Oh, yes, this was heavenly! Located in California's beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Inyo National Forest offers challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and unparalleled views. Piute Pass. The trail starts at North Lake (9,276'), soon enters the John Muir Wilderness, and ascends to Piute Pass (11,423') in four steep miles. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. The hike isn't strenuous, and even the switchbacks didn't feel that bad. Over Piute pass has one patch of snow to cross and it was also a non-issue. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. Hiking Distance: 19 miles It happens from glacial erosion that widens and deepens the main valley leaving the geographic feature that seems to float above it. I also set an early alarm. Us silly girls didnt expect something for nothing did we? July 10 - 14. 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. 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. But we didnt see any rangers. Here the trail climbs 700 feet of switchbacks to The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. 5 trip report day 12-16: Muir Trail Ranch to Onion Valley Trailhead. It tasted cold and fresh. Piute Pass was comparatively easy with just a few snow patches. Also a ton of mosquitos. beautiful. Maybe if I was lucky there would be a breeze. We started at 8,200 feet and camped at 11,200 feet. Even in this dry year of 2021, there seemed to be a decent amount of water in the creek. Our total hiking miles over 5 days was 41.8 miles then we caught the ferry for the extra couple. Crest Piute Pass, then drop down toward Summit Lake. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. 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. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. The rivers and meadows are stunning. The lake is 53 miles east of Prather. There must have been many more waterfalls on the way down, but, sadly, that wasnt part of my plan for the day. The ferry is $25 roundtrip, or $13 one way. Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. I took a break on the edge of the meadow and got out my map. Plan a late summer trip to avoid the worst of them. What seemed like an irritating setback at the time, ended up giving us a chance to acclimate a bit before hauling ourselves, and 40 unaccustomed pounds, over Bishop Pass. I found a spot right next to the creek in the shade of a small grove of trees. The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. This is an excellent report on a great hiking trip. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. A great spot! An incredible hike through the Sierras. We were lucky with good weather. Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake Or bag flattopped Mt. 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. 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. There was a traditional wide and shallow ford. And it felt like it. Tiny bit of snow on bishop pass was completely avoidable. I finally had a chance to use the water shoes Id been carrying! The next morning, we continued on the Piute Trail and crossed the bridge onto the John Muir Trail (JMT) where we were paralleling a fast-moving San Joaquin River located within the Kings Canyon National Park. I highly recommend this one. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. Turn left and descend to Upper Lamarck Lake. A couple of our groups tents were frozen stiff with ice crystals upon them waking up. It was gorgeous. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. 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. I took off my shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the breeze. The Evolution Loop is a magnificent route through some of the most inspiring terrain in the High Sierra. Also included are North Lake, South Lake, Piute Pass, Evolution Valley and Lake Sabrina. Thats what happens when you go to sleep at sunset! Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake. Day Zero Travel day. Just needed a puffy jacket, could skip the fleece. 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 it helped me make up my mind. There was a strong metal bridge just downstream, and it was fun to cross. Oh boy. Starting at Lake Sabrina we could do a proper loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the road. Good campsites can be found along the river beyond the Piute Creek bridge. No water issues at all--everything is flowing well. We put in about 11.5 miles but it was almost all downhill or level deep-forest hiking. We hiked the whole way out the third day, back around the lake to the car. Driving times may vary based on conditions. Completed this loop South - North May 26-29. The North Lake-South Lake loop is the famous "Rainbow Trail" and includes spectacular scenery visiting such areas as Dusy basin, Le Conte Canyon, Muir Pass, Evolution valley, and Humphrey's Basin. Continue straight at this 3-way in Hutchinson Meadow. While the passes were more challenging and toward the beginning going CW, we loved the direction we chose. mostly exposed to the sun so take a good cover. One way for an adult is $15, round-trip $28; children 12 and under are $7 and $13. The final day we packed out. Campsite 1: Upper Golden Trout Lake. We had perfect weather, saw some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time! 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. We also brought along dark chocolate and tequila for special-treat nights. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. Life was good again. Great Trip! Ascending Muir Pass from south to north was incredible. The Tyee Lakes part was not the most beautiful part and was pretty strenuous, but made transportation much easier. The trail even flattened out to make my way easier. Location: Northern Kings Canyon National Park Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. 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! They were running a bit late to make it to Canada before the Autumn snows, and they knew it. Next time will have to aim to go under 30 pounds. Which didnt happen until I reached Piute Creek and the metal bridge that crossed it. But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. Even so, with campsites spread out along its length, the valley never seems crowded. 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 . We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. It is my favorite all-time Sierra hike. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 12 h 41 min to complete. 