piute pass to evolution valleypiute pass to evolution valley

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. Slept like a drunken sailor. Then it is violently opposed. Next we go through Evolution Valley skirting Darwin Canyon, passing through Evolution Basin and crossing the Goddard Divide just before going over Muir Pass (11,855'). Muir Pass 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. 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. dirt and rock trail. This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. We hiked up to Piute Creek the first day it was 13.1 miles since the ferry was not running on our hike up. 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. They were running a bit late to make it to Canada before the Autumn snows, and they knew it. These Photos Prove It. My girlfriends told me I started singing gospel at that point, but I really think they may be exaggerating. 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) 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. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Truthfully, I wasnt all that worried about a bear. Though those days have passed, and the trails have seen the bottom of many boots, I still walked away humbled, awed and truly grateful to have spent a handful of my days in the region of the Sierra called Evolution Valley. Darwin via the class 3 West Ridge. Diego, the 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling; the family carried him part way. Day four Rest and explore. Muir Pass had miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of the pass. It is my favorite all-time Sierra hike. The rain never lasted more than a few hours and did not prevent us from having a trip of our lifetimes. We are here: Evolution Basin Total Mileage: ~57 miles Total Elevation Loss/Gain: ~9,500 feet (a few hundred feet more gain than loss) Length: 6 days Trailhead: We started at North Lake at Piute Trailhead (~9,400 feet) Mountain Passes: Piute, Muir and Bishop Mendel, which is part of the Evolution range. Finally, two ladies told me that there was a spot just ahead, right next to the creek! Our total hiking miles over 5 days was 41.8 miles then we caught the ferry for the extra couple. Or bag flattopped Mt. 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. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. It was breathtaking up there. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch. 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. Then I continued north. Free parkinggotta love that! I loved seeing the pictures here as it helped me to realize how much more I need to get there. Dawn on Piute Pass Back toward Pilot Knob West side, baby! Campsite 2: Just past the footbridge over Piute Creek, set up camp on these designated pads. 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. The log cabin is located on the right side of the trail as you hike south a short distance before the Piute Creek bridge. There are several decent camping spots in the meadow and they are all next to heavy-flowing Piute Creek. History. Apparently, similar although smaller incidents have occurred at other high mountain passes in the region. Very scenic. Great camping along the creek once you cross the several streams in Hutchinson Meadow (night 1). Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. Bugs werent that bad. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Didnt see a bear which a good thing. 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). Great Trip! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. After my work was done, Id jump in the nearest river, cook, then bear-proof my camp. Backpackers are really friendly and fun, so it was a good time. That pond is the same pond I had lunch at last year descending from Bishop Pass into Le Conte Canyon. Its not an extremely hard hike; most of it is pretty gradual and flat in the meadows, but there are two sections of switchbacks: heading up into evolution valley and heading up to evolution lake, but they werent too bad. Continue straight at the 3-way. North Lake to Hutchinson Meadow is very straightforward. Not only that, but the trail was going to head even lower as I followed the river downstream. It all worked out in the end, however. There were a few sections that were mosquito-dense, but otherwise the bugs and critters were tolerable! Evolution Valley. The map showed that it eventually merged into the South Fork San Joaquin River somewhere out of sight of the trail. Head out on this 30.7-mile out-and-back trail near Lakeshore, California. 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. Monday, they crossed 11,500-foot Piute Pass. Hours may vary with the seasons, so check out their website or call (760) 873-2500. Many describe Evolution Valley as the most beautiful spot in Kings Canyon National Park. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. 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). Starting at Lake Sabrina we could do a proper loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the road. Of course, the unforgettable moments started to pile up as we descended into Evolution Basin and then officially into the hanging valley of Evolution. straightforward trail. We did the alternate Evolution creek crossing this time and it was easy, water just above my knees (Im 411). The ferry was not running yet. Us silly girls didnt expect something for nothing did we? What a sight! The year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. I decided to stop for lunch a short ways ahead, and hung out in the shade next to the water with a couple of PCT hikers that Id spoken to earlier. Youll find other good campsites on this knoll. After we got a bit past Summit Lake, we left the trail and headed to Lower Desolation Lake, Desolation Lake and Mesa Lake, where we camped for the night. 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). Piute Pass going in is a bit of a doozy so push on over and head for lower altitude camping or you may be whacked by the elevation. Membership. 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. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. After that, I was down on the floor of Evolution Valley. It was great to get back and do another hike in the High Sierra. 