best of luck and make sure you are prepared. 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. The trees were also providing good shade, except for a couple of bare places where avalanches had swept the forest away, leaving only chest-high chaparral. After lunch was finished, I reluctantly put on my pack and continued hiking in the roasting sun. North to South Lake is the easiest way to go with passes not too difficult. Following that, we returned to North Lake via Lamarck Col, a high pass just short of 13,000'. The Evolution Loop is a magnificent route through some of the most inspiring terrain in the High Sierra. The trail immediately climbed high above the creek, and stayed there, perched on the canyon wall. Beautiful alpine lakes, waterfalls, and my God the meadows. Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. A great spot! But the Ionian Basin is a very special place for backcountry skiers, with all kinds of great slopes and skiable peaks. 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. Slept like a drunken sailor. I like bridges; what can I say? Inside the hut, I swear I felt intensely connected with the energy of the many hikers who entered tired, cold and grateful. We slept in our vehicle at the trailhead the night before starting. The Bishop Group is accessible from the South Lake Trailhead, either to Treasure Lakes, or Bishop Pass. The map showed that it eventually merged into the South Fork San Joaquin River somewhere out of sight of the trail. Muir Pass had miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of the pass. 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). Warm days in the upper 70s and the nights werent too cool either, even up at sapphire lake. Our simple food choices were holding very well. Id have the trail to myself for a while. finished this in 5days avaraging 12miles a day. We did encounter several groups of happy campers who had spent the previous night at some of these lakes. Very nice hike, lots of scenery. Do I really get to be here? 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. lots of water sources so no worries there but u must have enough water to go by as you will drink alot. 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. Then it was hot, and I sweated out what little water I had. Once over Bishop Pass, we descended down approximately 5-6 miles to South Lake where we ended our journey. It was a smooth and quick process. The uphill miles to reach John Muir Pass gave quite a different landscape than we had seen so far. By heading upstream on a use-trail for a quarter mile to a meadow, you will find a shallower ford. No mosquitos. 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. 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 . Lots of camping spots with water so you can make your day as long or short as you like. 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.). kelly e. No matter how heavy my pack is I always leave room for some whiskey. This was an absolute must do trail! however, if you are an average backpacker like me, expect some brutal acents and decents. I needed both water and a flat spot. Now I can say, beeen there in a sing-song tone suggesting my best time ever in the land of granite. 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) Loitering encouraged! 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). Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. Diego, the 11-year-old Lab mix, was struggling; the family carried him part way. Next came McClure Meadow and the Ranger Station. Video of a PCT hiker butt-sliding under the bridge. Pat was the captain of the ferry and Charlie ran the little store, nice couple. I recommend taking the ferry to avoid the lake hike; the view doesn't much change, and there's a lot of clutter around the lake campsites that take away from it. . Amazing. Completed 14-17AUG. If I did this, then I might make it over Piute Pass the next day, and hike out early on the final day, which would allow me to drive home later on that afternoon. The trail skirts the northern shore of Loch Leven. I loved seeing the pictures here as it helped me to realize how much more I need to get there. Day 2: Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park). At least there might be shade along this section, I thought to myself. The next day we made it up to evolution valley. Camp at Wanda Lake along the trail to Muir Pass; no campsites after first quarter mile (night 3). 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. Conditions were great! 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.. I woke up before dawn, as usual. Beautiful trip! It was not very buggy and lightly rained on 2/8 days. Florence Lake, east of Fresno, is the most convenient trailhead for backpacking trips to Evolution Valley. But, conditions are still challenging. My first suggestion is if you have seven days to make this trip, your body and spirit will thank you. Day 2 Evolution Valley 17.18 2977 AEG Emptied our packs and hiked down to the Muir Trail Ranch to pick our resupply. 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). We returned to camp and reorganized and then started the hike into Evolution Valley. 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. . Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. But 6-year-old Gregory "was an absolute trooper," said Steward, as . Laura Manina, my sister and fellow backpacker, shares her experiences and tips on backpacking a 57-mile loop to the Evolution Valley. That was the new plan, I decided. Hiked 6/12-6/17. I drank a lot of water. Peaks north of Bishop Pass, and south of Piute Pass form two basic groups, Bishop Group and Evolution Group. it has all the beauty you can think of, in fact you will get a beauty intake overdoz lol. The trail condition is great, although it get pretty rocky around Muir Pass. She was seriously considering it. 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. Here you will find the most recent trail conditions available to us. We took four full, plus two half days, to hike the 57-mile route starting at South Lake and ending at North Lake, so 10-12 miles each day was the score. 