We puzzled about the cause. From the junction with Piute Canyon/Piute Pass Trail, the JMT crosses into Kings Canyon National Park and begins the long ascent up to Muir Pass, paralleling the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. Okay, I need my camera again. Quite a few creek crossings which were hard to avoid getting feet wet, but easily done. 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. 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. Aside from stellar views, you will also find a station in McClure Meadow that is manned in the summer months by a ranger. Tiny bit of snow on bishop pass was completely avoidable. 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. ~. Beautiful and challenging in a good way. Since we stopped for lunch here and the lake has no name I guess Ill call it Lunch Lake. I didnt realize it, but that was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Creek. Life was good again. Climbing glacier carved granite benches, the trail passes Loch Leven, Piute Lake and many smaller lakes and ponds on the way to the pass. Completed 14-17AUG. In addition, The John Muir Trail may be accessed via Piute Pass from North Lake which is only 10 miles from the resort. My mood was improving by the minute! I have to say, however, that descending into Le Conte Canyon from Dusy Basin, and not the other way around, seemed like the more fortunate direction for my legs and backside. Fill up on gas at Prather or Shaver Lake. Also included are North Lake, South Lake, Piute Pass, Evolution Valley and Lake Sabrina. It is my favorite all-time Sierra hike. Did in 4.5 days south to north. Then it is violently opposed. Backpacking Has Changed a Lot Over the Past 50 Years. The trail on the right leads north into French Canyon. The best time ever, I mean. The ferry was not running yet. Good campsites can be found along the river beyond the Piute Creek bridge. I should just quit messing around and tape the thing to my face. At Piute Pass, we headed off trail toward Muriel Lake, then Alpine Col, which takes the hiker to the gorgeous Darwin Lakes and Darwin Bench area. Get surefire solitude in McGee Canyon (south about .5 mile back). For lunch we had tortillas with peanut butter or string cheese plus trail mix for snacks. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. Highly recommend bringing a bug net to wear if you think you will encounter them. The trail even flattened out to make my way easier. From there we pass through the giant cirque of Humphreys Basin, and into Hutchinson Meadow, and Piute Canyon. July 10 - 14. Amazing. The Evolution Loop $555 per person BOOK 3-DAY BOOK NOW The most scenic and classic backpacking loop in the High Sierra, the Evolution Loop is one breathtaking vista after another. Some hike this route from the other direction, north to south. The year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. Continue straight at the 3-way. I have done it over 4 days - 3 nights and my backpack was around 42 pounds. Started at North Lake Trailhead and ended at South Lake. Some of the travel is cross country but fairly easy to navigate. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. Historical side note: Evolution Valley was named by Theodore Solomons . 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. This is about the halfway spot. These Photos Prove It. The mosquitos were relentless though. Oh well. Emerson and Peak 12691. I drank a lot of water. Massive trail work project that ascends a sheer gully with switchbacks stacked on top of one another like wacky Jenga blocks. I want to hike West to East in the lowest part of the evolution valley, beginning at Edison Lake. 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. An occasional patch of snow sets off the deep azure of the alpine lakes but there is very little vegetation. Best seasons: Mid-summer to fall Lunch at Evolution Lake. The Sierra Peaks Section was established in 1955. I had a really good time and met several really nice people. Driving times may vary based on conditions. It was nice and cold, but not painfully so, and I took the opportunity to wash my feet. Now I cant breathe for another reason. Found some spots to camp about 2 miles from the pass. Evolution lake is awesome. The Water was everywhere but crossings were Ok. Bugs were not a issue. Glaciers clung to the northern slopes of the mountains, feeding small waterfalls. We saw a snow avalanche once at a distance. my 21-year-old daughter. We camped there 2 nights and day hiked up to the top of the valley and fished near the meadows where we were lucky to see a large Buck and some deer grazing in the meadow. Continue straight at this 3-way in Hutchinson Meadow. It was a very long day. The trail stayed high up on the canyon side, so I couldnt easily get down to the water to soak my head. The river is nice to camp by here. The trail condition is great, although it get pretty rocky around Muir Pass. Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. Read more + Thunder some days. As a backup, some soft-sided water bottles such as the Platypus will thread onto the filter and work just as well. Mostly True Stories of My Hiking Trips, a PhotoJournal. I checked my GPS and discovered that I had hiked almost 15 miles today! I kept hoping to find a side stream, but all of the obvious places were dry as a bone. Then we stayed there 1 night then hiked up to evolution valley. I plan to get back there this month with By the time I was ready to hike I looked down at the tents below me on the shore of the lake and only one person had crawled out of their tent. Location: Northern Kings Canyon National Park From there we day packed to evolution lake the third day. There was a strong metal bridge just downstream, and it was fun to cross. Day four Rest and explore. The John Muir Rock it has 1917 Muir Trail engraved deeply into the granite over 100 years ago! The trail to Piute Pass (11,423-ft.) ascends the lovely North Fork of Bishop Creek, passing photogenic Loch Leven and Piute Lakes along the way. What a sight! Evolution Valley. Light rain everyday around 3/4pm. Or bag flattopped Mt. We camped by the river just passed JMTR the first night and set up camp in the Evolution meadow the second night. Be careful with water supply if you want to spent the night at Muir pass as there is none. The trail wandered along through the forest, not far from Evolution Creek, which was flowing peacefully and slow. Plenty of camp sites a long the way. No more High Sierra tundra for me today! 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. Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. First it is ridiculed. Recommend to everybody. Because of the late snowfall, we were graced with the continued presence of wildflowers, complimented by the beginnings of golden fall, as we skip-trah-lahed our way alongside crashing gorge waterfalls and the calm tracing of the San Joaquin River. We hiked through Evolution Meadow and decided to stay a few miles away near the McClure Meadow Ranger Station (closed due to Covid-19). Campsite 4: Darwin Canyon. The metal bridge over Piute Creek marks the border between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness. Peaks north of Bishop Pass, and south of Piute Pass form two basic groups, Bishop Group and Evolution Group. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. The best sites we found are located on the east side of the trail directly after we crossed the stream that feeds the lake. At night, Id comb through maps by headlamp, creating my ultimate ticklist for the parks. Great Trip! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. I have done this trail three times in all. meadows, granite peaks, off-trail accessibility, water plentiful. North Lake to Hutchinson Meadow is very straightforward. Day 2 Evolution Valley 17.18 2977 AEG Emptied our packs and hiked down to the Muir Trail Ranch to pick our resupply. 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. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. 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. Day 5: Cushy Day was followed by Payback Day. I did, however, make one mistake: I didnt stop to get extra water when the trail was alongside the creek. Was it this heavy yesterday? The next day we made it up to evolution valley. Day three Descend 7.3 miles on the JMT into Evolution Valley, then add an easy 1.2 miles to camp by Evolution Lake. 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. I used my water like always. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. I started hiking up the Piute Pass Trail, hoping to camp two miles further Piute Creek, below, and Mount Henry. finished this in 5days avaraging 12miles a day. Thats what happens when you go to sleep at sunset! We hiked this trail June 5th to the 7th. That night we enjoyed a campfire in Aspen Meadow since we were below 10,000 feet and there were already the makings for a fire ready to go! Before last pass go to side trail golden trout lake to spend a night. Required fields are marked *. I did a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend over 4 days, starting at Florence Lake, going up to Evolution Lake. Very exciting. Along the way I came across the Muir Rock which I had seen on the topo map. 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. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Id see how I felt when I got to the the trail junction. 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). My AllTrails recording showed 59.4 miles at the termination point (South Lake overnight parking lot) with over 10,000' elevation gain. That was the new plan, I decided. First, it was a suggestion, and then it was an item on my Someday List. 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. 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. 5 trip report day 12-16: Muir Trail Ranch to Onion Valley Trailhead. We slept near the shores of Evolution Lake. Great trail, not all of it is technically dog friendly since you enter Kings Canyon NP for the 2nd half. The rivers and meadows are stunning. My inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when I looked back from whence we cameMt. Our group of six left a vehicle at the termination point (South Lake trailhead) then drove to the North Lake overnight parking lot and we started our journey in the late afternoon. 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. Excellent! At the top was Evolution Valleyas a wannabe biologist, I fell in love with the name. 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. contour 80 feet UTM zone 11 Customers Like You Also Purchased USA Highways Wall Map $10.95 Custom Radius Maps $175.00 Island Visions $39.99 Rides of a Lifetime: Southwest by MAD Maps $16.95 1 decision & planning. Next came McClure Meadow and the Ranger Station. Why cant I breathe? I didnt pay a whole lot of attention, Im sad to say, and even fewer photos. Ascending Muir Pass from south to north was incredible. Golden trout present. Evolution Valley has always been high on my list of things to do. There was no bridge. Now, an 81-year old. I wasnt enjoying this as much as I would have liked. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. Piute Creek You then head south on the JMT, along the river until you reach the junction with the Goddard Canyon Trail. I've done this trail 4 times and it is amasing. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. When we crossed the river it was only about knee deep and also like to mention NO mosquitoes so we were super lucky. 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. Sawyer Water Filters are popular because of their light weight and ease of use, but the bags they provide are susceptible to developing leaks. We parked 3mi down from the trailhead in the overnight parking and caught a ride in the construction workers truck bed (thank you!). It was a fine pace, but sometimes I just wanted the extra time to really settle into the vistas. Lots of camping spots with water so you can make your day as long or short as you like. 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. Located in California's beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Inyo National Forest offers challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and unparalleled views. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. Beautiful alpine lakes, waterfalls, and my God the meadows. Get surefire solitude in McGee Canyon (south about .5 mile back). The route my two amigas and I traveled lies in the trio of Kings Canyon National Park, Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest. 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). The trail on the left leads to Lower Honeymoon Lake. Evolution Valley was flower-filled, even in this drought year. But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. The total distance to Evolution Lake is about 10 miles. This trek met every expectation I had plus some! No mosquitos. It was cloudy for much of the way, but it only rained briefly. Layover at Sapphire Lake while weather passed. Water was flowing on a lot of the trail down. Day 2: Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park). We headed over Piute Pass and into Humphreys Basin from the North Lake Trailhead. They are past the Muir Trail Ranch. The ferry is $25 roundtrip, or $13 one way. The rest were lazy snoozers. 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. Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. Elevation gain: 2200 feet Piute creek was unrealistically beautiful, but not many places to camp we noticed. 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. Piute Pass: Begins at North Lake. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles.