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Lakes and Valleys Sierra Backpack Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08110A Price: $ 545 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 13 Rating: L/M Leader:
The Trip Are you looking for a fun vacation in the beautiful Sierra Nevada, where the daily hikes are designed to give you time to smell the pines, photograph the flowers, and relax in camp at the end of the day? Perhaps you haven't backpacked in some years, or you just want a shorter trip. Maybe you are new to backpacking and want to ease in to a new experience. Backpacking is about putting everything you need on your back, walking where you want to go, and then enjoying just being there. Whether you are 20-something or 70-something, if you are physically active and like walking in beautiful surroundings, you are welcome on this trip. In pre-trip correspondence, we will help you prepare yourself for this backpack trip, including suggestions on how to get your body ready, what to look for in equipment, what to wear, and what to pack or not pack. On the trip, we will teach basic skills such as adjusting your pack to carry a load, how and where to pitch your tent, and how to read a map or identify a wildflower. Good physical conditioning, through regular aerobic exercise and some weight training, will be the only prerequisite for this trip. We will be on the western side of Kettle Ridge, which is the boundary between the John Muir Wilderness/Sierra National Forest on the west and the Kings Canyon National Park on the east. The area has been under federal protection since 1893, but this trip will take us over centuries-old trails used by Indian hunters and their prey and by early sheepherders -- including Frank Dusy and Bill Helm -- who forged the trail to Crown Valley and beyond for their flocks in the mid-19th-century. Our trail travels through moderate elevations, along streams and around meadows, and we'll camp by a lake or stream. If you are a backpacker pursuing wildlife, you will find the early wildflowers on display, and our chances of seeing and hearing marmots and mule deer are excellent. We will never be in too big a hurry to drink in our fill of nature's offerings.
Day 1: Meet at a campground near Wishon Reservoir no later than 5 p.m. We will have a group dinner and get acquainted. Day 2: After a short car shuttle to Rancheria Trailhead, where we will leave most of the cars, we will hike from Crown Valley trailhead (6,720 feet) six-and-a-half miles through thick, quiet forests along Statum Creek to our first camp at Spanish Lake (8,560 feet). 1,840-foot ascent for the day. Day 3: Hike four and a half miles up1,000 feet to our next camp at Geraldine Lake (9,200 feet), which is off the beaten track and tucked into the eastern folds of Spanish Mountain . Day 4: Layover day. Free day to explore or climb Spanish Mountain (10,051 feet). There is a trail to the top, where we will be able to view the Obelisk to the east, Rough Spur to the west, and the Monarch Divide to the south. Day 5: Hike six miles to Crown Valley (7,881 feet). A broad, flat valley drained by a branch of Crown Creek, Crown Valley was used for grazing in the last century. Day 6: Hike six miles to our camp at Large Meadow (9,360 feet), at the foot of Chuck Pass. We can expect to see early wildflowers along the creek here. Day 7: Hike seven miles over easy Chuck Pass, then past Indian Springs and through Round Corral Meadow to secluded Duck Lake (9,200 feet). Day 8: Hike six miles past Finger Rock and Hoffman Mountain along Rancheria Creek, which will have plenty of snow melt at this time of year, we'll pick up our cars at Rancheria Trailhead and Crown Valley. In all, we will hike 36 miles in six moving days and one layover, when the more adventurous can hike up Spanish Mountain, at 10,051 feet. Because this is an early-season trip, we may encounter some snow or high stream-water, but we will show you how to have fun safely no matter what conditions we find. Getting There We will meet at a campground near Wishon Reservoir. Wishon is east of Fresno, an hour beyond Shaver Lake. It is about a six-and-a-half hour drive from either Los Angeles or San Francisco. If you are flying, you will need to arrive the day before the trip starts, or very early on day one. There are hotels in Shaver Lake and campgrounds outside of Shaver Lake and at Wishon, as well as a store. We encourage you to carpool to the trailhead, and will help you put together riders and drivers from San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Fresno. More information on how to get to trailhead will be sent prior to the trip. The trip should end around noon on the last day. Trip members who will be flying home from Los Angeles or San Francisco should plan to fly on June 29, to allow plenty of time to drive back to the airport from the trailhead.
We will provide all food, including snacks, beginning with dinner on day one, and ending with lunch on day eight. Food preparation is an important backpacking skill, and providing light weight, satisfying food that is easy to prepare is a point of pride for the leader. Trip members will be expected to take turns preparing meals. We will show you why your local grocery is the best place to shop for most backpacking food, and will unveil the secrets of how to pack and prepare good food for the trail. Vegetarians can be accommodated; just alert the trip leader well in advance. We will boil all cooking water, and will provide iodine treatment for all drinking water. You may also bring a water purifier pump if you wish.
This trip is rated light-to-moderate (L/M). The trip has relatively low mileage -- a total of 36 miles in six moving days -- all on marked trails. We will be carrying all of our food and equipment ourselves, including pots and bear canisters. Your share of the group food and equipment, called "commissary," may weigh about 15 pounds and take up as much room in your backpack as a large paper grocery bag. The daily uphill and downhill will not be onerous, if you have prepared yourself with regular aerobic and weight training, and some practice with your backpack loaded on short weekend hikes and overnight stays. If there is snow on the ground or full streams to cross, we will take our time to travel safely, and may adjust our itinerary as needed.
Sierra weather in June is usually mild and sunny, and you will need sunglasses and sunscreen most days. Rain can arrive at any season, so rain gear is always required. If winter snows are heavy and late, we may hike on residual snows, but this never spoils the enjoyment of the back country. You will need:
We will provide a more detailed equipment list if you are accepted on the trip. We will also provide pointers on what to look for in a purchase or a rental, if you don't already have the equipment. Additionally, we encourage tent sharing, and will help you find a tent partner if you have a tent to share, or need to "rent" tent space with another trip member.
Maps
Books
Conservation This trip begins southeast of Wishon Reservoir, a popular lake for camping, boating and fishing. Most of the visitors to this area are camping in RVs or next to their cars, and the impact of a vehicle-based destination is evident in the heavily used roads through the foothills and the many parking areas at the edge of the wilderness. Where driving to this roadhead used to be an adventure on dirt roads, there is now a highway all the way to Shaver Lake and on to Wishon Reservoir. Housing has encroached on the dry foothills and into the forests all along the highway. We hike through moderate-altitude meadows, valleys, and streams of the central Sierra through country that has been grazed by sheep and cattle for many years. You may still run into cattle on the road to the reservoir, as they graze in the meadows along the road. The trails and backcountry meadows still show deep ruts and sparse vegetation in some areas, as a result of the impact of overgrazing by herders and horse-packers. We will practice “Leave No Trace” camping, emphasizing the importance of preserving this beautiful country for our future generations of hikers. Although some of our trails get a lot of traffic, the wildflowers will be glorious and the marmots entertaining.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
E-mail: dianepcook@aol.com General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Diane Cook has been leading backpack trips in the Sierra since 1981. Early family vacations included hiking and car-camping, but she didn't learn about the wonders of backpacking until she grew up. She started leading group trips with the Chicago chapter of the Sierra Club before moving to California. Now she enjoys sharing the pleasures of hiking in the Sierra with experienced and inexperienced backpackers alike. She particularly enjoys planning meals that will exceed your preconceived notions of backpacking dishes.