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Mountain Women's Trek, Kings Canyon National Park Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08121A Price: $565 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 13 Rating: MS Leaders:
The Trip We’ll be exploring the largest area of unbroken wilderness in the southern Sierra. Leaving the trail behind, we will ascend 6,000 feet in our first two days to reach the remote paradise of Granite, Volcanic, and Glacier basins where we’ll find high alpine lakes, streams, and meadows filled with wildflowers. Our route offers breathtaking views of chasms formed by the South and Middle forks of the Kings River—one of the deepest in North America. Excellent conditioning is a must to meet the challenge of the 6,000-foot climb out of the canyon and cross-country travel in rough terrain. It is advisable to arrive a day or so early to acclimate. Since the distances we will cover on moving days are relatively short, we’ll have time for afternoon respite and contemplation in idyllic campsites. On layover days we’ll enjoy relaxing, rambling, or scrambling to nearby ridges--as the spirit moves.
Day 1: The trip begins at 5 p.m.. We'll welcome you to our campsite with appetizers and a barbecue dinner. We will have enough tent sites reserved (see note on campground bulletin board) for everyone. Day 2 : Copper Creek Trailhead (5,036 feet) to Lower Tent Meadow (8,130 feet). Our trail zigzags up the north wall of Kings Canyon towards the Monarch Divide. Along the way we have frequent views of the enormous Grand Sentinel, towering 3,500 feet above the valley floor to the southwest and the Sphinx, a delicate pinnacle to the southeast. Our destination, Lower Tent Meadow, offers a year-round stream and our first sighting of red firs. We'll hike 4.5 miles and climb 3,094 feet. Day 3: Lower Tent Meadow (8,130 feet) to Granite Lake (11,003 feet). We pass through Upper Tent Meadow, to a stunning view of Mt. Clarence King.. Leaving the creek, the trail enters a red fir forest and switchbacks climb 1,300 feet to the moraine that divides Copper Creek and Granite Creek. The trail descends into Granite Basin then winds north through meadows for around a mile, passing several small ponds. Ascending to a small ridge, we see Granite Lake to the northwest and descend over gradual slabs to our campsite. Our seven mile hike climbs 2,873 feet. Day 4 : Our layover day offers a ramble to unnamed lakes in Lower Granite Basin, a scramble up Comb Spur to have a look westward into Lewis Creek canyon, or rest and relaxation. Day 5: Granite Lake (11,003 feet) to Volcanic Lakes (10,079 feet). From Granite Lake, we head west to Granite Pass (10,673 feet),and continue to the east side of Volcanic Lake 10,288, the highest of the Volcanic Lakes, nestled beneath the Monarch Divide. The sandy beach and clear water provide the perfect spot for a brisk swim. We'll follow the outlet down and choose from several fine campsites beneath lodgepole pines. Hiking distance is four miles. Day 6: Volcanic Lakes (10,079 feet) to Glacier Lakes (10,429 feet). We'll connect with the Kennedy Pass Trail, dropping to the intersection with the Copper Creek Trail. Here, we leave the trail, heading east across the meadow to the Glacier Lakes outlet. We gain 1,000 feet before reaching the remote western two Glacier Lakes. From there, we scramble over the ridge and enjoy the northern view into Glacier Valley . Finally we head down to our campsite near the larger Glacier Lakes, in a breathtakingly beautiful basin. Hiking distance is three miles. Day 7: On our layover day we have the options of scrambling up Goat Crest on the Monarch Divide for views into Glacier Basin, meandering west to unnamed lakes that drain into the North Fork of Kid Creek, or simply relaxing. Day 8: Glacier Lakes (10,295 feet) to Grouse Lake (10,453 feet). We climb southeast and cross the ridge northeast of the Kid Lakes . Descending, we find the northern two Kid Lakes , and follow the outlet to the beautiful basin holding the southern Kid Lakes. From here, we travel southwest over the pass just northwest of Goat Mountain , and descend ledges to our campsite at Grouse Lake. Distance: 5.5 miles. Day 9: Grouse Lake (10,453 feet) to Copper Creek Trailhead (5,036 feet). We travel south leaving the stream and heading southwest until we meet the familiar Copper Creek Trail. Leaving the Monarch Divide, we retrace our steps down the north wall of Kings Canyon . Our knees will welcome the assistance of hiking poles on this long descent that explains why many mountaineers prefer uphill to downhill travel. Views of the familiar Grand Sentinel to the southwest and of the Sphinx to the southeast will energize us until we return to the trailhead. Hiking distance is 7.2 miles. Getting There Canyon View Campground, in Kings Canyon National Park, is 85 miles east of Fresno Yosemite International Airport onCalifornia State Highway 180.
All meals are included from dinner on day one through lunch onthe final day.
The trip is rated Moderate/Strenuous (M/S). Strenuous off-trail hiking and significant elevation changes are combined with relatively short distances and two layover days. Peak climbs will increase the overall difficulty considerably. We'll hike a total of approximately 29 miles in six moving days, and the major portion of the trip is cross-country. There are several days which involve steep climbs and descents, including two on-trail and two cross-country passes. Good balance and coordination are essential, given that we'll be traversing expansive boulder fields with full packs. Considering the altitude, we could be on or in snow for extended periods, so it is important that you are comfortable maneuvering on steep snow fields. Arriving a day or two early to acclimate is important as most of our trekking and all of our campsites are above 11,000 feet. Any moderately experienced backpacker who is in excellent physical condition and comfortable traversing difficult terrain can successfully complete and enjoy this trip.
Participants furnish their own personal equipment, including boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, a basic first-aid kit, toiletries, and eating utensils. Participants also furnish their own specialized equipment like fishing tackle or photographic equipment. The Sierra Club furnishes all shared group gear, including stoves, cookware and cooking utensils, a group first-aid kit, and food, unless otherwise noted in the trip brochure. A detailed equipment list will be sent to registered participants. Bring broken-in, waterproof boots with ample ankle support and lug soles. Make sure your pack is fitted to you and is structured in such a way that it can accommodate 20 pounds of bulky commissary food and gear in addition to your personal gear. Plan to bring your own blister kit along with repair parts for your pack. Summer is a dry season in the Sierra, but even on the sunniest day a major weather system might move in and stay for a while. Temperatures may range from 80 degrees during the day to near freezing at night. Sun protection for eyes and skin is essential. Come prepared for wind, rain, cold, and heat.
Topo Maps: USGS seven-and-a-half -minute series, Cedar Grove, The Sphinx, Slide Bluffs, Marion Peak . Alternatively, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Recreation Map from Tom Harrison maps (available at REI or from www.tomharrisonmaps.com). Conservation Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are protected by law, but they are facing more challenges than ever before. In the past two decades, the park's top concerns -- including global warming, pesticide drift, drought, wildfires, and population growth -- have grown significantly. We will discuss the impact of these problems and what can be done to preserve this national treasure. Your experience in the Sierra Nevada will give you a renewed understanding of the need to protect these unspoiled wilderness areas. The Sierra Club follows the "Leave No Trace" wilderness ethic, and we will emphasize careful stewardship of the environment throughout the trip.
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.
Anne Muzzini is a native Californian with a three-generation family heritage embracing and advocating for the protection of the Sierra. Family backpacking trips that began when she was ten sowed the seeds for a lifetime addiction to quality mountain time. As a young adult Anne lived in Jackson, Wyoming, where she skied and hiked in the Teton and Wind River ranges. She has sought outdoor thrills on the whitewater rivers of California where she worked as a raft guide and learned to kayak. Mountain biking is her current passion and she stays in shape by going to the gym and playing basketball with her 17-year-old son, Mark.
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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The High Sierra has been Margi Waller's second home since her family first packed her into a Sierra Club base camp when she was two years old. Every summer for the next 14 years she and her family participated in Sierra Club trips, with the exception of two summers she spent climbing in the Swiss Alps. Since 1970, Margi has assisted or led backcountry trips throughout the High Sierra and in the Rockies, the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Smokies, Bryce Canyon, the Lake Powell area, the Sangre de Cristos in New Mexico, and all over Arizona. When she's not in the mountains, Margi can be found running, hiking with her dogs, in her kayak, or riding her horse in the redwoods.