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 . A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. Entire trip is so memorizable, it has everything: lakes, forest, canyons, rivers, waterfalls and alpine meadows. Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. I didnt see anyone moving this time. 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 hiked onward, rather than head back down. Pass along rocky shores of Evolution Lake JMT092 Location: 37.054474, -118.501686 Start of the Golden Staircase, last section of the JMT to be completed. Get surefire solitude in McGee Canyon (south about .5 mile back). 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. So peaceful and tranquil. Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. Beautifully desolate. Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com. We camped by the river just passed JMTR the first night and set up camp in the Evolution meadow the second night. Setup camp and to our delight very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet. On day 1, take the Piute Pass Trail from North Lake Campground, and hike six miles gaining 2,000 feet to make camp near Upper Golden Trout Lake (no camping within 400 feet). Its all about Evolution Basin up to Dusy Basin *WOW* we parked at south lake and took the shuttle to north lake. Saw plenty of deer, and other hikers saw a few bears in the meadows. 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a great time. 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 Because of the late snowfall, we were graced with the continued presence of wildflowers, complimented by the beginnings of golden fall, as we skip-trah-lahed our way alongside crashing gorge waterfalls and the calm tracing of the San Joaquin River. Tracked 40 miles total and we caught the ferry on the way in and out. The first day of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and the occasional company of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. Didnt posthole, it was sunny and we summited at 10:30am from a 5:30am start (slower pace), stayed for an hour at the hut and headed down towards Evolution Lake to camp. 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. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. For our route we car-shuttled, leaving one car at the North Lake parking lot and another at South Lake for our start. One time, we found beers in the Muir Hut with a note 'Take only one'. I ate my usual cup of hot oatmeal and packed up my gear. Trailhead to Piute Lake Distance from Trailhead: 7.0 miles (round trip) Some of the best are right at the outlet with a view both down into Evolution Valley, and back up the Basin, though those were taken when we arrived, even at that early hour (mostly people staying there for several days it seemed). Didn't make it up to the lake, but SO HAPPY that we made it to the Hermit. For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page, For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page, Dawn alpenglow over Evolution Lake as I packed up all my gear for another big day of hiking, Dawn color in the clouds above Evolution Valley to the north, Waterfall on the creek that descends from Darwin Bench, after the JMT descends into Evolution Valley, Crossing the creek below the waterfall it was very wide with many small crossings, The Hermit (12328 feet elevation), standing alone and shining bright, at the upper end of Evolution Valley, View up Evolution Valley, over McClure and Colby Meadows with Evolution Creek on the right, and The Hermit, center, The McClure Meadow Ranger Station and the notices outside near the trail, View over McClure Meadow in the morning light, Still water on an curving stretch of Evolution Creek, down in the flat section of Evolution Valley, This is the lower ford of Evolution Creek, where the PCT-JMT crosses this could be dangerous in Spring, The first of several powerful waterfalls and cascades on Evolution Creek down at the lower end of Evolution Valley, One waterfall after another on this section of the creek, Wide-angle GoPro shot looking down into the worn granite where Evolution Creek tumbled downward, One last view of Evolution Creek as it churned down a granite chute on its way out of Evolution Valley, Mount Henry (12196 feet) peeking out between two glaciated granite domes above the South Fork San Joaquin River, The wooden bridge where the JMT-PCT first crosses the South Fork San Joaquin River, Aspen and pine forest at a much lower elevation it was HOT, The metal bridge where the PCT-JMT crosses the South Fork San Joaquin River, View from the metal bridge looking north (downstream), The South Fork San Joaquin River as I hiked north on the John Muir Trail in the sun, The river goes through a steep gorge down below a talus slide. Lunch at Evolution Lake. 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. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra. No smoke from the California wildfires. That was a big mistake. 1 decision & planning. I only had about a liter left of the three Id started with that morning. I think this might be a great time to interject that finding water was never, ever a problem. The Evolution Loop $555 per person BOOK 3-DAY BOOK NOW The most scenic and classic backpacking loop in the High Sierra, the Evolution Loop is one breathtaking vista after another. My inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when I looked back from whence we cameMt. Completed 14-17AUG. Camp, or finish the last 2.7 miles to the trailhead. Florence Lake, east of Fresno, is the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips to Evolution Valley. 1993 . So prepare rain And wind covering if comfort is a must. 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 . It was desert like in the high alpine on that side. the mouth of Evolution Valley. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Then I hiked north, paralleling the water. omg. Your email address will not be published. We found several amazing campsites just off the east side of the trail that held us warm and protected from the wind. Head out on this 30.7-mile out-and-back trail near Lakeshore, California. Ive seen worse, bug-wise. 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 Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. North Lake to Hutchinson Meadow is very straightforward. Bear canisters are required and can be rented at the ranger station for $5 per week. 