Meadows and trees and waterfalls were on my menu. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Your email address will not be published. Wanda(sorry if mistaken) is full of mosquitos, prepare mesh covering for you face. Then we stayed there 1 night then hiked up to evolution valley. . if you go over table top mountain you can make it a complete loop. 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. 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. 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. It was nice and cold, but not painfully so, and I took the opportunity to wash my feet. Starting at the North Lake TH, we will cross Piute Pass (11,423'). It was cloudy for much of the way, but it only rained briefly. But the point is we were beat! I had 2500 feet of climbing to do tomorrow, and I wanted to get as much of it done as possible while it was still cool. I found a shady spot above the creek and took off my pack. Water was everywhere but crossings were Ok. Bugs were not a issue. Mather Pass . We had it easy in September, but Ive heard that earlier in the season hikers should be prepared for more difficult fordings. Day five Leave the JMT, taking the switchbacks above Evolution Lake to access Darwin Canyon and a class 2 scramble up and over Lamarck Col to Upper Lamarck Lake, 2,100-feet below. Bears are not much of a problem along this stretch of the John Muir Trail. Hundreds of feet of granite on one side, and beautiful open meadow on the other. Great hike to explore the backcountry and multiple parks. Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake for errors or for changes that may have occurred since publication. The other entrance is by way of North Lake going over Piute Pass (11,500') and passing through Humphries Basin and Piute Canyon. We hiked through Evolution Meadow and decided to stay a few miles away near the McClure Meadow Ranger Station (closed due to Covid-19). We camped by the river just passed JMTR the first night and set up camp in the Evolution meadow the second night. After my work was done, Id jump in the nearest river, cook, then bear-proof my camp. I see no real advantage to hiking one way vs. the other. 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. The Section maintains historic summit registers at Bancroft Library on the University of California, Berkeley campus.. dirt and rock trail. I was definitely overheating, and simply wanted to take a long rest. 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. I wasnt thrilled, but I figured that there would be a side creek somewhere along the way, as the map showed some possibilities. We camped up there on our second night. From there, the trail traverses Humphreys Basin and reaches the splendid section of the Pacific Crest Trail known as Evolution Valley. Im a layman, what can I say? Now, an 81-year old. What a reward after the long hike up the mountainThanks. Evolution Lake has lots of excellent campsites. After lunch was finished, I reluctantly put on my pack and continued hiking in the roasting sun. Theodore S. Solomons and E.C. In summary this section went from Lake Thomas A. Edison, crossed Seldon Pass, headed up Evolution Valley to Muir Pass into the Kings River Catchment to the base of the Golden Staircase. Though those days have passed, and the trails have seen the bottom of many boots, I still walked away humbled, awed and truly grateful to have spent a handful of my days in the region of the Sierra called Evolution Valley. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Even so, with campsites spread out along its length, the valley never seems crowded. There wasnt going to be much of a sunset from down in the canyon, so I went to bed early. We made a few mistakes that cost us a lot of time, however.we didn't take the ferry out, and lost the trail around the lake - a mistake that cost us several hours to climb over boulders and ledges. Our goal was Sapphire lake, but there was still a ton of snow over the 4th and we didnt have proper snow gear to cross over the pass from Evolution lake to Sapphire lake. The canister is a whole lotta bulky but is worth its weight should a bruin decide hed like some chocolate with his berries. some forest floor. That pond is the same pond I had lunch at last year descending from Bishop Pass into Le Conte Canyon. The hike to Evolution Valley was exposed and hot at times. Didnt see a bear which a good thing. Lodging is available at Vermilion Valley Resort at Lake Edison and also at nearby Mono Hot Springs. Dawn on Piute Pass Back toward Pilot Knob West side, baby! Highly recommend bringing a bug net to wear if you think you will encounter them. Glaciated dome on the canyon side, with Turret Creek (which was dry) on the left, The Piute Pass Trail finally got closer to Piute Creek and I began to seriously look for a campsite, now that I had water, My tent and campsite alongside Piute Creek I wanted to lie down but I still had chores to do, View from my campsite, at 9000 feet elevation, looking downstream. Hiked 6/12-6/17. Plan a late summer trip to avoid the worst of them. The trail skirts the northern shore of Loch Leven. Push to camp spots near the McClure Meadow ranger station; you will be rewarded with the best breakfast scenery the next day (night 2). Imagine youre traveling on a moonscape in the protection of narrow corridors of granite with the imposing presence of two mighty peaks, Langille Peak and Black Giant, in your view. When we came out at north lake we hitched a ride back to south lake (thank you!!). Yay! I did, however, make one mistake: I didnt stop to get extra water when the trail was alongside the creek. This famous combo-trail will be our path for the next 26.5 miles. Thousands upon thousands of happy people enjoying the wilderness. It was not very buggy and lightly rained on 2/8 days. 