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. I wasnt thrilled, but I figured that there would be a side creek somewhere along the way, as the map showed some possibilities. Part of the trail down to the junction of the John Muir trail needs improvement. Shortly after passing Colby Meadow and reaching McClure Meadow, we were served the best views of The Hermit, a distinctly steep monolith, and Mt. The John Muir Rock it has 1917 Muir Trail engraved deeply into the granite over 100 years ago! 2 trip report day 0-4: getting in & Yosemite National Park warm up. The SteriPen Adventurer has become popular because it is more reliable than earlier models. The next morning, we went over Piute Pass and continued 10+ miles through beautiful Piute Canyon to Hutchinson Meadow. Well, yeah, maybe then. I have done it over 4 days - 3 nights and my backpack was around 42 pounds. It is a hard one but worth it. Great hike to explore the backcountry and multiple parks. It was a fine pace, but sometimes I just wanted the extra time to really settle into the vistas. We camped alone; in fact, we camped alone every night of the trip. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. So peaceful and tranquil. We started at 8,200 feet and camped at 11,200 feet. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. Now, an 81-year old. Challenging but absolutely worth it, forever in my memories. 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. A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. 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. Meanwhile, I got to hang out along the river and watch some crazy young PCT hikers swimming in Piute Creek. Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. So prepare rain And wind covering if comfort is a must. Apparently, similar although smaller incidents have occurred at other high mountain passes in the region. 11/10/2022 - Expect winter conditions. $4,395: August 13-21. This is an excellent report on a great hiking trip. Awesome views and an incredible variety of terrain. It is, of course, the perfect time for this 5 - 7 day hike. Day 2: In the morning, we broke camp early and switch-backed up to Bishop Pass. 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. Elevation 4400 feet 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. At night, Id comb through maps by headlamp, creating my ultimate ticklist for the parks. Youll find other good campsites on this knoll. Your email address will not be published. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. At the top was Evolution Valleyas a wannabe biologist, I fell in love with the name. The metal bridge over Piute Creek marks the border between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness. Those first four and last four miles are always the hottest. 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. 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. Piute creek was unrealistically beautiful, but not many places to camp we noticed. 5 trip report day 12-16: Muir Trail Ranch to Onion Valley Trailhead. In between two crossings of the Sierra backbone at Muir Pass and Piute Pass, we'll visit beautiful and famous Evolution Valley. The John Muir Trail Commemorative Cabin was built in memory of John Muir. The Tyee Lakes part was not the most beautiful part and was pretty strenuous, but made transportation much easier. I checked my GPS and discovered that I had hiked almost 15 miles today! First campsite - Blaney Meadow (10 miles). Located in California's beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Inyo National Forest offers challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and unparalleled views. I put on my night clothing and used a bit of DEET on my face to repel them. Good campsites can be found there also. Did this in the opposite direction (South Lake to North Lake) and had a blast. Highly recommend pushing up to lower Dusy Basin (though there are several campsites about 1200 vertical feet up from Le Conte, just prior to a bridge crossing) (night 4). We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos. Then we stayed there 1 night then hiked up to evolution valley. I want to hike West to East in the lowest part of the evolution valley, beginning at Edison Lake. Moderate. It was a very long day. The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. Push to camp spots near the McClure Meadow ranger station; you will be rewarded with the best breakfast scenery the next day (night 2). Always confirm information with the service provider and check for any recent changes that may have been made. Only done it North to South. We remained on the JMT at the Goddard Canyon junction and continued up a series of switchbacks that led us to a stream crossing where we had to take off our hiking boots & put on our water shoes and continue towards Evolution Valley. This was a beautiful scenic area with decent camping and a gorgeous small lake (Loch Leven). But the views from the trail made up for it. Campsite 4: Darwin Canyon. Most of our campsites were fantastic with waterfalls or pretty lakes. Even so, with campsites spread out along its length, the valley never seems crowded. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra. Over Piute pass has one patch of snow to cross and it was also a non-issue. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Read more + "All truth goes through three stages. The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. I jumped up and pumped them for information. I started hiking up the Piute Pass Trail, hoping to camp two miles further Piute Creek, below, and Mount Henry. One bite of the Evolution area is Piute Creek You then head south on the JMT, along the river until you reach the junction with the Goddard Canyon Trail. Note: Bishop Pass hikers will encounter dozens deer skeletons on the steep slope below Bishop Pass. Starting at the North Lake TH, we will cross Piute Pass (11,423'). 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 Wonderful backpack but challenging for us 60-75 year old hikers. Backpackers are really friendly and fun, so it was a good time. Roundtrip mileage to the McClure Meadow Ranger Station from the south end of Florence Lake is about 15.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation gain. Did this a decade ago and want to do it again! The trail even flattened out to make my way easier. Ouch! Saw plenty of deer, and other hikers saw a few bears in the meadows. Massive trail work project that ascends a sheer gully with switchbacks stacked on top of one another like wacky Jenga blocks. That felt great! I also set an early alarm. Thousands upon thousands of happy people enjoying the wilderness. Does this seem like a fair deal to you? 