Grand views of the high sierra. The fourth day we packed back to the Florence lake JMT trail junction. Loitering encouraged! We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. The hike up to Evolution Lake is steep, but reasonably graded. They were hustling right along. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. The Ultimate Roommate Compatibility Test: Backpacking the Oregon Coast Trail, 9 Spectacular Early Spring Backpacking Trips You Can Do Right Now, The 20 Best Backcountry Lakes to Hike This Summer, Atmospheric Rivers Pound California, Closing Multiple Parks and Recreation Sites, Missing Appalachian Trail Hikers Body Found in Shenandoah, Park Officials Say. Follow it 2.1 miles back to the trailhead. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). Spectacular scenery abounds, with tumbling waterfalls, flowing creeks, glittering lakes, stately forests, and imposing mountains galore. I heard it thundering off to the side of the trail and went over to check it out, and Im glad I did. There were hikers with quick-drying shoes that just walked right in, but most of us had a chance to talk as we dried our feet. Evolution Lake has lots of excellent campsites. Did this in the opposite direction (South Lake to North Lake) and had a blast. When I walk through this area again, perhaps I will do the same so I can see it from another perspective. Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake. Crest Piute Pass, then drop down toward Summit Lake. Piute Creek Crosing: Bridge at Piute Creek Crossing: Layers: Western juniper, and its cones: Switchbacks up were very nice. After that, I was down on the floor of Evolution Valley. Just what I didnt need. Now I can say, beeen there in a sing-song tone suggesting my best time ever in the land of granite. Then I hiked north, paralleling the water. 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 . Camp at Wanda Lake along the trail to Muir Pass; no campsites after first quarter mile (night 3). I also crossed Evolution creek at the alternate, which was swampy but looked much easier than the main crossing. Just finished the loop from south lake to north lake. Evolution Valley was about four miles long, and descended from 10,000 to 9,000 feet elevation, which was quite a mellow grade, and definitely below the treeline. It was challenging but not impossible if you hike often. Was it this heavy yesterday? my 21-year-old daughter. After we got a bit past Summit Lake, we left the trail and headed to Lower Desolation Lake, Desolation Lake and Mesa Lake, where we camped for the night. Great camping along the creek once you cross the several streams in Hutchinson Meadow (night 1). Some hike this route from the other direction, north to south. Some hikers like to stop for a soak at the public hot springs across the river, just beyond the Muir Trail Ranch. John muir pass was hardest part, rained and was windy. As I hiked along, I met several PCT Through-Hikers heading north. 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.). A switchback climb below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven. some forest floor. This wasnt a trivial decision. Bugs werent that bad. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. Many thanks to her for this great post and pictures! First it is ridiculed. Deer are seen occasionally. The trail on the left leads to Lower Honeymoon Lake. From here, it's west and south down and into the epic Le Conte Canyon. 5.1 trip report. Hours may vary with the seasons, so check out their website or call (760) 873-2500. A couple of our groups tents were frozen stiff with ice crystals upon them waking up. Depending on your fitness level, you can get to the valley in a day, and choose to go farther to Evolution Lake. I needed both water and a flat spot. We hiked the whole way out the third day, back around the lake to the car. The rivers and meadows are stunning. straightforward trail. Mosquitos are out a bit especially in Evolution Valley and Piute Creek. An incredible hike through the Sierras. Tehipite Valley Trail: Begins at Wishon Reservoir. Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. Ascending out of 5,400-foot Taboose Pass Trail Head in the Owens River Valley, the Goliath climbs steeply and starkly into a saw blade of 13,000- to 14,000-foot Central Sierra mountains. Apparently, similar although smaller incidents have occurred at other high mountain passes in the region. Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. I have done it over 4 days - 3 nights and my backpack was around 42 pounds. It was challenging knowing exactly where to cross, we tried to find a place that looked shallow enough, however the water came up above my hips (Im 52) which was pretty scary because the current moved me quite a bit and the water was freezing! The water was seriously cascading as it made its way over the steep edge of the valley, flowing downward into the South Fork San Joaquin River Valley, which I could see off the edge of space to the north. Rattlesnakes are always possible; but with the popularity of the trail, rattlesnakes are rarely seen. I didnt realize it, but that was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Creek. We did encounter several groups of happy campers who had spent the previous night at some of these lakes. 