, or going Lamerick Col back to North Lake, or continuing on the JMT south through Evolution Basin, over Muir Pass down to LeConte Canyon, and out to South Lake via Dusy Basin and Bishop Pass. Privacy Policy, Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. Mendel, which is part of the Evolution range. While the passes were more challenging and toward the beginning going CW, we loved the direction we chose. classic Sierra beauty from the very start. The rivers and meadows are stunning. They were running a bit late to make it to Canada before the Autumn snows, and they knew it. Aahhh! The trail is popular with day hikers and backpackers on multi-day trips to Humphreys Basin, Evolution Valley and beyond. I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. The rest were lazy snoozers. While there are no 14,000 ft peaks in these groups the peak are high and majestic. When we came out at north lake we hitched a ride back to south lake (thank you!!). Although the trail from the head of Florence Lake to Evolution Valley climbs over 2,000 feet, most of the elevation gain comes during the last miles. The hike up to Evolution Lake is steep, but reasonably graded. Truthfully, I wasnt all that worried about a bear. The trail distance from the junction of the San Joaquin River and Evolution Creek to the summit of Muir Pass is 15.4 miles / 24.8 kilometres (mile 113.2 to mile 128.6 in the Blackwoods Press John Muir Trail Atlas). When we finished our descent and arrived at the ranger station in the deep forest of Le Conte Canyon we also reached the junction on which the trail merges with the Pacific Crest Trail(PCT)/ John Muir Trail. Bugs werent that bad. That was a big mistake. I could see both up and down the canyon, and there was no shortage of glaciated granite in evidence. lots of water sources so no worries there but u must have enough water to go by as you will drink alot. From here, it's west and south down and into the epic Le Conte Canyon. Parking: A large parking lot for overnight trips is situated close to the lake. The map showed that it eventually merged into the South Fork San Joaquin River somewhere out of sight of the trail. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. Having driven by this part of the Sierras countless times on Hwy 395, gazing at that saw-toothed range, I always wanted to be the Norman Clyde, the John Muir, the Clarence King who had the privilege of a first ascent or true solitary immersion. I heard it thundering off to the side of the trail and went over to check it out, and Im glad I did. We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. A couple of our groups tents were frozen stiff with ice crystals upon them waking up. I used my water like always. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. We had it easy in September, but Ive heard that earlier in the season hikers should be prepared for more difficult fordings. It was gorgeous! More like a river. Always confirm information with the service provider and check for any recent changes that may have been made. Switchbacks up were very nice. The fourth day we packed back to the Florence lake JMT trail junction. This was hands down one of the best hikes I've done in the High Sierras. The information provided on this website is done so without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Piute Creek Crosing: Bridge at Piute Creek Crossing: Layers: Western juniper, and its cones: Beyond Huntington, the road narrows and in places is steep and windy as it climbs over 9,184-foot Kaiser Pass and descends to Florence and Edison lakes. I plan to get back there this month with Enjoy! Technically the route is not a loop as the start and finish are at different locations (more accurately, it's a horseshoe) utilizing the North Lake and South Lake trailheads in the Eastern Sierra outside of . About two miles after leaving camp, we exited off the PCT/John Muir trail and started up to Piute Pass. Evolution Valley Ascension, Kings Canyon National Park and John Muir Wilderness, California Sierra Club Outings Trip | Backpack More Photos Highlights Traverse high mountain passes including Piute and Muir Hike among lush green meadows full shallow tarns Enjoy a layover day to explore or relax Includes Evolution Valley - Key Facts Location: Northern Kings Canyon National Park Trailhead: Florence Lake, 84 miles east of Fresno, elevation 7,300 feet Evolution Valley elevation: 9,500 feet Elevation gain: 2200 feet Hiking Distance: 19 miles Best seasons: Mid-summer to fall From there we pass through the giant cirque of Humphreys Basin, and into Hutchinson Meadow, and Piute Canyon. Saw plenty of deer, and other hikers saw a few bears in the meadows. 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. She was seriously considering it. The year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. Wished we could have camped at Evolution Lake as it's sooooo beautiful but it didn't work out for us. This is one of my favorite trips of many in the eastern Sierra. The ferry was not running yet. But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. We had heard that you could maybe get an employee of Parcher's Resort to give you a lift to the North Lake Trailhead -- they are located a mile down the road from the South Lake Trailhead. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. Also a ton of mosquitos. I think this might be a great time to interject that finding water was never, ever a problem. This trek met every expectation I had plus some! . beautiful. Next came McClure Meadow and the Ranger Station. The trail to Piute Pass (11,423-ft.) ascends the lovely North Fork of Bishop Creek, passing photogenic Loch Leven and Piute Lakes along the way. We headed over Piute Pass and into Humphreys Basin from the North Lake Trailhead. We camped alone; in fact, we camped alone every night of the trip. Good campsites can be found there also. Starting at Lake Sabrina we could do a proper loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the road. Camp at Wanda Lake along the trail to Muir Pass; no campsites after first quarter mile (night 3). The Bishop Group is accessible from the South Lake Trailhead, either to Treasure Lakes, or Bishop Pass. The next morning we discovered more good sites at the west end of the lake. Great Trip! Youll find other good campsites on this knoll. A great spot! The trail skirts the northern shore of Loch Leven. I was OK with this, as its hard to tell distance when youre hiking fast downhill, as it feels so much different heading the other way. Mosquitos were bad, but not horrible. From there, the trail traverses Humphreys Basin and reaches the splendid section of the Pacific Crest Trail known as Evolution Valley. Humphreys to the north, Goethe Glacier to the south and an unobstructed western vista that gifted us with a goodbye sunset during dinner. Hwy 168 accesses both trailheads west out of Bishop and there are many signs so even the most directionally challenged can easily follow the breadcrumbs. 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! Absolutely beautiful. Oh boy. The stars up there were surreal. We hiked most of eac day covering 10-12 miles per day. Trailhead to Piute Lake Distance from Trailhead: 7.0 miles (round trip) I did a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend over 4 days, starting at Florence Lake, going up to Evolution Lake. But the point is we were beat! I met with several hikers heading downhill and they gave me vague reassurances that there might be spots up ahead, but they hadnt really been looking, as they planned to camp at the bottom. Historical side note: Evolution Valley was named by Theodore Solomons . Only one water crossing (Evolution creek) that required getting your feet wet. Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. Lunch at Evolution Lake. Your email address will not be published. Maybe I was oxygen-starved, but my companions said they were similarly affected. In the Spring of a snowy year it must be incredible. Anon. I found a shady spot above the creek and took off my pack. Our payback day ended up being 13 miles, almost all uphill. 110 Piute Pass Trail junction, 17 mi. On the way back, check out the Blayney hot springs - they are magical! Continue straight at the 3-way. Campsites: Lake Georg, Long Lake, descent down from Dusy Basin, Helen Lake, McLure Meadow, Puite Canyon Trail, Summit Lake. We did it over 4d/3n (south lake to le conte, le conte to sapphire lake, sapphire lake to the junction with Piute pass trail, and then out to north lake on the last day). I sat down on a boulder near my gear and got out some snack. Follow it 2.1 miles back to the trailhead. Which didnt happen until I reached Piute Creek and the metal bridge that crossed it. Didn't make it up to the lake, but SO HAPPY that we made it to the Hermit. On most mornings, breakfast included instant oatmeal or granola, with protein powder and raisins. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. Darwin/Bench. We took the ferry both ways to save us some time and miles! I highly recommend this one. Would recommend to anyone wanting to experience the High Sierras. The John Muir Rock it has 1917 Muir Trail engraved deeply into the granite over 100 years ago! Hi, Jeff; Thank you for your compliment of my photo. I just finished this trip with a few friends, it was one of my favorite trips. Day 2 Evolution Valley 17.18 2977 AEG Emptied our packs and hiked down to the Muir Trail Ranch to pick our resupply. Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake. Maybe if I waited a bit the sun would be at a lower angle as I headed north, so that the trees would have longer shadows for me to rest in. Of course, the unforgettable moments started to pile up as we descended into Evolution Basin and then officially into the hanging valley of Evolution. My sincere thanks to the fire fairies who set this up for us. Ascending Muir Pass from south to north was incredible. John Muir Wilderness sign in the Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park! I like bridges; what can I say? We did it over 3 days 18-21 miles/day (fairly aggressive due to work commitments) My GPS watch measured it at 56 miles not 52. At first the canyon was narrow, and the river had created deep channels to flow through. Does this seem like a fair deal to you? amazing. it has all the beauty you can think of, in fact you will get a beauty intake overdoz lol. Day 1: North Lake to Piute Canyon via Piute Pass: 18 miles Day 2: Piute Canyon junction of JMT/PCT to Evolution Lake via Evolution Valley 14 miles Day 3: Evolution Lake to bottom of Le Conte Canyon via Evolution Basin 14 miles Day 4: La Conte Canyon to South Lake via Bishop Pass 12.5 miles Mosquitoes: none, gnats on Wanda Lake Completed end of July 2022. contour 80 feet UTM zone 11 Customers Like You Also Purchased USA Highways Wall Map $10.95 Custom Radius Maps $175.00 Island Visions $39.99 Rides of a Lifetime: Southwest by MAD Maps $16.95 For our route we car-shuttled, leaving one car at the North Lake parking lot and another at South Lake for our start. Glaciated dome on the canyon side, with Turret Creek (which was dry) on the left, The Piute Pass Trail finally got closer to Piute Creek and I began to seriously look for a campsite, now that I had water, My tent and campsite alongside Piute Creek I wanted to lie down but I still had chores to do, View from my campsite, at 9000 feet elevation, looking downstream. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Peaks north of Bishop Pass, and south of Piute Pass form two basic groups, Bishop Group and Evolution Group.
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