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! 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. Mosquitos are out a bit especially in Evolution Valley and Piute Creek. John Muir Wilderness sign in the Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. My sincere thanks to the fire fairies who set this up for us. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. There's no reason to hurry -- it's such awesome, varied country. Is there some exception for Evolution Valley? A mother deer plus two babies. Dawn on Piute Pass Back toward Pilot Knob West side, baby! 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. Breathtaking landscapes. Wheres there a low altitude pass that brings me out East of the Darwin Glacier? Golden trout present. 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. We hiked up to Piute Creek the first day it was 13.1 miles since the ferry was not running on our hike up. I only had about a liter left of the three Id started with that morning. Aside from stellar views, you will also find a station in McClure Meadow that is manned in the summer months by a ranger. We started at south lake and ended on north lake, backwards from most, and while Piute pass was a hard hike, i think ending on Piute and Humphrey's Basin was a great way to complete the trip. The stars up there were surreal. . The trail includes one major unbridged crossing of Evolution Creek - often an exciting wade during the spring run-off - and three . Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. I sucked the last of my water from the hose and hiked on, filled with new energy. The Section maintains historic summit registers at Bancroft Library on the University of California, Berkeley campus.. 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. 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. Aahhh! Distance: 8.8 miles Time: 5-7 hours Difficulty: Strenuous Gain/Loss: +498'/-1,537 Dogs: No When to go: Late July-Early October It may be called a 'creek', but Piute Creek was raging! Our camps were very high, all above 11,300', and we took two and a half days layover, hiking and exploring . Jackass Meadow and Ward Lake campgrounds are located near Florence Lake. Do you wish to share an stories about that particular spot? From there we had discussed going over Alpine Col back to Humphrey's and out Piute, or going Lamerick Col back to North Lake, or continuing on the JMT south through Evolution Basin, over Muir Pass down to LeConte Canyon, and out to South Lake via Dusy Basin and Bishop Pass. Hike up Muir Pass, down to Le Conte Ranger Station. All in all, it had been another great day in the High Sierra. 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. This is a beautiful post. This is one of my favorite trips of many in the eastern Sierra. Evolution Creek had already joined forces and the river was much larger. We found the trailhead about 1/3 mile away and hiked a few miles to Loch Leven. 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. Piute Creek to Evolution Creek, 3.5 miles Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. Now I cant breathe for another reason. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. 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. The trail on the right leads north into French Canyon. 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. From there, the trail traverses Humphreys Basin and reaches the splendid section of the Pacific Crest Trail known as Evolution Valley. 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. 7/19/2014 - 17.03 miles, 2,992 AEG - Piute Bridge to Evolution Creek The day started with a six mile roundtrip hike to Muir Trail Ranch to obtain our resupply. Thats what happens when you go to sleep at sunset! Now that the best parts of the trek were over (quite possibly), I was beginning to yearn for home. Hi, Jeff; Thank you for your compliment of my photo. for errors or for changes that may have occurred since publication. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. 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. Usually we did it in 7 days. After the narrows, the valley widened and there were many hot and sunny meadows that I trudged through, at least according to the map. That was a big mistake. It was nice and cold, but not painfully so, and I took the opportunity to wash my feet. 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. My [growing] Collection of Top Utah Hiking Trails, Five ways to make enemies at a public campground, Seeking Powder Hounds: Heli-Skiing the Northwest. I hung out by the creek for an hour and a half, until 3pm. Day 1: The first day held an unexpected bonus in that, inadvertently, it turned out to be Get-used-to-less-oxygen Day. Western States Climbers Emblem Peaks Showing Kimberly Berg's first ascent dates for climbed peaks (0 out of 129, or 0%) 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. The river and steam crossings were simple because the water level is so low at this point in the season. The other entrance is by way of North Lake going over Piute Pass (11,500') and passing through Humphries Basin and Piute Canyon. Hiking Distance: 19 miles In other words, I was probably dehydrated. I think this might be a great time to interject that finding water was never, ever a problem. Or bag flattopped Mt. A switchback climb below the Piute Crags, followed by traverse leads to Loch Leven. to North Lake Road, 20 mi to Pine Creek 856 110 to 114 SEKI - Goddard (28) Aspen Meadow & Goddard Creek Junction 851 to 855 114 to 121 SEKI - McClure Meadow (33) Evolution Valley, McClure, and Colby Meadows 845 to 851 121 to 127 SEKI - Evolution Basin (34) Evolution Lake, Wanda Lake, to Muir Pass 838.5 to . I did a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend over 4 days, starting at Florence Lake, going up to Evolution Lake. Mendel, which is part of the Evolution range. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. As a backup, some soft-sided water bottles such as the Platypus will thread onto the filter and work just as well. For backpacking trips to Evolution Valley really settle into the granite over 100 years ago matter. That, inadvertently, it turned out to be found anywhere in the eastern Sierra 2: on... 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