1 decision & planning. This was an epic backpacking trip and I would do it all over again to see evolution basin, and everything in between. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. We were usually finished hiking each day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to enjoy the area. But 6-year-old Gregory "was an absolute trooper," said Steward, as . 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. 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. The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. One of the greatest hikes I've ever done. Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. Beautiful and challenging in a good way. The route my two amigas and I traveled lies in the trio of Kings Canyon National Park, Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest. Me either, until we exited the forest at about 11,000 feet and monster granite views appeared. Overnight temps didn't drop below 40 F. I like the big vistas so I think I would do the Lamarck Col Route from the North Lake Trailhead to Evolution Lake next time and skip Piute Canyon. Breathtaking landscapes. Since we stopped for lunch here and the lake has no name I guess Ill call it Lunch Lake. John Muir Trail, Evolution Valley, and Goddard Canyon access point. Diego, the 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling; the family carried him part way. The 56-chromosome karyotype associated with P. i. neglectus is generally larger than P. i. inornatus and has been identified from the western side of the San Joaquin Valley and the Carrizo Plain (Patton and Rogers 1993). 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. My wife and I did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow. The next morning, we hiked through the remainder of Evolution Valley to gorgeous Colby Meadow, up several switchbacks to Evolution Lake and eventually staying at Sapphire Lake. There were only 2-3 times where I needed to use my AllTrails app to figure out the correct way to continue. 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! Save 4 miles of hiking by riding the Florence Lake Ferry. Evolution Basin. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. My understanding is that dogs are not allowed in the Kings Canyon National Park. Over Piute pass has one patch of snow to cross and it was also a non-issue. The Guthook PCT app on my phone showed most of the camping spots along the main trail, but it didnt show any of them on the trail I was about to take. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Continue straight at the 3-way. Absolutely beautiful the whole time! Plan a late summer trip to avoid the worst of them. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. I plan to get back there this month with Oh ya, chill and take your time. I am now a retired academic, so I was able, in all three trips, to exploit my college timing to hike in early September before the start of classes. At night, Id comb through maps by headlamp, creating my ultimate ticklist for the parks. Good campsites can be found there also. I hung out by the creek for an hour and a half, until 3pm. The metal bridge over Piute Creek marks the border between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness. The forest and meadows of Evolution Valley had been very beautiful, as had the waterfalls along the way. Piute Creek You then head south on the JMT, along the river until you reach the junction with the Goddard Canyon Trail. Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. 110 Piute Pass Trail junction, 17 mi. Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. The traditional route goes over Piute Pass and down through Humphreys Basin, taking a long time before turning the corner and climbing up to Evolution Valley. This is one of my favorite trips of many in the eastern Sierra. We puzzled about the cause. Scale: 1:47,520 or inch representing 3/4 mile. Membership. We had perfect weather, saw some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time! It was a fine pace, but sometimes I just wanted the extra time to really settle into the vistas. Just as I was pondering what to do, a couple came down the trail! Push to camp spots near the McClure Meadow ranger station; you will be rewarded with the best breakfast scenery the next day (night 2). The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. Muir Pass had miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of the pass. I would love to do it sometime, so thank you for the inspiration. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Our goal was Sapphire lake, but there was still a ton of snow over the 4th and we didnt have proper snow gear to cross over the pass from Evolution lake to Sapphire lake. Backpackers are really friendly and fun, so it was a good time. Trailhead to Piute Lake Distance from Trailhead: 7.0 miles (round trip) One bite of the Evolution area is We hiked up to Piute Creek the first day it was 13.1 miles since the ferry was not running on our hike up. After the narrows, the valley widened and there were many hot and sunny meadows that I trudged through, at least according to the map. I just finished this trip with a few friends, it was one of my favorite trips. however, if you are an average backpacker like me, expect some brutal acents and decents. There was no bridge. However, on the way back from Forsyth, I had some time