Quite a few creek crossings which were hard to avoid getting feet wet, but easily done. 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. Scale: 1:47,520 or inch representing 3/4 mile. $4,495: August 19-28. While the passes were more challenging and toward the beginning going CW, we loved the direction we chose. I set up my tent and got my gear situated inside. We were usually finished hiking each day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to enjoy the area. We hiked this loop from North to South Lake. Starting at Lake Sabrina we could do a proper loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the road. Hiked 6/12-6/17. I did a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend over 4 days, starting at Florence Lake, going up to Evolution Lake. The ferry is $25 roundtrip, or $13 one way. She was seriously considering it. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. We also brought along dark chocolate and tequila for special-treat nights. "All truth goes through three stages. The total distance to Evolution Lake is about 10 miles. Of course, the unforgettable moments started to pile up as we descended into Evolution Basin and then officially into the hanging valley of Evolution. Your email address will not be published. Then it is violently opposed. What a reward after the long hike up the mountainThanks. Those who use the SteriPen, or any other filter system, are wise to carry a backup such as Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets. It happens from glacial erosion that widens and deepens the main valley leaving the geographic feature that seems to float above it. Lunch at Evolution Lake. I hiked along this stretch of river for almost three miles, and sweated profusely the entire time. Aside from stellar views, you will also find a station in McClure Meadow that is manned in the summer months by a ranger. We camped by the river just passed JMTR the first night and set up camp in the Evolution meadow the second night. Monday, they crossed 11,500-foot Piute Pass. 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). It follows the south fork of the San Joaquin and Evolution Creek nearly all the way. Bonner explored this area in 1895 while scouting a hikers route along the crest of the Sierra (it would eventually become the John Muir Trail). The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine! Day Zero Travel day. It was high noon, I realized, and there wasnt any shade at all on the trail with the sun beaming straight down between the trees. 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. 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. Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. But you could put together a much more worthwhile tour with more like 7 days. At least there might be shade along this section, I thought to myself. I plan to get back there this month with Next came McClure Meadow and the Ranger Station. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. 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). We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos. And it was! 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. 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. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Follow signs pointing to Kings Canyon National Park. They were having a seriously fun time on a hot Summers Day. The canister is a whole lotta bulky but is worth its weight should a bruin decide hed like some chocolate with his berries. The Sierra Peaks Section was established in 1955. 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! I checked my GPS and discovered that I had hiked almost 15 miles today! Beautiful alpine lakes, waterfalls, and my God the meadows. 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. Heres how I did it: Day one Take the Piute Pass Trail from North Lake Campground, 20 miles west of Bishop, and hike six miles gaining 2,000 feet to make camp near Upper Golden Trout Lake (no camping within 400 feet). High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. "Ridicule is the tribute that mediocrity pays to genius. The trail skirts the northern shore of Loch Leven. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. I needed both water and a flat spot. This was hands down one of the best hikes I've done in the High Sierras. Oh ya, chill and take your time. While there are no 14,000 ft peaks in these groups the peak are high and majestic. Florence Lake Store and Ferry. I took off my shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the breeze. 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. Historical side note: Evolution Valley was named by Theodore Solomons . The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. 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. 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.). July 10 - 14. 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 GoPro video as I crossed the wooden bridge. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). amazing. Hi, Jeff; Thank you for your compliment of my photo. this is the one backpack trip I remember with my dad, friend and his dad.. in 1959.. Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. This was the most difficult day as we ascended over 3200 with 30+ & 40+ lb packs. 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. In August we did North lake to south lake direction which avoided the climb up to Bishop pass. On my way between JMT and Piute there were 5+ stream crossings that necessitated wading. Day four Rest and explore. But we didnt see any rangers. Highly recommend bringing a bug net to wear if you think you will encounter them. Massive trail work project that ascends a sheer gully with switchbacks stacked on top of one another like wacky Jenga blocks. This trek met every expectation I had plus some! Is there some exception for Evolution Valley? Layover at Sapphire Lake while weather passed. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. Spectacular scenery abounds, with tumbling waterfalls, flowing creeks, glittering lakes, stately forests, and imposing mountains galore. Follow it 2.1 miles back to the trailhead. 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. My girlfriends told me I started singing gospel at that point, but I really think they may be exaggerating. 