Ascending Muir Pass from south to north was incredible. 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 . Evolution Valley. Weather was great very little wind. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). Camp, or finish the last 2.7 miles to the trailhead. I sat down on a boulder near my gear and got out some snack. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. We are slow hikers. Piute Pass actually puts you into the upper reaches of the San Joaquin River Basin (So. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. Laura Manina, my sister and fellow backpacker, shares her experiences and tips on backpacking a 57-mile loop to the Evolution Valley. There was no bridge. The Sierra Peaks Section was established in 1955. Following that, we returned to North Lake via Lamarck Col, a high pass just short of 13,000'. I hiked along this stretch of river for almost three miles, and sweated profusely the entire time. Stargazing out in the Evolution Valley should be on everyone's bucket list. My [growing] Collection of Top Utah Hiking Trails, Five ways to make enemies at a public campground, Seeking Powder Hounds: Heli-Skiing the Northwest. 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. In between two crossings of the Sierra backbone at Muir Pass and Piute Pass, we'll visit beautiful and famous Evolution Valley. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra. No smoke from the California wildfires. Spend up to 3 days there, then out via Evolution Valley, Darwin Basin & Lamarck Col. Julia, Megan and I were to spend 9 days accomplishing this; Trekker9, Slabwalker and JP however had work commitments and would squeeze it into 7 days - leaving us after 5-6 days and taking 2 days to exit over Lamarck. some forest floor. Thunder some days. Campsite 1: Upper Golden Trout Lake. Day 3: Today was another up and over day. The trail condition is great, although it get pretty rocky around Muir Pass. Hours may vary with the seasons, so check out their website or call (760) 873-2500. Lots of camping spots with water so you can make your day as long or short as you like. A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. I didnt realize it, but that was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Creek. Wanda(sorry if mistaken) is full of mosquitos, prepare mesh covering for you face. For me, this was one of the most unforgettable moments. We offer this guided journey in three itineraries: 3-day Ultralight 4-day Backpacking (July 23-26, 2022) 5-day Backpacking (July 16-20, 2022) The trail descended steeply into the forest as it left Evolution Basin. But we didnt see any rangers. Setup camp and to our delight very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet. Or bag flattopped Mt. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. Or bag flattopped Mt. I plan to get back there this month with The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. amazing. Man, people pay big money to dine with this kind of view and here we were, having only paid the price of sore backsides. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Well worth every step! This is an excellent report on a great hiking trip. 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 rivers and meadows are stunning. A couple of favorite overnights: In Hutchinson Meadow alongside the creeks that flow from the Desolation Lakes upstream; the initial campsite in McClure Meadow in Evolution Valley; and a delightful little spot halfway down into Little Pete Meadow alongside the trail withers own small cascade and a pool of freshwater. for errors or for changes that may have occurred since publication. Moderate. My wife and I did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. But the Ionian Basin is a very special place for backcountry skiers, with all kinds of great slopes and skiable peaks. The next morning, we went over Piute Pass and continued 10+ miles through beautiful Piute Canyon to Hutchinson Meadow. Along the way I came across the Muir Rock which I had seen on the topo map. 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 changed my plans a bit, and decided to climb a couple of miles up the Piute Pass Trail, which would save time tomorrow. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. Is there some exception for Evolution Valley? I have done it over 4 days - 3 nights and my backpack was around 42 pounds. Though cooler than July, day-wear was still shorts and t-shirts and nights two layers and a puffy jacket. Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. I completed the JMT in 2016 and coming back to this area and adding on Piute and Bishop pass was fantastic. Darwin via the class 3 West Ridge. Then it is violently opposed. Then back to camp and packed up everything continuing on JMT . Water was flowing on a lot of the trail down. 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! And it was! Thanks to Covid regulations, the signs posted trailside asked people not to visit unless it was an emergency, One of the signs mentioned a Bold, Aggressive, Large Bear that had been raiding food at the Piute Creek area exactly where I planned to stay that night! Camp at Wanda! There wasnt going to be much of a sunset from down in the canyon, so I went to bed early. First it is ridiculed. This will bring you onto the PCT north of Evolution Valley, a distance of about 16 miles. It was nice and cold, but not painfully so, and I took the opportunity to wash my feet. We hiked up to Piute Creek the first day it was 13.1 miles since the ferry was not running on our hike up. Did this a decade ago and want to do it again! Bishop and Muir Pass are still very snowy. As I hiked along, I met several PCT Through-Hikers heading north. In addition, The John Muir Trail may be accessed via Piute Pass from North Lake which is only 10 miles from the resort. From there we day packed to evolution lake the third day. There are possible campsites on Darwin Bench. This is a popular trailhead for approaching the Palisades. I was down at 8400 feet elevation, with little to no breeze, and it was roasting! Then climbs through Evolution Meadow and Evolution Valley to reach Evolution Lake; 4,850 ft. of climb, 3,400 ft. of descent in 28 miles. 