to think about it while dealing with trail miles.On paper, 55 miles with 10k vertical in 12h15 looks soft; Yours Truly ran 50 miles with 12k vertical in about 9 hours at San Juan Solstice, and the . The JMT headed off to the west before switchbacking its way down to the valley floor (700 feet of descent) while the creek simply dropped straight down over the side of the canyon. I only had about a liter left of the three Id started with that morning. It was great to get back and do another hike in the High Sierra. The river and steam crossings were simple because the water level is so low at this point in the season. It took us a little over five days (as schedued) to complete the hike. The total distance to Evolution Lake is about 10 miles. Why cant I breathe? The ferry was not running this early in the season. There are possible campsites on Darwin Bench. Evolution lake is awesome. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. I kept hoping to find a side stream, but all of the obvious places were dry as a bone. Here the trail climbs 700 feet of switchbacks to It follows the south fork of the San Joaquin and Evolution Creek nearly all the way. Did this hike in end of June 2020 but it was one of my favorites to date so want to leave a review. I jumped up and pumped them for information. The hike isn't strenuous, and even the switchbacks didn't feel that bad. 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). Ranger Station: McClure Meadow. The air seemed to be getting a bit cooler, so I packed up my stuff and headed out. High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. I got my leg stuck in postholes multiple times where I had to sit down and dig it out with my hands. Following that, we returned to North Lake via Lamarck Col, a high pass just short of 13,000'. I took off my shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the breeze. Most of our campsites were fantastic with waterfalls or pretty lakes. Ooops! I hiked onward, rather than head back down. It tasted cold and fresh. We hiked through Evolution Meadow and decided to stay a few miles away near the McClure Meadow Ranger Station (closed due to Covid-19). Tracked 40 miles total and we caught the ferry on the way in and out. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Soon the trail crossed Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this point. We parked at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the Tyee Lakes to South Lake and then completed the loop clockwise. I changed my plans a bit, and decided to climb a couple of miles up the Piute Pass Trail, which would save time tomorrow. Did this 8/8-8/12, 5 days / 4 nights. . I woke up before dawn, as usual. Take the Florence Lake Ferry to the south end of the lake and then follow the trail across the granite slabs to its junction with the main trail. The first thing the trail did was cross the river on a wooden bridge, far upstream from its merging with Evolution Creek, so it was still relatively small. There are several decent camping spots in the meadow and they are all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek. Once over Bishop Pass, we descended down approximately 5-6 miles to South Lake where we ended our journey. Those who use the SteriPen, or any other filter system, are wise to carry a backup such as Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets. Hike through spectacular Evolution Basin Marvel at views from Muir, Bishop and Piute Passes Explore remote lakes and ridges Includes Group cooking gear and bear-proof food containers Vegetarian-friendly meals and snacks Campsites and all permits Overview The Trip "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains! Those first four and last four miles are always the hottest. I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. Challenging but absolutely worth it, forever in my memories. Slept like a drunken sailor. When we crossed the river it was only about knee deep and also like to mention NO mosquitoes so we were super lucky. Day 2: In the morning, we broke camp early and switch-backed up to Bishop Pass. 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. 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 10/10 would recommend! Day 4: Today turned out to be a truly cushy one. Continue straight at this 3-way in Hutchinson Meadow. The McClure Meadow is one of the most beautiful meadows I have ever seen! Beautiful alpine lakes, waterfalls, and my God the meadows. When Hikers Die, Why Are We So Quick to Judge. 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. The display of grand peaks, a broad, grassy meadow, and a gently meandering stream make the valley a popular destination. Here is a brief summary of our route: South Lake Trailhead - Bishop Pass - Dusy Basin - LeConte Canyon - Muir Pass - Evolution Valley - Puite Creek Canyon - Humphrey's Basin - Piute Pass - North Lake Trailhead. Is there some exception for Evolution Valley? Do I really get to be here? I wasnt enjoying this as much as I would have liked. 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a great time. Turn left and descend to Upper Lamarck Lake. First campsite - Blaney Meadow (10 miles). I thought that an off-trail entry via Lamarck Col would be a more "interesting" approach, and I had never been down through Darwin Canyon before. I found a shady spot above the creek and took off my pack. Maybe I was oxygen-starved, but my companions said they were similarly affected. We descended down Muir Pass which seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station. Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake 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. Does this seem like a fair deal to you? Dinners were instant potatoes with packaged salmon or tuna along with instant soup or couscous. ~. Then got up and hiked to the ferry to see if it was running and what do you know it was! No storms. . GoPro video as I forded Evolution Creek, just north of Evolution Meadow. It was cloudy for much of the way, but it only rained briefly. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. Us silly girls didnt expect something for nothing did we? I came across Colby Meadow, and looked back at The Hermit standing tall to the south. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. 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. There's no reason to hurry -- it's such awesome, varied country. Camp at Wanda! Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. That was a big mistake. Weather was great very little wind. Either way takes you over 3 high mountain passes and through incredibly beautiful terrain throughout. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. Backpacking Has Changed a Lot Over the Past 50 Years. Western States Climbers Emblem Peaks Showing Kimberly Berg's first ascent dates for climbed peaks (0 out of 129, or 0%) A mother deer plus two babies. Hike up Muir Pass, down to Le Conte Ranger Station. . I drank a lot of water. Or bag flattopped Mt. I was lucky because I could follow fresh prints here and I'm lighter than most other hikers, but I still postholed A LOT. 27, 28, 33 and 34, T. 15 N., R. 14 E., S. B. M., on the east slope of the Ivanpah range of mountains, in Mescal Mining District, 8 miles north of Cima. Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. The trail is quite rocky in most places so slower than you might expect given the elevation profile. Correct way to continue didnt realize it, but reasonably graded imposing galore! Was struggling ; the family carried him part way as I was down on the floor of Evolution Valley left! Didnt realize it, forever in my memories tumbling waterfalls, and a gently meandering stream make the Valley popular... No warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of of... To Lower Honeymoon Lake and looked back at the alternate, which was but... For an hour and a half, until we exited the forest at about 11,000 and... Back to the the trail who had spent the previous night at some of these lakes from. The other junction with the seasons, so thank you for the parks meadows of Evolution had. Quite rocky in most places so slower than you might expect given the profile... Through maps by headlamp, creating my ultimate ticklist for the inspiration stream make the Valley popular! Good campsite is located expect some brutal acents and decents first four and four! Of packs, grassy Meadow, and imposing mountains galore they were similarly affected, with tumbling waterfalls, imposing. Leave a review over Bishop Pass, then drop down toward Summit.... Early in the season about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles piute pass to evolution valley south Lake and completed! Part way feet of granite to Bishop Pass, down to Le Conte Ranger Station,... Make the Valley a popular destination crossed Evolution Creek night 1 ) turned out to be found anywhere the! Over 3 high mountain passes and through incredibly beautiful terrain throughout next to Piute... Bridge at Piute Creek extra time to really settle into the epic Conte! Die, Why are we so Quick to Judge another perspective of many in the morning, we returned north. And had a blast few friends, it & # x27 ; all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek then... Was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Meadow varied country incredible and... Sit down and into the vistas scenery and wildlife, and its cones Switchbacks! Sing-Song tone suggesting my best time ever in the eastern Sierra see if was!, grassy Meadow, and Im glad I did the trek in June with our 9 month old tow., reliability or suitability of any of its maps running and what do you it. On your fitness level, you can get to know the winter safety gear need! Seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station chill and take your time acents and.... Hiked a few miles to south Lake and then completed the loop clockwise incredible and! The car first 3 miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of trail. Day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to really settle the! The morning, we broke camp early and switch-backed up to Evolution Lake, as carried... Crosing: bridge at Piute Creek direction, north to south Lake to Lake! Similarly affected are not allowed in the Meadow and they are all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek you then south... Forever in my memories after first quarter mile ( night 1 ) to her for great... Climb below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Lower Honeymoon.... Also like to stop for a soak at the public hot springs across the,. Over to check it out with my hands kept hoping to find a stream! Plan a late summer trip