Just what I didnt need. Great hike to explore the backcountry and multiple parks. The trail immediately climbed high above the creek, and stayed there, perched on the canyon wall. the mouth of Evolution Valley. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. Building anything out here must be quite the challenge. 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.. On our way back we crossed even more upstream, and thank goodness we did, because it was a lot shallower there (water came up right below my hips) which made it much easier to cross. . Depending on your fitness level, you can get to the valley in a day, and choose to go farther to Evolution Lake. Parking: A large parking lot for overnight trips is situated close to the lake. We found several amazing campsites just off the east side of the trail that held us warm and protected from the wind. Inside the hut, I swear I felt intensely connected with the energy of the many hikers who entered tired, cold and grateful. Day 1 South Lake over Bishop Pass to Upper Dusy Basin: 7.0 miles, 2700 'of gain, 1050 'of loss We shuttle from the SMC office to the trailhead at Bishop Pass and have a relatively easy day over Bishop Pass to our camp just over the west side of the pass above the uppermost lake in Dusy Basin. The fourth day we packed back to the Florence lake JMT trail junction. It meanders, cascades, pools and performs every ballet that water is capable of in the wilderness, yet I would still describe this area as desolate. Does this seem like a fair deal to you? Aside from stellar views, you will also find a station in McClure Meadow that is manned in the summer months by a ranger. The rivers and meadows are stunning. The trail neared Piute Creek, and I didnt bother to get any water the trail stayed high and dry afterward. The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. We camped there 2 nights and day hiked up to the top of the valley and fished near the meadows where we were lucky to see a large Buck and some deer grazing in the meadow. Backpacking Has Changed a Lot Over the Past 50 Years. Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. By the time I was ready to hike I looked down at the tents below me on the shore of the lake and only one person had crawled out of their tent. South Lake From South Lake, hike 6.0 miles up Bishop Pass (11,972 ft.). Oh boy. High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. Day 4: Evolution Valley to Piute Creek. slightly uphill or slightly downhill, varying. 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. Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. The John Muir Trail Commemorative Cabin was built in memory of John Muir. I used my water like always. Every effort is made to provide accurate and up to date information, but we cannot be responsible 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a great time. 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. So peaceful and tranquil. Speaking of water, we regularly forded streams ranging from little hip-hop creeks to put-on-your-water-shoes-and-unbuckle-your-pack soakers! I highly recommend this one. For our route we car-shuttled, leaving one car at the North Lake parking lot and another at South Lake for our start. July 10 - 14. 1 decision & planning. Many hikers enjoy the week-long loop from North Lake, around through Evolution Valley, over Muir Pass, and eventually heading out over Bishop Pass to South Lake. The trail on the left leads to Lower Honeymoon Lake. It is, of course, the perfect time for this 5 - 7 day hike. The But it helped me make up my mind. One time, we found beers in the Muir Hut with a note 'Take only one'. Elevation 4400 feet North to South Lake is the easiest way to go with passes not too difficult. John Muir Trail, Evolution Valley, and Goddard Canyon access point. We descended down Muir Pass which seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station. My understanding is that dogs are not allowed in the Kings Canyon National Park. Day four Rest and explore. But that suited me fine. No rain. We decided to put in stakes about a mile and a half before Piute Pass on what I considered to be the Best in Show campsite winner. It was only 1:30pm, and I had a decision to make: Was I going to camp near here (where the large, aggressive bear might be prowling) or was I going to continue hiking on the Piute Pass Trail, uphill for miles in this roasting heat? Our simple food choices were holding very well. Emerson and Peak 12691. Their answers were vague, as expected, but they did say that there was definitely a spot a decent ways up the trail, but they werent great judges of distance. Explore Evolution Valley - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. They were having a seriously fun time on a hot Summers Day. So my best advice is to follow the trail further than you think, it might disappear in places because its all marshy, but keep going! Turn left and descend to Upper Lamarck Lake. Map Mono Divide High Country ($10, tomharrisonmaps.com). I plan to get back there this month with This will bring you onto the PCT north of Evolution Valley, a distance of about 16 miles. I like bridges; what can I say? Conditions were great! There was still quite a bit of snow on the surrounding mountains and still ice in the lake. Ranger Station: McClure Meadow. I took off my shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the breeze. 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. It was desert like in the high alpine on that side. That was the new plan, I decided. 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. Day Zero Travel day. Piute creek was unrealistically beautiful, but not many places to camp we noticed. Continue straight at this 3-way in Hutchinson Meadow. Thousands upon thousands of happy people enjoying the wilderness. Also included are North Lake, South Lake, Piute Pass, Evolution Valley and Lake Sabrina. They are past the Muir Trail Ranch. I had 2500 feet of climbing to do tomorrow, and I wanted to get as much of it done as possible while it was still cool. I checked my GPS and discovered that I had hiked almost 15 miles today! The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. 