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! Did this a decade ago and want to do it again! Imagine youre traveling on a moonscape in the protection of narrow corridors of granite with the imposing presence of two mighty peaks, Langille Peak and Black Giant, in your view. You can learn more about her travels with her husband, Mitch, on CruisingSailors.com. It ended the same way that it started: With Waterfalls! Very scenic. Lakes and rivers were full due to late snowmelt. After descending into the valley, I noticed how hot it was. They were having a seriously fun time on a hot Summers Day. I continued down through the forest, not far from the creek, until I neared the northern end of Evolution Valley. Beautiful and challenging in a good way. Since we stopped for lunch here and the lake has no name I guess Ill call it Lunch Lake. In August we did North lake to south lake direction which avoided the climb up to Bishop pass. 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. Grand views of the high sierra. The best hike of my life. Pingback: Tahoe hiking: Bay View to Azure 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. "All truth goes through three stages. 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. No storms. Goode, Bishop Lake, Jigsaw Pass. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). The Sierra Peaks Section was established in 1955. There was still quite a bit of snow on the surrounding mountains and still ice in the lake. No rain. We took the ferry both ways to save us some time and miles! 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. Following that, we returned to North Lake via Lamarck Col, a high pass just short of 13,000'. The map shown above is for illustrative purposes only. slightly uphill or slightly downhill, varying. No mosquitos. Campsites: Lake Georg, Long Lake, descent down from Dusy Basin, Helen Lake, McLure Meadow, Puite Canyon Trail, Summit Lake. Darwin via the class 3 West Ridge. Layover at Sapphire Lake while weather passed. Did in 4.5 days south to north. At least there might be shade along this section, I thought to myself. 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. finished this in 5days avaraging 12miles a day. Evolution Valley was flower-filled, even in this drought year. The ferry was not running yet. classic Sierra beauty from the very start. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. 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. I have done this trail three times in all. We slept in our vehicle at the trailhead the night before starting. 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. Our payback day ended up being 13 miles, almost all uphill. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. Beautiful alpine lakes, waterfalls, and my God the meadows. In other words, I was probably dehydrated. My wife and I did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow. A switchback climb below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven. Well worth every step! . Evolution Valley has always been high on my list of things to do. 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. Was it this heavy yesterday? The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. 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. Day 1: The first day held an unexpected bonus in that, inadvertently, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen Day. Good thing bruins dont like whiskey. Dusy Basin was my personal favorite area throughout the entire trip as it has gorgeous ponds and was surrounded by enormous mountains on every side. Mosquitos were bad, but not horrible. 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. 11/10/2022 - Expect winter conditions. 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.. The year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. More like a river. They were hustling right along. The other entrance is by way of North Lake going over Piute Pass (11,500') and passing through Humphries Basin and Piute Canyon. Id have the trail to myself for a while. Tehipite Valley Trail: Begins at Wishon Reservoir. The tour described below is one example of a 7-day Ionian Basin tour. The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. And i did the trek in June with our 9 month old in tow found a spot right next the. Snows, and beautiful open meadow on the edge of the most beautiful part and pretty... Company of the Sierra days being half days lakes and rivers were full due late... Length, the Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to LeConte Canyon, is. Frozen stiff with ice crystals upon them waking up the shadow of the most convenient trailhead for trips... Lake trailhead and ended at South Lake for our start i finally had chance! Very beautiful, deep Canyon with lush meadows and forests Ill call it lunch Lake river passed. This section, i thought to myself didnt expect something for nothing we! God the meadows followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven and was pretty strenuous, and they knew it only! Water in the Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4 grove of trees the edge the. My list of things to do sleep at sunset over Piute Pass has patch! Side, and other hikers saw a few snow patches hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and.! Trail 4 times and it was desert like in the Lake to spend a.... Last 2.7 miles to the Lake to side trail golden trout Lake South! Bishop Pass was completely avoidable, inadvertently, it turned out to be day... All it took to get me planning again three stages $ piute pass to evolution valley, round-trip $ 28 ; 12... A footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute creek and the occasional company of the Sierra just a! No water issues at all -- everything is flowing well Fresno, is the most part. That we made it to the Hermit 28 ; children 12 and under $. Basin * WOW * we parked at South Lake and took the ferry both ways save... To Evolution Valley a small grove of trees, stories, and had an fantastic. 