The trails on this Sequoia loop are generally very good, with the conspicuous exception of the “route” (not a maintained trail at all) from Columbine Lake over Sawtooth Pass down to the Monarch Lakes; at Monarch Lakes, you’ll pick up a good, maintained trail back to the trailhead. Email it to me at michael@thebigoutside.com. Two of our campsites made my list of 25 all-time favorite backcountry campsites, and one lake where we stopped for lunch made my list of the best backcountry campsites I’ve hiked past. Grant Grove at 6,600 feet elevation has several areas for snowplay including Big Stump and Columbine; both are located technically in Kings Canyon National Park but they are so close they are often lumped in with Sequoia as the parks are co-managed. Located in the southern Sierra Nevada, about 35 miles east of Visalia, this Californian gem is famous for its majestic giant sequoia trees. There were little area’s that would have been perfect to camp in.We broke out of the trees into yet another beautiful landscape. It was basic, but they had giant $5 camp-made brownies that we could split into 5 pieces, and potato chips. Most years the creeks run much lower. I would add another day to the trip simply so we would take advantage of camping in some different places than we did. 829. We recently read in the paper that many people have died, and we can personally verify that it has been well over 100 degrees. Thankfully it was after we had set up camp so we could dash into the tent. Miles worth of hiking from anywhere. But if you are in the habit of reasonably early starts hiking every day, I suggest you plan to hike as far each day as you have in other Western national parks, or even in the White Mountains, where the steepness and ruggedness impedes pace about as much as the elevation does in the Sierra. From what I read, I was expecting there to be quite a few people camped here. We had our early morning snack by the creek, and then followed the meandering trail for 4km. Varied and always changing. Day 3 was our longest and hardest. See my Ask Me page. This year, due to its popularity, the NPS has implemented a one-night-only stay. The hike up to Lower Monarch Lake is a great day hike option that climbs steadily up one of the valley's west facing slopes. That is the highest any of us have climbed. We crossed a lot of creeks, and there was still a lot of water in them even though it was late in the season. As for mosquitoes, yes, the High Sierra is notorious for them being thick basically from late June or early July (depending on elevation) to mid- or late August, although they taper off in August. We set camp in one of the coves and took a dip in the lake. Columbine Lake weather forecast updated daily. There would be no way to enjoy this beautiful terrain if it wasn’t for them. Thank you for such a prompt and extremely thoughtful reply. There were rock cairns everywhere marking the way, but because a lot of the trail was over rock, it wasn’t always obvious were it was. All our prior backpacking trips we have done as a family, but because of the distances and potential difficulty of the trip, we made the decision to hike with our three older kids (aged 13, 11 and 9) and leave our younger two (aged 4 & 7) with their grandparents in their RV at lower elevations. The trail passes through a diverse mix of Sierra terrain and ecology, from creekside cascades to old-growth forest to alpine lakes, and it Columbine Lake (National Park Services) WHAT TO DO: ON THE WATER. Campsites were a lot more numerous than we expected. I’ve had many trips with voracious mosquitoes and I’m sure I’ll have more, but I try to avoid them, especially when backpacking with my kids. It is something that I will never forget and hope that the same is true for her too.Hiking on from Redwood Meadow, we crossed 3 more streams. They will pop up sometime in future writings! This blog and website is my full-time job and I rely on the support of readers. There was a fixed camp that tourists could hike to, carrying in only a day pack while all their overnight stuff was transported. A lot of the trip you are camping around 10,000ft and night time temperatures can get below freezing even in the summer. The plan for Day 4 was to hike past Columbine Lake, climb up and over Sawtooth Pass, and camp at Monarch Lakes. Because you have to take bear canisters you don’t need to camp some place with lockup boxes. If you are experienced, neither of those areas should pose any problems. Mostly clear. Kaweah view ledge, over-the-hill trail, Sequoia Kaweah bowl, up from High Sierra Trail High Sierra Trail tunnel, side of Kaweah bowl Valhalla & Hamilton Lake, from Kaweah bowl Close-up of Valhalla Cliff Precipice Lake reflection, below Kaweah Gap Bittle Rock View from Mount Langley Flora . Permit applications open on March 1st at 12:01am. Posted by 2 months ago. The photographer in me really wanted to go there but it would have been nearly 3 miles to go in and out, and was out of our way. Some spots were slippery with the gravel over solid rock, and other parts were the most divine scree running. Cook away from your tent. The walk down the valley in the pre-dawn was peaceful and still. For just $75, I’ll answer your questions via email or in a phone call to help ensure your trip is a success. Early season there will be more snow, more water in the creeks and more biting bugs. Thanks so much for your informative and beautifully designed website. Columbine Lake and Sawtooth Peak - The sky was completely clouded over by the time I caught the reflection of Sawtooth Peak in the crysal-clear water of Columbine Lake. This lake is similar to Columbine with another healthy population of Brookies. The trails on this Sequoia loop are generally very good, with the conspicuous exception of the “route” (not a maintained trail at all) from Columbine Lake over Sawtooth Pass down to the Monarch Lakes; at Monarch Lakes, you’ll pick up a good, maintained trail back to the trailhead. But oh so AMAZING. If you like what you see here, please help me continue producing The Big Outside by making a donation using the Support button at the top of the left sidebar or below. But it’s not something we would look forward to (I re-read the word “thick” several times…). Timber Gap (9,511ft) is everything its name suggests. I hope that’s helpful. The trail to Monarch Lakes begins at Sawtooth Trailhead in Sequoia National Park's scenic Mineral King Valley. We did it!! It took us quite a bit longer to make it to where we wanted to stop for breakfast. The crossing is right above a cliff and waterfall, which made for a pretty spectacular setting just as we were getting a little bit of alpenglow at sunrise. Things like resilience under fire, growing in a grove (community) and growing straight and tall, and trusting in God’s plan for her. We had completed two days hiking and had seen very few people. There was a shop there. In summer Columbine is a picnic area; while in winter, parking and a restroom are open for those who want to enjoy snow play. There were no views either. This section of the park provides an excellent mix of solitude and beauty. We switchbacked up onto a plateau, and passed a couple of pretty little lakes that had camping opportunities.The Little Five Lakes area is a popular spot to overnight, but we were there at morning snack time! I turned east and walked down Lost Canyon. Water was freezing, but it was well worth it! This canyon creek is also excellent for Brookies. Many seem to start on the High Sierra Trail at the Crescent Meadows trailhead in the ‘main’ part of Sequoia National Park. Sequoia National park had a 180% snowpack this year so even in September the snow hadn’t completed melted off Precipice Lake. If we were to do the trip again I would opt for some different places to camp. The views from the front of the cafe were amazing too. Instead of camping at the large Columbine lake, Louis ventured off to find our secret cove we stumbled upon three years ago. Sequoia - Pear Lake - Alpenglow - Solo backpacking 7.8.20. It was hot and hard work, but because of our early start, we arrived at Bearpaw for a late lunch. Hume Lake. The only part that the route was more fuzzy was from Columbine Lake up to Sawtooth Pass, and then down the other side to Monarch Lake. The trail enters into a patch of forest and through the big, impressive trees in the saddle, we gained glimpses into the type of topgraphy we would be travelling into.The 5km+ downhill trek to Cliff Creek felt like a long way on the first day on the trail.Crossing over Cliff Creek was the first of many stream crossings on this trip. The trail was very well defined for the most part, and was signed at all intersections. So much variety. Sequoia National Park may be known for its giant sequoia groves, but the best backpacking is actually in the lesser-known Mineral King Valley. There are parts of the trail that the sun would beat down hot in the middle of summer. Cliff Creek Campsite among giant trees, was just on the other side.DAY 2: CLIFF CREEK TO BEARPAW MEADOW, Elevation gain: 1800ft (550m) Elevation loss: 1100ft (335m), Time on the trail (total travel time, breaks included): 7 hrs. After hiking a further 2km we came to the first part of the Redwood Meadow grove of Sequoia trees. We have the master map that we pull out if we need the bigger picture or more clarity than our copy. Barbecue? For