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 Then I continued north. We were usually finished hiking each day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to enjoy the area. Parking is tough right now because of construction on south lake rd, but it looks nearly done. We parked 3mi down from the trailhead in the overnight parking and caught a ride in the construction workers truck bed (thank you!). No smoke from the California wildfires. But the Ionian Basin is a very special place for backcountry skiers, with all kinds of great slopes and skiable peaks. Bugs werent that bad. Campsite 2: Just past the footbridge over Piute Creek, set up camp on these designated pads. Darwin via the class 3 West Ridge. Just what I didnt need. Bishop Pass Trail to John Muir Trail to Piute Trail. 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. No more High Sierra tundra for me today! Day 2: Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park). GoPro video as I crossed the wooden bridge. It took us a little over five days (as schedued) to complete the hike. 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. P. i. psammophilus is known from the Salinas Valley and may be a synonym of P. i. neglectus (Best 1993; Williams et al. . At least there might be shade along this section, I thought to myself. I took off my shoes and let my damp feet dry out in the breeze. I think this might be a great time to interject that finding water was never, ever a problem. We did 7 nights, 8 days with our first and last days being half days. So peaceful and tranquil. I did a backpacking trip over the 4th of July weekend over 4 days, starting at Florence Lake, going up to Evolution Lake. Turn left and descend to Upper Lamarck Lake. Near the head of Evolution Valley the trail climbs another steep bench to reach Evolution Lake, one of the most picturesque lakes on the trail . South Lake From South Lake, hike 6.0 miles up Bishop Pass (11,972 ft.). Beautiful trip! $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. 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. Life was good again. I drank a lot of water. Some of the travel is cross country but fairly easy to navigate. One of the greatest hikes I've ever done. 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. 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). classic Sierra beauty from the very start. We hiked the whole way out the third day, back around the lake to the car. I set up my tent and got my gear situated inside. 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. Over Piute pass has one patch of snow to cross and it was also a non-issue. It tasted cold and fresh. Ranger Station: McClure Meadow. I have done it over 4 days - 3 nights and my backpack was around 42 pounds. A couple of mosquitos came out in the cooler air as the shadow of the mountain came into camp. The normal crossing is not recommended now due to the higher flow, so people have been crossing upstream a bit. Breathtaking landscapes. The ferry was not running yet. Setup camp and to our delight very few mosquitoes at 8500 feet. Thats what happens when you go to sleep at sunset! Golden trout present. But it was still too hot for climbing, I told myself. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. It is my favorite all-time Sierra hike. Did this a decade ago and want to do it again! Id have the trail to myself for a while. It was only 1:30pm, and I had a decision to make: Was I going to camp near here (where the large, aggressive bear might be prowling) or was I going to continue hiking on the Piute Pass Trail, uphill for miles in this roasting heat? 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. A boat-taxi across the lake is available from the trailhead in the summer. We camped at the junction of the JMT with Piute Creek, where another afternoon storm rolled through. Piute creek was unrealistically beautiful, but not many places to camp we noticed. The trail includes one major unbridged crossing of Evolution Creek - often an exciting wade during the spring run-off - and three . From there we day packed to evolution lake the third day. One downside though: it's freaking hard. 6 days / 5 night. The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine! Historical side note: Evolution Valley was named by Theodore Solomons . Piute Creek Crosing: Bridge at Piute Creek Crossing: Layers: Western juniper, and its cones: Piute Pass actually puts you into the upper reaches of the San Joaquin River Basin (So. Or bag flattopped Mt. Layover at Sapphire Lake while weather passed. Also a ton of mosquitos. They came across a congregation of stunning peaks lining the South Fork of the San Joaquin River, and they altered course to the glaciated valley beneath them, finding clear lakes, dwarf meadows, and jagged sky-stabbing peaks. Evolution Valley has always been high on my list of things to do. My first suggestion is if you have seven days to make this trip, your body and spirit will thank you. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Challenging but absolutely worth it, forever in my memories. 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 . Once over Bishop Pass, we descended down approximately 5-6 miles to South Lake where we ended our journey. The first 36 miles from Prather to Huntington Lake via Highway 168 are over good mountain road. I was down at 8400 feet elevation, with little to no breeze, and it was roasting! Then it was hot, and I sweated out what little water I had. 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. This will bring you onto the PCT north of Evolution Valley, a distance of about 16 miles. Fantastic hike! ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. We descended down Muir Pass which seemed endless until camping near the Le Conte Ranger Station. Day 6: In the morning the sun popped over Piute Pass and we were instantly warmed and reluctant to pack up and head back out into civilization less than 7 miles away. Evolution Lake was beautiful! It was desert like in the high alpine on that side. We decided to put in stakes about a mile and a half before Piute Pass on what I considered to be the Best in Show campsite winner. We did the alternate Evolution creek crossing this time and it was easy, water just above my knees (Im 411). Which didnt happen until I reached Piute Creek and the metal bridge that crossed it. Hike down 6.6 miles to LeConte Canyon, which is a very beautiful, deep canyon with lush meadows and forests. 4 days 3 nights 2 passes had a great time. Mosquitos are out a bit especially in Evolution Valley and Piute Creek. Finally, two ladies told me that there was a spot just ahead, right next to the creek! My mood was improving by the minute! Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. Then back to camp and packed up everything continuing on JMT . The trail descended steeply into the forest as it left Evolution Basin. My girlfriends told me I started singing gospel at that point, but I really think they may be exaggerating. The trail on the right leads north into French Canyon. At first the canyon was narrow, and the river had created deep channels to flow through. Id get my chance eventually. Completed end of July 2022. Their answers were vague, as expected, but they did say that there was definitely a spot a decent ways up the trail, but they werent great judges of distance. Stargazing out in the Evolution Valley should be on everyone's bucket list. Evolution Basin. We fell about 2 miles short of the destination endpoint with loss of daylightlesson learned, if this is a short weekend excursion, you need to get there early and push through hard. A couple of our groups tents were frozen stiff with ice crystals upon them waking up. ~. The McClure Meadow is one of the most beautiful meadows I have ever seen! Tough climb over the pass at 11,423 and descended into Paiute Canyon where we connected up with the JMT. 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). The rivers and meadows are stunning. 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. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. During my summer as a volunteer wildlife technician in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, I spent my days trekking with a pack full of tracking equipment to survey animal populations. Hike through spectacular Evolution Basin Marvel at views from Muir, Bishop and Piute Passes Explore remote lakes and ridges Includes Group cooking gear and bear-proof food containers Vegetarian-friendly meals and snacks Campsites and all permits Overview The Trip "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains! My [growing] Collection of Top Utah Hiking Trails, Five ways to make enemies at a public campground, Seeking Powder Hounds: Heli-Skiing the Northwest. Continue straight at this 3-way in Hutchinson Meadow. I had heard from many thru hikers that Evolution Valley was the absolute best. Mosquitos were pretty bad in the meadows, and none up at Evolution Lake, so I recommend bug spray! Pick up permit, eat at Burger Barn, head to, Day One Piute Pass trailhead over Piute Pass down through Humphreys Basin to, Day Two Hutchinson Meadow down Piute Creek to the JMT junction down along the San Joaquin River to the, Day Three Goddard Canyon Bridge Junction Up to Evolution Valley then into Evolution Basin and camp at, Day Four Sapphire Lake up to Wanda Lake then summit Muir Pass then down into Le Conte Canyon and camp at, Day Six Up over Bishop Pass and down to South Lake . My understanding is that dogs are not allowed in the Kings Canyon National Park. Spectacular scenery abounds, with tumbling waterfalls, flowing creeks, glittering lakes, stately forests, and imposing mountains galore. It was challenging knowing exactly where to cross, we tried to find a place that looked shallow enough, however the water came up above my hips (Im 52) which was pretty scary because the current moved me quite a bit and the water was freezing! It was challenging but not impossible if you hike often. Maybe I was oxygen-starved, but my companions said they were similarly affected. In between two crossings of the Sierra backbone at Muir Pass and Piute Pass, we'll visit