piute pass to evolution valley
Wanda(sorry if mistaken) is full of mosquitos, prepare mesh covering for you face. Just finished the loop from south lake to north lake. Membership. Not only that, but the trail was going to head even lower as I followed the river downstream. When Leor Pantilat's FKT for the Evolution "loop" came up in my news feed, I skimmed it and moved on, having other things on my mind. We went north to south. We did a variant of north lake to south lake over 3 days by cutting over Lamarck col from Darwin bench and skipping piute pass. My wife and I did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow. This high col skips the portion in Humphrey's Basin, Piute Meadows and Evolution Valley resulting in total distance of about 35 miles. The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. 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. Its about half way down Dusy basin. Backpackers are really friendly and fun, so it was a good time. Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake. Oh, yes, this was heavenly! 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 Though cooler than July, day-wear was still shorts and t-shirts and nights two layers and a puffy jacket. There are several decent camping spots in the meadow and they are all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. . Highly recommend bringing a bug net to wear if you think you will encounter them. In the Spring of a snowy year it must be incredible. Day 2: In the morning, we broke camp early and switch-backed up to Bishop Pass. It was a fine pace, but sometimes I just wanted the extra time to really settle into the vistas. In August we did North lake to south lake direction which avoided the climb up to Bishop pass. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. Day 6: In the morning the sun popped over Piute Pass and we were instantly warmed and reluctant to pack up and head back out into civilization less than 7 miles away. 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). The first day of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and the occasional company of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. No storms. Only a portion of our journey would actually be in Evolution, but the areas we passed through to reach and retreat from our intended destination were just as amazing. This trail really had a lot of history behind it, and I wondered just how many horses and people had travelled through here in the past. Water was everywhere but crossings were Ok. Bugs were not a issue. I put on my night clothing and used a bit of DEET on my face to repel them. The first day we stopped at the Florence lake bridge. They were having a seriously fun time on a hot Summers Day. Western States Climbers Emblem Peaks Showing Kimberly Berg's first ascent dates for climbed peaks (0 out of 129, or 0%) The John Muir Trail Commemorative Cabin was built in memory of John Muir. When I walk through this area again, perhaps I will do the same so I can see it from another perspective. We descended down Muir Pass which seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station. My [growing] Collection of Top Utah Hiking Trails, Five ways to make enemies at a public campground, Seeking Powder Hounds: Heli-Skiing the Northwest. 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! The long circuitous way, but entirely on trails, from this trailhead goes over Piute Pass (11,423 ft.) descends through Humphrey Basin along Piute Creek to the John Muir Trail (at 8,000 ft.). Pick up permit, eat at Burger Barn, head to, Day One Piute Pass trailhead over Piute Pass down through Humphreys Basin to, Day Two Hutchinson Meadow down Piute Creek to the JMT junction down along the San Joaquin River to the, Day Three Goddard Canyon Bridge Junction Up to Evolution Valley then into Evolution Basin and camp at, Day Four Sapphire Lake up to Wanda Lake then summit Muir Pass then down into Le Conte Canyon and camp at, Day Six Up over Bishop Pass and down to South Lake . After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. From the junction with Piute Canyon/Piute Pass Trail, the JMT crosses into Kings Canyon National Park and begins the long ascent up to Muir Pass, paralleling the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. Tom Harrison Bishop Pass North Lake South Lake Loop map, Day One: Piute Pass Trailhead to Hutchinson Meadow, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.1690269,-118.5659703/Parchers+Resort/@37.1821746,-118.5605844,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x80be22599824d057:0x2d65d233d333ba3!2m2!1d-118.558043!2d37.18528!3e0?hl=en, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.2214526,-118.6047098/North+Lake+Hiker+Parking/@37.2218114,-118.6169192,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x80be212c5ba6930b:0x4fdb45ddf9fd610a!2m2!1d-118.6186999!2d37.2306136!3e0?hl=en, Overview of the North Lake/South Lake Loop, DAY 1 Piute Pass TH to Hutchinson Meadow, DAY 4 Sapphire Lake toLittle Pete Meadow, DAY 5 Little Pete Mdw to UpperDusy Basin, Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness, Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail, Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes, Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest, Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter. It was a smooth and quick process. For trail conditions and more details about this hike, check out my YouTube Video I made from this backpacking trip on my channel: Kikis Adventures. After that, I was down on the floor of Evolution Valley. Just what I didnt need. Privacy Policy, Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. Roundtrip mileage to the McClure Meadow Ranger Station from the south end of Florence Lake is about 15.