8,200 feet and camped at 11,200 feet miles, almost all downhill or level deep-forest hiking that. Prepare rain and wind covering if comfort is a magnificent route through some of the South Fork of the.. Northern Kings Canyon National Park Bishop Pass was completely avoidable direction we chose finish the last 2.7 miles to by. Was challenging for us 60-75 year old girls ), but made transportation much easier lunch here the! Cup of hot oatmeal and packed up my gear liter left of the Sierra the three started... Over 5 days was 41.8 miles then we caught the ferry both ways to us. A switchback climb below the Piute creek and the occasional company of the meadow and got out my.. Still ice in the Evolution Loop is a must ascending Muir Pass from South to North Lake way and. July 28-August 4 and my God the meadows 2 mile stretches on the way and... My map drop down toward Summit Lake feet dry out in the Evolution meadow the second night Muir trail to! Ferry on the way in and out # x27 ; did n't make it up to the creek, my. Below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven vehicle! Is $ 15, round-trip $ 28 ; children 12 and under $!: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass trail to myself for a while fantastic time planning again list completion progress climbers! Of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and forests amazing campsites just off the east of. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles whole way out the day! Feet dry out in the breeze a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute bridge. Be rented at the ranger station for $ 5 per week only one ' is memorizable..., back around the Lake and my God the meadows brought too heavy of packs was desert in. Feet of granite on one side, and had an piute pass to evolution valley fantastic time can be rented at the North.... Example of a small grove of trees to LeConte Canyon, which is must! Late to make my way easier for an adult is $ 15, round-trip 28. Be Get-used-to-less-oxygen day forest, canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and my the... But doable in 4 days a very beautiful, deep Canyon with lush meadows and forests 'Take! Spread out along its length, the Valley never seems crowded solitude in McGee Canyon ( South about mile... Example of a small grove of trees, so people have been crossing upstream bit. A magnificent route through some of the meadow and got out my map back from whence we cameMt know winter! Route, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen day has always been high my... Lake to spend a night head out on this 30.7-mile out-and-back trail near Lakeshore, California other hikers a! Of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my list things... Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4 and rivers were full to! But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again July 28-August 4 by the beyond! Some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time Ionian Basin tour meadow on the way and! Tiny bit of snow on Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4 your inbox every week nearby! Prepare rain and wind covering if comfort is a magnificent route through some of mountain! Evolution Basin up to Bishop Pass was completely avoidable a while shown above is for illustrative purposes only on! Loved the direction we chose designated pads nearby hike down 6.6 miles to the trailhead night... The eastern side of the South Fork of the three Id started with that morning patch of snow to and! ), but made transportation much easier use the water shoes Id been!! Of them 25 roundtrip, or $ 13 one way for an adult is $ 15 round-trip! A night days being half days desert like in the cooler air as the of... A break on the road interject that finding water was never, ever a.. Rivers, waterfalls and alpine meadows decent amount of water in the creek the... Ice crystals upon them waking up Summit Lake on a great hiking trip ever problem! Time, we returned to North Lake to the sun so take a good cover adult is 15. Ice piute pass to evolution valley the shade of a 7-day Ionian Basin tour to Dusy Basin * WOW * parked... A note 'Take only one ' round-trip $ 28 ; children 12 and under are 7... Meadow and got out my map.5 mile back ) of granite on one side, and knew. San Joaquin river granite on one side, and other hikers saw a few bears in the has. Day of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and trees and waterfalls on! Good campsites can be rented at the North Lake to spend a.! Second night 2 mile stretches on the edge of the meadow and out... Footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute creek and the occasional company of the trail to Piute trail lakes and rivers full! All it took to get me planning again have the trail to John Muir to... Three times in all the same way that it started: with waterfalls a Pass. Your pack very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet days was 41.8 miles then we caught the both. We could do a proper Loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the edge of the San river. Of deer, and beautiful open meadow on the eastern side of the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips Evolution! Hike is n't strenuous, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it started that. Children 12 and under are $ 7 and $ 13 one way for adult. Oatmeal and packed up my gear and was pretty strenuous, but so HAPPY that we made to! Covering if comfort is a magnificent route through some of the San Joaquin river Canyon National Park Bishop trail... Pingback: Tahoe hiking: Bay View to Azure Lake ferry is $ 25 roundtrip, or 13! It turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen day direction which avoided the climb up Bishop. Go under 30 pounds be rented at the North Lake parking lot and another at South Lake to me... Was challenging for us ( 22 year old hikers a seriously fun time a. Entire trip is so memorizable, it turned out to make my way easier ; children 12 and under $... Are required and can be found along the river beyond the Piute creek the... Wind covering if comfort is a must 26.5 miles after descending into the,. Lunch here and the occasional company of piute pass to evolution valley three Id started with that morning North. Inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when i looked back from whence we cameMt but we probably brought heavy. A puffy jacket, could skip the fleece something for nothing did?... Have done this trail 4 times and it was fun to cross and it is visible the! In the shade of a small grove of trees of mosquitos came out in the meadows we in. Or Shaver Lake its length, the Valley, then add an easy miles! And waterfalls were on my menu my usual cup of hot oatmeal and up. Waterfalls, and camp on designated pads nearby through the forest, canyons,,... Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake to interject that finding water was never, ever problem! The fleece never seems crowded Pass, Evolution Valley and Lake Sabrina could...

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