beautiful and famous Evolution Valley. lots of water sources so no worries there but u must have enough water to go by as you will drink alot. The year 2021 was certainly one of the driest in a long time, as it was early July and the hills were bone dry. I met with several hikers heading downhill and they gave me vague reassurances that there might be spots up ahead, but they hadnt really been looking, as they planned to camp at the bottom. It ended the same way that it started: With Waterfalls! But the Reader Leader contest was all it took to get me planning again. I took a break on the edge of the meadow and got out my map. The final day we packed out. Slightly brutal at times-especially for a beginner- but the views are unmatched. Cottonwood to Onion Valley: Onion Valley to Bishop Pass: Evolution Loop: July 28-August 4. The metal bridge over Piute Creek marks the border between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness. The next morning we discovered more good sites at the west end of the lake. Allow extra driving time to Florence Lake. Completed this loop South - North May 26-29. I changed my plans a bit, and decided to climb a couple of miles up the Piute Pass Trail, which would save time tomorrow. That was a big mistake. Oh ya, chill and take your time. Always confirm information with the service provider and check for any recent changes that Mosquitoes were everywhere but easily controlled with DEET and an (optional) headnet. There was a traditional wide and shallow ford. It was also one of the last areas explored by early park pioneers. I finally had a chance to use the water shoes Id been carrying! You have to cross a river to get to them. Beautiful scenery, abundant water, breathtaking vistas. The trail distance from the junction of the San Joaquin River and Evolution Creek to the summit of Muir Pass is 15.4 miles / 24.8 kilometres (mile 113.2 to mile 128.6 in the Blackwoods Press John Muir Trail Atlas). An incredible hike through the Sierras. 11/10/2022 - Expect . Massive trail work project that ascends a sheer gully with switchbacks stacked on top of one another like wacky Jenga blocks. More like a river. High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. Starting at Lake Sabrina we could do a proper loop with just two 2 mile stretches on the road. The river is nice to camp by here. Day 4: Evolution Valley to Piute Creek. Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Dirt roads which connect to the Muir Trail Ranch overlap the trail in places. An alternative trip to Evolution Valley begins at North Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra. I didnt pay a whole lot of attention, Im sad to say, and even fewer photos. Day two Continue on Piute Pass to reach the JMT (and enter the national park) at mile 17.4. Camp at Wanda Lake along the trail to Muir Pass; no campsites after first quarter mile (night 3). 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. I would love to do it sometime, so thank you for the inspiration. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Then got up and hiked to the ferry to see if it was running and what do you know it was! The air seemed to be getting a bit cooler, so I packed up my stuff and headed out. I used my water like always. Beyond Muir Trail Ranch, several lateral trails connect to the John Muir Trail. We saw a snow avalanche once at a distance. The trail is quite rocky in most places so slower than you might expect given the elevation profile. I didnt realize it, but that was the last Id be seeing of Evolution Creek. We hiked this loop from North to South Lake. 27, 28, 33 and 34, T. 15 N., R. 14 E., S. B. M., on the east slope of the Ivanpah range of mountains, in Mescal Mining District, 8 miles north of Cima. I would head up the trail. The 56-chromosome karyotype associated with P. i. neglectus is generally larger than P. i. inornatus and has been identified from the western side of the San Joaquin Valley and the Carrizo Plain (Patton and Rogers 1993). Campsite 4: Darwin Canyon. Piute Pass 01:05:00 Hutchinson Meadow 02:18:02 Piute Canyon/JMT Junction 3:13:44 Goddard Canyon Junction 3:50:59 McClure Meadow Ranger . 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. Mosquitoes burst forth in early and mid-summer, especially around the meadow areas near the Muir Trail Ranch and Evolution Valley. Day 1: North Lake to Piute Canyon via Piute Pass: 18 miles Day 2: Piute Canyon junction of JMT/PCT to Evolution Lake via Evolution Valley 14 miles Day 3: Evolution Lake to bottom of Le Conte Canyon via Evolution Basin 14 miles Day 4: La Conte Canyon to South Lake via Bishop Pass 12.5 miles Mosquitoes: none, gnats on Wanda Lake Fork), from which you access Evolution Valley via Piute Creek down to the River, then back up the river and Evolution Creek to McClure Meadow and beyond; stated simply, from the pass this is a down-up. Wished we could have camped at Evolution Lake as it's sooooo beautiful but it didn't work out for us. They were hustling right along. My inner dialogues attitude was quickly adjusted when I looked back from whence we cameMt. I wasnt enjoying this as much as I would have liked. It all worked out in the end, however. finished this in 5days avaraging 12miles a day. Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow. 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