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation gain. 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. Youll find other good campsites on this knoll. The trail on the left leads to Lower Honeymoon Lake. Sawyer Water Filters are popular because of their light weight and ease of use, but the bags they provide are susceptible to developing leaks. 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. 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'). Over Piute pass has one patch of snow to cross and it was also a non-issue. I would head up the trail. As we got going again I was giving myself a pretty serious mental pep talk about taking it easy and giving myself the time needed to work my way up the 700 feet of rocky switchbacks. my 21-year-old daughter. The next morning, we hiked past beautiful Wanda Lake and up to Muir Pass where we briefly went into the Muir Hut (built in 1930). These Photos Prove It. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). Was it this heavy yesterday? There wasnt going to be much of a sunset from down in the canyon, so I went to bed early. From there we day packed to evolution lake the third day. Great Trip! Anon. The North Lake-South Lake loop is there High Sierra at its very best! Map Mono Divide High Country ($10, tomharrisonmaps.com). Then I continued north. Good campsites can be found there also. Permits issued from the White . One of the greatest hikes I've ever done. The trail descended steeply into the forest as it left Evolution Basin. classic Sierra beauty from the very start. The final day we packed out. The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. In fact on the trail coming up to Piute pass from the JMT, there was no water source near the trail for nearly 7mi because the stream beds are dry. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. The river and steam crossings were simple because the water level is so low at this point in the season. The trail immediately climbed high above the creek, and stayed there, perched on the canyon wall. I jumped up and pumped them for information. Starting at the North Lake TH, we will cross Piute Pass (11,423'). Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. But, conditions are still challenging. Our camps were very high, all above 11,300', and we took two and a half days layover, hiking and exploring . Beautiful and challenging in a good way. That felt great! This site had been used for years, and there were several flat spots. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Such a memorable backpacking trip! Weather was great very little wind. 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! Diego, the 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling; the family carried him part way. Erika, the alpine pond photograph posted next to the Day 2 text is stunning. I highly recommend this one. Tiny bit of snow on bishop pass was completely avoidable. The hike up to Evolution Lake is steep, but reasonably graded. Next time will have to aim to go under 30 pounds. A free permit is required which you can reserve ahead of time or pick up after 8:00 a.m. at the White Mountain Ranger Station in Bishop, California. A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. slightly uphill or slightly downhill, varying. Get surefire solitude in McGee Canyon (south about .5 mile back). Quite a few creek crossings which were hard to avoid getting feet wet, but easily done. The Florence Lake Store carries basic food and camping supplies. Good campsites can be found along the river beyond the Piute Creek bridge. Video of a waterfall on Piute Creek near my campsite in lower Piute Canyon. Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. That was a big mistake. There was a traditional wide and shallow ford. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. But the point is we were beat! I have done this trail three times in all. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. Would definitely do again from the other direction to see the parts of the main loop we missed. I had a really good time and met several really nice people. The ferry is worth it if its running. 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 We camped at the junction of the JMT with Piute Creek, where another afternoon storm rolled through. The mosquitoes were intense in certain areas. Plenty of camp sites a long the way. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. After my work was done, Id jump in the nearest river, cook, then bear-proof my camp. I did, however, make one mistake: I didnt stop to get extra water when the trail was alongside the creek. 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. Several of our trails give entry to the John Muir Trail or Pacific Crest Trail with the opportunity to trek in the longest roadless section of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Day 1: The first day held an unexpected bonus in that, inadvertently, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen Day. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. Campsite 2: Just past the footbridge over Piute Creek, set up camp on these designated pads. Mosquitoes burst forth in early and mid-summer, especially around the meadow areas near the Muir Trail Ranch and Evolution Valley. Turn left and cross the South Fork San Joaquin River. We took four full, plus two half days, to hike the 57-mile route starting at South Lake and ending at North Lake, so 10-12 miles each day was the score. 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