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. slightly uphill or slightly downhill, varying. Campsite 3: Colby Meadow. Man, people pay big money to dine with this kind of view and here we were, having only paid the price of sore backsides. Great hike to explore the backcountry and multiple parks. Many thanks to her for this great post and pictures! A mother deer plus two babies. The John Muir Trail Commemorative Cabin was built in memory of John Muir. Crest Piute Pass, then drop down toward Summit Lake. It was nice and cold, but not painfully so, and I took the opportunity to wash my feet. Grand views of the high sierra. Day 1: The first day held an unexpected bonus in that, inadvertently, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen Day. Campsite 1: Upper Golden Trout Lake. As a backup, some soft-sided water bottles such as the Platypus will thread onto the filter and work just as well. Day 2 Dusy Basin to Big Pete Meadow 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a great time. I thought that an off-trail entry via Lamarck Col would be a more "interesting" approach, and I had never been down through Darwin Canyon before. Your email address will not be published. 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. Ive seen worse, bug-wise. Having two cars so as to shuttle between trailheads made the logistics a lot easier. I have done this trail three times in all. Florence Lake, east of Fresno, is the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips to Evolution Valley. Piute Pass was comparatively easy with just a few snow patches. After the narrows, the valley widened and there were many hot and sunny meadows that I trudged through, at least according to the map. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. It was a smooth and quick process. 10/10 would recommend! At first the canyon was narrow, and the river had created deep channels to flow through. This was hands down one of the best hikes I've done in the High Sierras. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. John Muir Wilderness sign in the Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park! The SteriPen uses UV light to kill the germs. Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. A switchback climb below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven. Evolution Valley was flower-filled, even in this drought year. The best time ever, I mean. All in all, it had been another great day in the High Sierra. It is, of course, the perfect time for this 5 - 7 day hike. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. South Lake From South Lake, hike 6.0 miles up Bishop Pass (11,972 ft.). We started at 8,200 feet and camped at 11,200 feet. The trail even flattened out to make my way easier. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. But the views from the trail made up for it. . Highly recommend spending time in McClure Meadow if possible on this hike. The canister is a whole lotta bulky but is worth its weight should a bruin decide hed like some chocolate with his berries. I climbed upward for two miles without seeing a single decent campsite, either. Driving times may vary based on conditions. We hiked it in 7 days but could have done in 6. In other words, I was probably dehydrated. But that suited me fine. It was also one of the last areas explored by early park pioneers. 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. No water issues at all--everything is flowing well. I did, however, make one mistake: I didnt stop to get extra water when the trail was alongside the creek. While there are no 14,000 ft peaks in these groups the peak are high and majestic. Backpacking Has Changed a Lot Over the Past 50 Years. But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. Though cooler than July, day-wear was still shorts and t-shirts and nights two layers and a puffy jacket. We slept in our vehicle at the trailhead the night before starting. 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). 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. A great spot! Excellent! This is one of my favorite trips of many in the eastern Sierra. Day 4: Today turned out to be a truly cushy one. this trail is definitly one of the top 5 trails in sierras. Day four Rest and explore. 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 hiked this trail June 5th to the 7th. mostly exposed to the sun so take a good cover. Good campsites can be found there also. There were hikers with quick-drying shoes that just walked right in, but most of us had a chance to talk as we dried our feet. Evolution Lake has lots of excellent campsites. 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. Wheres there a low altitude pass that brings me out East of the Darwin Glacier? We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. 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 "All truth goes through three stages. Found some spots to camp about 2 miles from the pass. My inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when I looked back from whence we cameMt. The final day we packed out. Push to camp spots near the McClure Meadow ranger station; you will be rewarded with the best breakfast scenery the next day (night 2). Next time will have to aim to go under 30 pounds. 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. Those first four and last four miles are always the hottest. Emerson and Peak 12691. This is a popular trailhead for approaching the Palisades. The stars up there were surreal. This trail goes by Loch Leven, Piute Pass, Summit Lake, Upper Golden Trout Lake, Lamarck Col, and North Lake Campground. This was the most difficult day as we ascended over 3200 with 30+ & 40+ lb packs. The creek crossing there can be challenging early in the season. Hwy 168 accesses both trailheads west out of Bishop and there are many signs so even the most directionally challenged can easily follow the breadcrumbs. John Muir Rock rises directly to the east. I set up my tent and got my gear situated inside. I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. Just needed a puffy jacket, could skip the fleece. 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. We descended down Muir Pass which seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station. This trek met every expectation I had plus some! The next morning, we hiked past beautiful Wanda Lake and up to Muir Pass where we briefly went into the Muir Hut (built in 1930). Quite a few creek crossings which were hard to avoid getting feet wet, but easily done. We camped alone; in fact, we camped alone every night of the trip. 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. 