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. Life was good again. . Yay! We camped alone; in fact, we camped alone every night of the trip. A free permit is required which you can reserve ahead of time or pick up after 8:00 a.m. at the White Mountain Ranger Station in Bishop, California. Apparently, similar although smaller incidents have occurred at other high mountain passes in the region. The map shown above is for illustrative purposes only. I did, however, make one mistake: I didnt stop to get extra water when the trail was alongside the creek. Either way takes you over 3 high mountain passes and through incredibly beautiful terrain throughout. Beautiful trip! So prepare rain And wind covering if comfort is a must. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. Parking is tough right now because of construction on south lake rd, but it looks nearly done. My sincere thanks to the fire fairies who set this up for us. Peaks north of Bishop Pass, and south of Piute Pass form two basic groups, Bishop Group and Evolution Group. The trail is popular with day hikers and backpackers on multi-day trips to Humphreys Basin, Evolution Valley and beyond. Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. We parked at Lake Sabrina, hiked up past the Tyee Lakes to South Lake and then completed the loop clockwise. Im a layman, what can I say? So we caught the 9:00am ferry across and bought a few things in the little store there. best of luck and make sure you are prepared. 11/10/2022 - Expect winter conditions. Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake Our camps were very high, all above 11,300', and we took two and a half days layover, hiking and exploring . Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. The next morning we discovered more good sites at the west end of the lake. It is my favorite all-time Sierra hike. 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. This great hike to scenic Piute Pass ascends beneath the multi-hued Piute Crags to a beautiful lakes basin tucked beneath Mt. And it felt like it. Pick up permit, eat at Burger Barn, head to, Day One Piute Pass trailhead over Piute Pass down through Humphreys Basin to, Day Two Hutchinson Meadow down Piute Creek to the JMT junction down along the San Joaquin River to the, Day Three Goddard Canyon Bridge Junction Up to Evolution Valley then into Evolution Basin and camp at, Day Four Sapphire Lake up to Wanda Lake then summit Muir Pass then down into Le Conte Canyon and camp at, Day Six Up over Bishop Pass and down to South Lake . My two recommendations. Tracked 40 miles total and we caught the ferry on the way in and out. It was uphill all the way, and there was occasional shade, as I had hoped, so I didnt get heat stroke or anything. Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. Bishop and Muir Pass are still very snowy. 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. Was it this heavy yesterday? The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. The lowest lakes in Dusy and Evolution basin are mostly thawed. This is a beautiful post. 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. Evolution lake is awesome. Campsites: Lake Georg, Long Lake, descent down from Dusy Basin, Helen Lake, McLure Meadow, Puite Canyon Trail, Summit Lake. 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. Day 3: Today was another up and over day. The ferry was not running yet. Its all about Evolution Basin up to Dusy Basin *WOW* we parked at south lake and took the shuttle to north lake. slightly uphill or slightly downhill, varying. Piute Pass: Begins at North Lake. mostly exposed to the sun so take a good cover. 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. Plenty of water along the trail and also plenty of places to camp. That was a big mistake. Personally, I simply call it a crazy, beautiful valley with great views. We headed over Piute Pass and into Humphreys Basin from the North Lake Trailhead. Wished we could have camped at Evolution Lake as it's sooooo beautiful but it didn't work out for us. At the top was Evolution Valleyas a wannabe biologist, I fell in love with the name. Day 4: Evolution Valley to Piute Creek. Its about half way down Dusy basin. Emerson and Peak 12691. Muir Pass had miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of the pass. 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, and eventually camped along Piute Creek. Hike up Muir Pass, down to Le Conte Ranger Station. Oh well. Fantastic hike! At mile 5.5 we crossed the river again and took a short break at the base of a long series of switchbacks that would bring us up to Evolution Valley. Always confirm information with the service provider and check for any recent changes that may have been made. On day 4 we headed east along Piute Canyon toward lovely Humphreys Basin, a timeless spot overlooking the Glacier Divide to which we have returned again and again. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. First, it was a suggestion, and then it was an item on my Someday List. The next morning we left the JMT and made our way up, up, and up to Bishop Pass via Dusy Basin which was over 6 miles away from the JMT junction. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. The ferry usually runs from early June to late September, every day at 2-hour intervals beginning at 8:30 AM at the store end of the lake and making its last run from the far end at 5 PM. Only done it North to South. Permits issued from the White . Good campsites can be found there also. Well, yeah, maybe then. Or bag flattopped Mt. I highly recommend this one. I also crossed Evolution creek at the alternate, which was swampy but looked much easier than the main crossing. Weather was great very little wind. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. 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. That was about 8 miles, we had wanted to camp at the meadow but was beat so made camp a couple miles sooner. 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) It was gorgeous! Along the way it climbs over 13,000' passes, wanders beneath high . Continue straight at the 3-way. 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. 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. 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.. A mother deer plus two babies. . Does this seem like a fair deal to you? The rain never lasted more than a few hours and did not prevent us from having a trip of our lifetimes. Only one water crossing (Evolution creek) that required getting your feet wet. Following the PCT southward another 4 miles will bring you to Evolution Meadow. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. Free parkinggotta love that! Dawn on Piute Pass Back toward Pilot Knob West side, baby! I felt a whining session coming on, Pleeeeese dont make me leave. 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