We headed over to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park for a hike on a trail that had been blasted into granite slab with a sheer dropoff and amazing views. As we hiked up to 4 lakes, we were happy to see colorful wildflowers along the trail.
Where: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
Distance: 12.94 Miles
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Elevation Range: 7,286′ – 9,580’′
Date: August 9, 2016
Maps: Lodgepole Topographic Quad
We headed east on Hwy 180, up the General’s Hwy. to Wolverton Rd. and we parked at the large parking area for the “Lakes Trail” trailhead. Once we parked, we stashed our goodies for after the hike in the bear boxes, then headed over to use the restrooms which were out of service. We started up the trail.
As soon as we headed up the trail, we came across this sign with a boot. I learned that this park has a proactive approach to minimizing the introduction of non-native plants into it. Recent information indicates non-native plants are infesting 4600 new acres of federal land each day. Nearly one in eight plant species in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are non-native. Many of these species appear to have a fairly small impact on the parks, but many others are drastically changing ecosystem structure and processes. The plants that have the biggest impact, such as yellow star thistle, periwinkle, reed canary grass, and Italian thistle, can take over large areas, completely excluding native species. Cleaning your boots is just one way that Sequoia & King Canyon National Park is trying to reduce the amount of new non-native seeds from spreading in the park.
The trails were well signed on our hike but it has not always been the case.
Remember the sign at the trailhead that showed that dogs were not allowed on this trail? Guess what we came across on this trail? Apparently they had spent the night out somewhere along the trail. Pets are not permitted on any trails at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park.
About 2.2 miles up the trail, you have a choice on whether to go the shorter and steeper way called the “Hump” or the longer and more scenic way via the “Watchtower”. We decided to go in via the “Watchtower” and out via the “Hump”.
After about 3 1/2 miles and 1,500′ gain, we reached the “Watchtower”. It is a granite pinnacle that towers over 2000 feet above the Tokopah Valley floor. If you have the guts, you can look over the edge and straight down. Some nice backpackers who were taking a break volunteered to take our picture so we took them up on the offer.
We continued up the trail, which is carved right into the cliff. Did I mention that it is straight down?
After about 4.4 miles, we reached Heather Lake (elevation 9,280′) and couldn’t believe how beautiful the reflections were.
As we headed up the trails, we reached moist areas along the trail that were lined with flowers.
We came across the bright pink blooms of fireweed.
Fireweed (Photo by Gail Gilbert)
We saw a bush with clumps of bright red berries on it. I am sorry to say that I don’t know what this plant is but those red colors sure were bright.
I was about to step up on this rock to get a better picture of a flower, then changed my mind in midstep when I saw that tail. It turned out that it was a lizard about a foot long but it could have been a snake. I was already thinking about snakes on this hike, so I guess my mind was on that track.
At about 5.6 miles, our next lake was Emerald Lake (elevation 9,240′). Although we didn’t have the glassy reflections, it was clear to see how it got its name.
As we continued on up the trail to Pear Lake, we had several points along the trail where we caught beautiful views of Aster Lake (elevation 9,120′),
As we climbed up the trail, I was amazed when we walked through areas that were lined with wildflowers.
After about 6.9 miles, we arrived at beautiful Pear Lake (elevation 9,544′) in time to find a great spot to eat our lunch.
Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park has the most picturesque bathrooms. Their rooms with a view are composting bathrooms.
It was time for us to head back and we opted to take a slightly shorter but steeper way back via the “Hump.” We had a really good workout on this hike with a little over a 2,000′ gain and 12.9 miles of hiking. We wandered off the main trails to explore the lakes and beautiful flowers, which gave us some “bonus” miles. When fires are burning in the area, this area can get a bit smoked in and hazy, so we tried to pick a window that would be clearer for our hike. This trail can also bit a bit crowded on the weekend. We have also done this hike with a bit of snow and ice and it can be quite lovely early spring. We have also done this one in the fall and these fall reflections in the lakes are gorgeous.
Tips for viewing my blog:
- You can click on any of the pictures to view them larger, and then click forward and view them as a slide show.
- You can right click on any image and save that image to your computer then print if you wish. There are other options on that right click such as emailing the image. Of course, this will depend on which web browser you are using. This option will work well if you want to save the Topographic Maps for hiking or print them out.
- You can print the entire blog if you wish. At the bottom of the blog, after the Sources, there is a link “Print This Article.”
- You can save the Blog by right clicking, “Save Page As.”
- If you want to find one of my prior blogs, you can go to Adventures With Candace and scroll down to see if you can to find it, but there is an easier way. If you can remember a key word of the hike or its location, you can search for it by typing in the upper right top search bar on SNO’s Home Page.
Map and Profile:
Sources:
Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park Pet Rules
Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park Invasive Non-Native Plants