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. The Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake I sat down on a boulder near my gear and got out some snack. Wished we could have camped at Evolution Lake as it's sooooo beautiful but it didn't work out for us. We took the ferry both ways to save us some time and miles! Ouch! Then back to camp and packed up everything continuing on JMT . Mosquitos are out a bit especially in Evolution Valley and Piute Creek. Climbing glacier carved granite benches, the trail passes Loch Leven, Piute Lake and many smaller lakes and ponds on the way to the pass. Tracked 40 miles total and we caught the ferry on the way in and out. Evolution Valley elevation: 9,500 feet Either way takes you over 3 high mountain passes and through incredibly beautiful terrain throughout. 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. Switchbacks up were very nice. Follow signs pointing to Kings Canyon National Park. "Ridicule is the tribute that mediocrity pays to genius. But we didnt see any rangers. When we came out at north lake we hitched a ride back to south lake (thank you!!). Glaciers clung to the northern slopes of the mountains, feeding small waterfalls. Day 3: From camp, descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. Piute Creek to Evolution Creek, 3.5 miles Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. Pick up the trail on the eastern edge of Upper Lamarck Lake. There was still quite a bit of snow on the surrounding mountains and still ice in the lake. We had perfect weather, saw some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time! Glaciated dome on the canyon side, with Turret Creek (which was dry) on the left, The Piute Pass Trail finally got closer to Piute Creek and I began to seriously look for a campsite, now that I had water, My tent and campsite alongside Piute Creek I wanted to lie down but I still had chores to do, View from my campsite, at 9000 feet elevation, looking downstream. Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. GoPro video as I forded Evolution Creek, just north of Evolution Meadow. it has all the beauty you can think of, in fact you will get a beauty intake overdoz lol. More like a river. The route my two amigas and I traveled lies in the trio of Kings Canyon National Park, Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest. Parking: A large parking lot for overnight trips is situated close to the lake. 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. It tasted cold and fresh. There are possible campsites on Darwin Bench. Evolution Creek had already joined forces and the river was much larger. Plentiful water (I never carried more than 16 oz.). Well, yeah, maybe then. I plan to get back there this month with Plenty of water along the trail and also plenty of places to camp. Piute Creek Crosing: Bridge at Piute Creek Crossing: Layers: Western juniper, and its cones: An occasional patch of snow sets off the deep azure of the alpine lakes but there is very little vegetation. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. It is a hard one but worth it. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. 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! Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. Evolution Basin. The first day of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and the occasional company of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. You have to cross a river to get to them. The rivers and meadows are stunning. Soon the trail crossed Evolution Creek, which was quite large at this point. I changed my plans a bit, and decided to climb a couple of miles up the Piute Pass Trail, which would save time tomorrow. Save 4 miles of hiking by riding the Florence Lake Ferry. It is visible from the trail, but some hikers have walked past it without noticing it. So prepare rain And wind covering if comfort is a must. Trailhead to Piute Lake Distance from Trailhead: 7.0 miles (round trip) The tour described below is one example of a 7-day Ionian Basin tour. They were hustling right along. The Vanderbilt Mine is located partly on private land in the San Bernardino County, two miles west of California-Nevada state lines in the New York mountains four miles southeast of the Ivanpah valley within the Mojave National Preserve. The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. Historical side note: Evolution Valley was named by Theodore Solomons . It was not very buggy and lightly rained on 2/8 days. I started hiking up the Piute Pass Trail, hoping to camp two miles further Piute Creek, below, and Mount Henry. This lake has no name on the map but it sits about a mile and a half after we started our descent from Bishop Pass. Golden trout present. I was overjoyed, and felt a million times better. The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. The lake is 53 miles east of Prather. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. One time, we found beers in the Muir Hut with a note 'Take only one'. Very exciting. It follows the south fork of the San Joaquin and Evolution Creek nearly all the way. My sincere thanks to the fire fairies who set this up for us. the mouth of Evolution Valley. Lunch at Evolution Lake. may have been made. . Warm days in the upper 70s and the nights werent too cool either, even up at sapphire lake. Evolution lake is awesome. On my way between JMT and Piute there were 5+ stream crossings that necessitated wading. It was gorgeous. 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! Day 4: Evolution Valley to Piute Creek. 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. They are past the Muir Trail Ranch. 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. Beautiful and challenging in a good way. As I hiked along, I met several PCT Through-Hikers heading north. Recommend to everybody. 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. There must have been many more waterfalls on the way down, but, sadly, that wasnt part of my plan for the day. Campsite 4: Darwin Canyon. We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos. Aside from stellar views, you will also find a station in McClure Meadow that is manned in the summer months by a ranger. Lots of mosquitos in some areas. 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. Campsites: Good sites along Evolution Creek by Evolution Meadow, McClure Meadow and Colby Meadow. 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. The map shown above is for illustrative purposes only. Day 3: Today was another up and over day. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra.

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