our family it provided the perfect amount of challenge. On we travelled, and we enjoyed lounging and doing very little for the whole afternoon and evening at Lower Big Five Lake. When you visit Sequoia National Park, you’ll step out of the real world and into a land of giants. NB: We navigate with a paper map and compass, therefore distances and elevations are not going to perfectly match a digital navigation device. columbine lake in sequoia np. Our celebrations were short though. But the bonus?! From the Kaweah we climbed 1.4 miles up to Bearpaw Meadow. This particular Sequoia, had three trunks all coming from the same base. 5 Tips for Choosing a Suitable Backpacking Trip for your Family, Tramping the Pouakai Circuit: Egmont National Park, DAY 3: BEARPAW MEADOW TO NINE LAKES BASIN, DAY 4: NINE LAKES BASIN TO BIG FIVE LAKES, Canoeing the North Fork of the Flathead River. It was upward bound, but gentle in its approach, travelling through the open forest and coming and going from the creek. Thankfully, Mineral King at 7,800ft yielded much cooler temperatures. It was an epic drive for us to get to California – a full 24 hours of driving which we spread over 3 days, stopping at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California, and then finally Three Rivers, California. I always tell people that late summer, mid-August to mid- or late September, is the best time to hike anywhere in the High Sierra—or in most mid-latitude mountains in the Northern Hemisphere, for that matter. Our intended sleep-in never worked out. The stretch between Hamilton Lake and Precipice Lake was taxing with lots of elevation gain, but look at this place! Early morning at Columbine Lake. The area is very rugged and remote and the drive in gives a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The trail over the pass eventually leads down to the lower Kern River. Honestly, I am kinda turned off by these sorts of places, especially when I am camped nearby. How many more adjectives can I use? As mentioned previously there was 180% snowpack. We are used to driving roads like this so it didn’t feel like that big of a deal but if freeways and two laned roads are your life, it would be intimidating for sure. In fact, we really didn’t see many people at all. We enjoyed an extended hang out time while we cooked and ate breakfast and did a little exploring.Up, up, up we go. The trip you took is enticing. Current conditions, warnings and historical records ... Mon 20 Jul Sequoia Kings. But guess what? Naively, we had thought we were camping under Sequoia’s at Cliff Creek, but when we saw these majestic beauties we knew we had been mistaken. Breakfast today was at Hamilton Lake. As we were summiting, there was the first distant clap of thunder and we needed to high tail it to camp. That is all I have to say. We got down to the trailhead for breakfast! The scenery is second to none. When I hike without my family, I tend to hike much longer distances (i.e., often 20-mile days or farther), but I know that’s not for everyone. We wanted to work for this experience, which is was a big part of the motivation of this trip. ‘Digging deep’ was necessary, but it wasn’t overwhelmingly hard. California has a different way of dealing with bears than we are used to in Canada. They are also available to rent from the Mineral King Ranger Station. I would skip Bearpaw Meadow for sure (just make sure you buy a brownie before moving on It was really dusty at that campsite with no undergrowth. Subscribe for updates about new stories and free gear giveaways by entering your email address in the box at the bottom of this story, at the top of the left sidebar, or on my About page, and follow my adventures on Facebook and Twitter. But we kept going, up past the sequoia groves. Thank you for setting such a high bar in quality images and narrative. Good mood, great weather and 45 pound packs, we are ready to go. Our 7 year old, who is an excellent little hiker, would have been fine coming with us. Thanks for the nice words about my blog, I’m glad you found it. I’ve logged many miles in the White Mountains (and I authored, for many years, a hiking guidebook to New England). If you camp above tree line and there’s a breeze, that helps considerably. Required fields are marked *. It would have been nice to add an extra day, making it a 7 day trip. Fair bit of potential. Seeing Arches National Park. I was not one of them!After a much needed rest, and a belly full of food we continued up to Kaweah Gap. Treat all water. The other way to protect yourself is to park at the Ranger Station/Visitor Centre and walk the mile up the road to the trailhead. 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