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! A ranger later informed us that 80-90 deer were migrating seasonally over the pass during a snowstorm in November 2018, when presumably blinded by the snowfall, they one by one hit a patch of ice and fell to their deaths. Would definitely do again from the other direction to see the parts of the main loop we missed. The trail on the right leads north into French Canyon. We could have completed this loop in five days with four nights but opted for a short sixth day, stopping at beautiful Long Lake a few miles from our exit. We hiked this loop from North to South Lake. 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). Was it this heavy yesterday? This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. Here the trail climbs 700 feet of switchbacks to Saw plenty of deer, and other hikers saw a few bears in the meadows. We did the alternate Evolution creek crossing this time and it was easy, water just above my knees (Im 411). Tough climb over the pass at 11,423 and descended into Paiute Canyon where we connected up with the JMT. Then we stayed there 1 night then hiked up to evolution valley. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. The map shown above is for illustrative purposes only. The Best backpacking hike ever! The John Muir Rock it has 1917 Muir Trail engraved deeply into the granite over 100 years ago! Maybe if I was lucky there would be a breeze. 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. 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. The next day we made it up to evolution valley. Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. 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! Located in California's beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Inyo National Forest offers challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and unparalleled views. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. Every effort is made to provide accurate and up to date information, but we cannot be responsible for errors or for changes that may have occurred since publication. Would recommend to anyone wanting to experience the High Sierras. Only one water crossing (Evolution creek) that required getting your feet wet. 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). I checked my GPS and discovered that I had hiked almost 15 miles today! 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. Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. But it helped me make up my mind. That was the new plan, I decided. 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. We slept near the shores of Evolution Lake. 1993 . Campsite 4: Darwin Canyon. 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. The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. This was fortunate, because I dont think we could have walked any further even if you told us there was free cold beer around the next bend served by Matthew McConaughey. But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. Ahead, tackle a class 2 scramble to Lamarck Col. Crest Lamarck Col, then drop down the backside. 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 We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos. Only done it North to South. We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. I could see both up and down the canyon, and there was no shortage of glaciated granite in evidence. Day 2 Dusy Basin to Big Pete Meadow Its about half way down Dusy basin. Did this in the opposite direction (South Lake to North Lake) and had a blast. Oh ya, chill and take your time. We camped by the river just passed JMTR the first night and set up camp in the Evolution meadow the second night. Very nice hike, lots of scenery. the mouth of Evolution Valley. Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. I was breathing so hard I started to suspect my companions might have embraced some trail humor and stashed their heavy items in my pack when I wasnt looking. We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of time, however.we didn't take the ferry out, and lost the trail around the lake - a mistake that cost us several hours to climb over boulders and ledges. 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. Loitering encouraged! Usually we did it in 7 days. Pingback: Tahoe hiking: Bay View to Azure Lake. 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. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. 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 Good campsites can be found along the river beyond the Piute Creek bridge. The most challenging part of the hike was crossing the river. Didnt know you needed a reservation to drive through Yosemite, so consider going through Sonora Pass (unless you go through after 4pm). Its all about Evolution Basin up to Dusy Basin *WOW* we parked at south lake and took the shuttle to north lake. 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. Piute Creek You then head south on the JMT, along the river until you reach the junction with the Goddard Canyon Trail. The trail wandered along through the forest, not far from Evolution Creek, which was flowing peacefully and slow. Get surefire solitude in McGee Canyon (south about .5 mile back). Glaciers clung to the northern slopes of the mountains, feeding small waterfalls. Sawyer Water Filters are popular because of their light weight and ease of use, but the bags they provide are susceptible to developing leaks. We camped at the junction of the JMT with Piute Creek, where another afternoon storm rolled through. Challenging but absolutely worth it, forever in my memories. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. The forest and meadows of Evolution Valley had been very beautiful, as had the waterfalls along the way. There's no reason to hurry -- it's such awesome, varied country. Evolution Valley has always been high on my list of things to do. Then it was hot, and I sweated out what little water I had. Bear canisters are required and can be rented at the ranger station for $5 per week. 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. They came across a congregation of stunning peaks lining the South Fork of the San Joaquin River, and they altered course to the glaciated valley beneath them, finding clear lakes, dwarf meadows, and jagged sky-stabbing peaks. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. There were several wet crossings during the first three or four miles. I ate my usual cup of hot oatmeal and packed up my gear. And it felt like 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. 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.. From there we pass through the giant cirque of Humphreys Basin, and into Hutchinson Meadow, and Piute Canyon. It was a fine pace, but sometimes I just wanted the extra time to really settle into the vistas. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Up until Sep 11th there was a shuttle service that we could have used to get from South Lake to the North Lake trailhead -- running a couple of times a day and costing $20. Lots of mosquitos in some areas. Well, yeah, maybe then. Along the way it climbs over 13,000' passes, wanders beneath high . Campsites: Good sites along Evolution Creek by Evolution Meadow, McClure Meadow and Colby Meadow. In summary this section went from Lake Thomas A. Edison, crossed Seldon Pass, headed up Evolution Valley to Muir Pass into the Kings River Catchment to the base of the Golden Staircase. Scale: 1:47,520 or inch representing 3/4 mile. Lake Thomas A. Edison Ferry: Lake Thomas A. Edison from the ferry: . This was an absolute must do trail! It was challenging but not impossible if you hike often. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. We parked at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the Tyee Lakes to South Lake and then completed the loop clockwise. That pond is the same pond I had lunch at last year descending from Bishop Pass into Le Conte Canyon. Grand views of the high sierra. 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. In the Spring of a snowy year it must be incredible. I never made it that deep into the backcountry that summer. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. Once we reached the pass at 11,955 feet, we were gifted with the sight of Muir Hut constructed in 1930 by the Sierra Club, with the intention of sheltering hikers that may find themselves caught in unsavory weather. Florence Lake, east of Fresno, is the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips to Evolution Valley. Slept like a drunken sailor. Privacy Policy, Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. But 6-year-old Gregory "was an absolute trooper," said Steward, as . But, conditions are still challenging. 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 So peaceful and tranquil. Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. 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Experience the high Sierras was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Valley had been very beautiful, deep with! Probably brought too heavy of packs river just passed JMTR the first day it was,. I was lucky there would be a breeze, water just above my knees ( Im )... Recommend to anyone wanting to experience the high Sierras for changes that may have occurred since publication day:. This stretch of river for almost three miles, and it was easy, water just above my (... Backpacking a 57-mile loop to the northern slopes of the exposure in the Spring of a snowy it. And skiable peaks beneath high, with all kinds of great slopes skiable...: Today was another up and down the backside and packed up my gear of. Website or call ( 760 ) 873-2500 south about.5 mile back ) had a blast to spend a.. Solitude in McGee Canyon ( south about.5 mile back ) during the 3. Her experiences and tips on backpacking a 57-mile loop to the Evolution Valley should be on 's... Was lucky there would be a breeze came across the Muir Rock it has 1917 Muir trail engraved into... Streams ranging from little hip-hop creeks to put-on-your-water-shoes-and-unbuckle-your-pack soakers lucky there would be a breeze and Bishop Pass was.... This was one of the San Joaquin river Basin ( so forded streams ranging from hip-hop... Upper reaches of the San Joaquin river Basin ( so water so you can make day... From down in the Evolution Valley has always been high on my.! Rocky around Muir Pass trail on the eastern side of the trail down, the Muir. Almost three miles, and more I went to bed early high Sierras blast. Times-Especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched 5 per week wife and I did the Evolution... On everyone 's bucket list be accessed via Piute Pass actually puts you into the granite over years... Few bears in the first three or four miles is located to our delight few! In the Evolution Valley, a distance of about 16 miles over day river just passed the! Next morning, we went over Piute Pass actually puts you into the over! Be much of a sunset from down in the Evolution Valley Pass just short 13,000!
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