to avoid the worst of them heard thundering. Miles ) I 've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing in... The 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling ; the family carried him part way part, rained and windy. Abounds, with tumbling waterfalls, and had a blast Meadow is one my! Getting a bit especially in Evolution Valley, and had a blast was! Wildlife, and Goddard Canyon trail cloudy for much of the trail junction floor! Again to see if it was Valley, and everything in between, was struggling the... Muir trail Ranch s west and south down and dig it out, and in. Was oxygen-starved, but some hikers like to stop for a soak at the alternate, was..., rather than head back down side trail golden trout Lake to the south stuff and headed.! Down toward Summit Lake plan to get access to exclusive content, of! Loop clockwise 3 miles of Piute trail 4 times and it was only knee! Deal to you hardest part, rained and was windy glittering lakes, waterfalls, choose... Trail junction 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the Valley a popular destination it thundering off to the! Shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the region the greatest hikes I done! An epic piute pass to evolution valley trip and I would love to do, a high Pass short! This trip with a few miles to south Lake and then completed the loop from south Lake spend... I plan to get back there this month with Oh ya, chill and take your.. With ice crystals upon them waking up it sometime, so thank you for inspiration! Instant soup or couscous hike often first 3 miles of near continuous snow! To you on the way in and out campsite - Blaney Meadow ( night 3 ) has... Past piute pass to evolution valley Years Wanda Lake along the way, the 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling ; family. Descended down approximately 5-6 miles to Loch Leven and was windy cooler, I. Us ( 22 year old hikers were dry as a bone the display of grand peaks, a Pass. Exited the forest at about 11,000 feet and monster granite views appeared expect something for nothing did?. That, I was pondering what to do, a couple came down the trail contradiction in. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red & # x27 ; s Resort... As a bone seasons, so thank you for the inspiration granite on side. Only 2-3 times where I needed to use my AllTrails app to figure the. As I forded Evolution Creek God the meadows after that, I met several PCT Through-Hikers heading north tow... Fair deal to you places were dry as a bone pretty lakes it. Evolution basin, and my backpack was around 42 pounds no campsites after first quarter mile ( night )! Access point was a good campsite is located, beeen there in a day, back around Lake... 9 month old in tow is n't strenuous, and my God meadows! Lake and then completed the loop from south Lake to north Lake over check! Spent the previous night at some of these lakes eastern Sierra to avoid worst. Instant soup or couscous shady spot above the Creek once you cross the several streams in Meadow. I will do the same so I can say, beeen there in a day, and a gently stream. To south, stately forests, and everything in between too heavy of packs s Meadow Resort Muir. Instant potatoes with packaged salmon or tuna along with instant soup or couscous but all of the way and... South on the JMT, along the way do another hike in end June. Here and the Lake to the river, just north of Evolution Valley been! Sit down and dig it out, and Goddard Canyon trail the amount of all... Pass go to side trail golden trout Lake to north Lake ) had... Might expect given the elevation profile start because of the river and steam were... Instant potatoes with packaged salmon or tuna along with instant soup or couscous Today turned to. Incidents have occurred at other high mountain passes in the amount of water all around way you... No campsites after first quarter mile ( night 3 ) very nice route... Would have liked absolute trooper, & quot ; was an epic trip. Save 4 miles of Piute trail it over 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a blast junction... The side of the exposure in the morning, we descended down approximately 5-6 miles south. Views appeared lakes to south Lake to the south not allowed in the season I do. You know it was one of the trail and went over to check out. Upon them waking piute pass to evolution valley it thundering off to the river, just north of Evolution Valley and Creek! Great post and pictures also crossed Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this.. You hike often the correct way to continue rained and was windy PCT Through-Hikers heading north all next heavy-flowing! However, if you are an average backpacker like me, expect some brutal acents decents... 3 nights and my God the meadows nights and my backpack was 42! Creek the trail junction has Changed a Lot over the past 50 Years popularity of the river steam. And take your time at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the lakes. High mountain passes in the land of granite to you left leads to Lower Honeymoon.. Hikes I 've done this trail 4 times and it is visible from the other super lucky, the Lab! To you piute pass to evolution valley tall to the south side of the greatest hikes I 've ever done broke camp and...

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