2 trip report day 0-4: getting in & Yosemite National Park warm up. 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. Maybe I was oxygen-starved, but my companions said they were similarly affected. 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. Also a ton of mosquitos. I heard it thundering off to the side of the trail and went over to check it out, and Im glad I did. Call me crazy, but theres just something great about sitting around a campfire with your friends sharing sugar and a swig. The ferry was not running yet. Day 2: In the morning, we broke camp early and switch-backed up to Bishop Pass. Setup camp and to our delight very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet. I was definitely overheating, and simply wanted to take a long rest. Then we stayed there 1 night then hiked up to evolution valley. Id have the trail to myself for a while. I got my leg stuck in postholes multiple times where I had to sit down and dig it out with my hands. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. That was a big mistake. 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 year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. We camped at the junction of the JMT with Piute Creek, where another afternoon storm rolled through. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. I told them to skip Oregon, because it sounded mostly like boring forest with no views, and a hiker named Strawberry told me that there was a thing called Oregon in Two Weeks which skips the lame parts. And it was! But the views from the trail made up for it. One of the greatest hikes I've ever done. Grand views of the high sierra. Located in California's beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Inyo National Forest offers challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and unparalleled views. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. Beyond Muir Trail Ranch, several lateral trails connect to the John Muir Trail. Good thing bruins dont like whiskey. The climb up to Piute Pass was uneventful, passing a series of lakes on the way to the day's high point. Video of a PCT hiker butt-sliding under the bridge. The tour described below is one example of a 7-day Ionian Basin tour. Mosquitos were pretty bad in the meadows, and none up at Evolution Lake, so I recommend bug spray! Oh ya, chill and take your time. The map shown above is for illustrative purposes only. We were usually finished hiking each day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to enjoy the area. Id get my chance eventually. After that, I was down on the floor of Evolution Valley. Beautifully desolate. The air seemed to be getting a bit cooler, so I packed up my stuff and headed out. Wheres there a low altitude pass that brings me out East of the Darwin Glacier? This was hands down one of the best hikes I've done in the High Sierras. Recommend to everybody. Challenging but absolutely worth it, forever in my memories. "All truth goes through three stages. 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. For lunch we had tortillas with peanut butter or string cheese plus trail mix for snacks. Day five Leave the JMT, taking the switchbacks above Evolution Lake to access Darwin Canyon and a class 2 scramble up and over Lamarck Col to Upper Lamarck Lake, 2,100-feet below. 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 kept hoping to find a side stream, but all of the obvious places were dry as a bone. Warm days in the upper 70s and the nights werent too cool either, even up at sapphire lake. 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 . Read more + 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. When Hikers Die, Why Are We So Quick to Judge. if you go over table top mountain you can make it a complete loop. Hiked 6/12-6/17. Finally, two ladies told me that there was a spot just ahead, right next to the creek! It was not very buggy and lightly rained on 2/8 days. 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 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. We headed over Piute Pass and into Humphreys Basin from the North Lake Trailhead. Absolutely beautiful the whole time! I could see both up and down the canyon, and there was no shortage of glaciated granite in evidence. Did this in the opposite direction (South Lake to North Lake) and had a blast. Finally it is accepted as self-evident." Schoepenhouer "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on." Winston Churchill "When they think they know the answers, people are . Oh well. This loop begins and ends at the North Lake trailhead. 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. The most challenging part of the hike was crossing the river. 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. Pingback: Tahoe hiking: Bay View to Azure Lake. Day 4: Today turned out to be a truly cushy one. Camp at Wanda! Many thanks to her for this great post and pictures! Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Oh well. In other words, I was probably dehydrated. . We puzzled about the cause. I also set an early alarm. . Did South to North lake. But you could put together a much more worthwhile tour with more like 7 days. Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. Then got up and hiked to the ferry to see if it was running and what do you know it was! Then I got some water and filtered it. We slept near the shores of Evolution Lake. From the pass panoramic views extend west across Humphrey Basin to the distant peaks rising above the western side of the South Fork of the San Joaquin Valley. Or bag flattopped Mt. I also crossed Evolution creek at the alternate, which was swampy but looked much easier than the main crossing. dirt and rock trail. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. Mosquitos were bad, but not horrible. 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 . 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. Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. The creek crossing there can be challenging early in the season. Only done it North to South. We got there between 4:30-5 on a week day and there wasn't anyone available -- so we hitched and got a ride pretty easily. Darwin/Bench. I think this might be a great time to interject that finding water was never, ever a problem. That night we enjoyed a campfire in Aspen Meadow since we were below 10,000 feet and there were already the makings for a fire ready to go! counter-balance method. After lunch was finished, I reluctantly put on my pack and continued hiking in the roasting sun. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. The river is nice to camp by here. And the very first waterfall wasnt even listed on my map: It was on a small creek that flowed down into the valley from Darwin Bench. They finished up their meal and continued onward, while I read my book and watched the river go by. On most mornings, breakfast included instant oatmeal or granola, with protein powder and raisins. Ahead, tackle a class 2 scramble to Lamarck Col. Crest Lamarck Col, then drop down the backside. I never made it that deep into the backcountry that summer. Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. Follow signs pointing to Kings Canyon National Park. 5.1 trip report. Evolution lake is awesome. From there, you head back west and up up up to Evolution Valley and then Evolution Basin - finally topping out at the summit of Muir Pass. Goode, Bishop Lake, Jigsaw Pass. Its about half way down Dusy basin. There was no bridge. There are possible campsites on Darwin Bench. Peaks north of Bishop Pass, and south of Piute Pass form two basic groups, Bishop Group and Evolution Group. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. The trail is popular with day hikers and backpackers on multi-day trips to Humphreys Basin, Evolution Valley and beyond. Highly recommend spending time in McClure Meadow if possible on this hike. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. After descending into the valley, I noticed how hot it was. 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. Then back to camp and packed up everything continuing on JMT . That pond is the same pond I had lunch at last year descending from Bishop Pass into Le Conte Canyon. We fell about 2 miles short of the destination endpoint with loss of daylightlesson learned, if this is a short weekend excursion, you need to get there early and push through hard. Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. Piute Creek You then head south on the JMT, along the river until you reach the junction with the Goddard Canyon Trail. The other entrance is by way of North Lake going over Piute Pass (11,500') and passing through Humphries Basin and Piute Canyon. It often has waterfalls cascading from its outlet because of the abrupt drop off. Though ruled by an evil mosquito king that keeps his troops busy, Big Pete Meadow (the meadow part should have been our clue) was a delight. It was quite dramatic. That was about 8 miles, we had wanted to camp at the meadow but was beat so made camp a couple miles sooner. Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. The stars up there were surreal. Continue straight at the 3-way. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. From there, the trail traverses Humphreys Basin and reaches the splendid section of the Pacific Crest Trail known as Evolution Valley. In addition, The John Muir Trail may be accessed via Piute Pass from North Lake which is only 10 miles from the resort. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch. We parked at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the Tyee Lakes to South Lake and then completed the loop clockwise. Required fields are marked *. Pat was the captain of the ferry and Charlie ran the little store, nice couple. Trailhead: Florence Lake, 84 miles east of Fresno, elevation 7,300 feet however, if you are an average backpacker like me, expect some brutal acents and decents. Day 3: Today was another up and over day. 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). Even the off trail part up to Darwin bench and over the col had really good use trails. There was a strong metal bridge just downstream, and it was fun to cross. The trail even flattened out to make my way easier. I was down at 8400 feet elevation, with little to no breeze, and it was roasting! Shortly after passing Colby Meadow and reaching McClure Meadow, we were served the best views of The Hermit, a distinctly steep monolith, and Mt. But the point is we were beat! Leisurely pace over 6 days / 7 nights, This was an amazing hike! Do you wish to share an stories about that particular spot? Highly recommend pushing up to lower Dusy Basin (though there are several campsites about 1200 vertical feet up from Le Conte, just prior to a bridge crossing) (night 4). First, it was a suggestion, and then it was an item on my Someday List. The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. By heading upstream on a use-trail for a quarter mile to a meadow, you will find a shallower ford. It had taken me almost twelve hours, although I have to admit that I took several very long breaks. Bishop and Muir Pass are still very snowy. Some hikers like to stop for a soak at the public hot springs across the river, just beyond the Muir Trail Ranch. I hiked along this stretch of river for almost three miles, and sweated profusely the entire time. Darwin via the class 3 West Ridge. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. 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! Bears are not much of a problem along this stretch of the John Muir Trail. The trail stayed high up on the canyon side, so I couldnt easily get down to the water to soak my head. Near the head of Evolution Valley the trail climbs another steep bench to reach Evolution Lake, one of the most picturesque lakes on the trail . We also brought along dark chocolate and tequila for special-treat nights. There wasnt going to be much of a sunset from down in the canyon, so I went to bed early. We parked 3mi down from the trailhead in the overnight parking and caught a ride in the construction workers truck bed (thank you!). 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