Read more + One bite of the Evolution area is liable to infect any passerby, causing even the most mileage-minded thru-hike If the John Muir Trail is the crown jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail, then the Evolution Basin and Valley are perhaps the most strikingly-sculpted gem to be carefully placed in that jewel. This is high country and we had a brief hail & wind storm as well as our coldest overnight stay (mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit). This trek met every expectation I had plus some! The trail wandered along through the forest, not far from Evolution Creek, which was flowing peacefully and slow. Finally it is accepted as self-evident." Schoepenhouer "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on." Winston Churchill "When they think they know the answers, people are . The hiking was challenging for us (22 year old girls), but we probably brought too heavy of packs. The trail skirts the northern shore of Loch Leven. Once we reached the pass at 11,955 feet, we were gifted with the sight of Muir Hut constructed in 1930 by the Sierra Club, with the intention of sheltering hikers that may find themselves caught in unsavory weather. Definitely one of my favorite trips ever. I highly recommend this one. I left the trail to follow right along the creek, and took way too many photos and videos. One time, we found beers in the Muir Hut with a note 'Take only one'. Weather was great very little wind. Ascending out of 5,400-foot Taboose Pass Trail Head in the Owens River Valley, the Goliath climbs steeply and starkly into a saw blade of 13,000- to 14,000-foot Central Sierra mountains. I set up my tent and got my gear situated inside. We hiked through Evolution Meadow and decided to stay a few miles away near the McClure Meadow Ranger Station (closed due to Covid-19). I plan to get back there this month with And it was! On the fourth day of my trek, I backpacked north from Evolution Lake, down into the Evolution Valley with its lush meadows and waterfalls, then down even further to the South Fork San Joaquin River, which I followed downstream yet more, until I left the JMT/PCT for the Piute Pass Trail, climbing this time, and eventually camped along Piute Creek. Many thanks to her for this great post and pictures! I recommend an early start because of the exposure in the first 3 miles of Piute Trail. Definitely a moderate hike, but doable in 4 days. We were usually finished hiking each day between 2-5 PM giving us plenty of time to enjoy the area. An incredible hike through the Sierras. Oh well. Even in this dry year of 2021, there seemed to be a decent amount of water in the creek. The trail immediately climbed high above the creek, and stayed there, perched on the canyon wall. There was a traditional wide and shallow ford. 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. amazing. The river and steam crossings were simple because the water level is so low at this point in the season. Our total hiking miles over 5 days was 41.8 miles then we caught the ferry for the extra couple. Those first four and last four miles are always the hottest. We did the alternate Evolution creek crossing this time and it was easy, water just above my knees (Im 411). After my work was done, Id jump in the nearest river, cook, then bear-proof my camp. We had perfect weather, saw some incredible scenery and wildlife, and had an overall fantastic time! I am now a retired academic, so I was able, in all three trips, to exploit my college timing to hike in early September before the start of classes. John Muir Wilderness sign in the Sierra National Forest good-bye Kings Canyon National Park! Good campsites can be found there also. Oh boy. The trail condition is great, although it get pretty rocky around Muir Pass. Hiked 6/12-6/17. At Muir Pass base, if the snow looks significant above, take the first stream crossing at the very bottom of Muir Pass because the stream only gets deeper going up. Slept like a drunken sailor. omg. The tour described below is one example of a 7-day Ionian Basin tour. We slept in our vehicle at the trailhead the night before starting. I was OK with this, as its hard to tell distance when youre hiking fast downhill, as it feels so much different heading the other way. Completed 14-17AUG. Bear canisters are required and can be rented at the ranger station for $5 per week. this trail is definitly one of the top 5 trails in sierras. Goode, Bishop Lake, Jigsaw Pass. Just needed a puffy jacket, could skip the fleece. On the fourth day of my trek, I backpacked north from Evolution Lake, down into the Evolution Valley with its lush meadows and waterfalls, then down even further to the South Fork San Joaquin River, which I followed downstream yet more, until I left the JMT/PCT for the Piute Pass Trail, climbing this time . Roundtrip mileage to the McClure Meadow Ranger Station from the south end of Florence Lake is about 15.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation gain. Mosquitos were bad, but not horrible. . 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. High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. The best hike of my life. Head out on this 30.7-mile out-and-back trail near Lakeshore, California. What a sight! There were a few sections that were mosquito-dense, but otherwise the bugs and critters were tolerable! meadows, granite peaks, off-trail accessibility, water plentiful. Notice that when I downsized my load I didnt ditch the tequila. Muir Pass had miles of near continuous deep snow on both sides of the pass. Hiking Distance: 19 miles classic Sierra beauty from the very start. John Muir Rock rises directly to the east. It had taken me almost twelve hours, although I have to admit that I took several very long breaks. But 6-year-old Gregory "was an absolute trooper," said Steward, as . Saw plenty of deer, and other hikers saw a few bears in the meadows. Maybe if I waited a bit the sun would be at a lower angle as I headed north, so that the trees would have longer shadows for me to rest in. 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. 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 was lucky because I could follow fresh prints here and I'm lighter than most other hikers, but I still postholed A LOT. It was high noon, I realized, and there wasnt any shade at all on the trail with the sun beaming straight down between the trees. North Lake to Hutchinson Meadow is very straightforward. Edit Last Edited by tomripley30 Sights to See North Lake Campground Stock Camp Summit Lake Lodging is available at Vermilion Valley Resort at Lake Edison and also at nearby Mono Hot Springs. 2 trip report day 0-4: getting in & Yosemite National Park warm up. The mosquitoes were intense in certain areas. 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 . Your email address will not be published. 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. Reach a footbridge over Jeffrey pine-lined Piute Creek, and camp on designated pads nearby. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Muir Pass snow is melting fast and maybe only 1.5 miles worth heading northbound and maybe 2 over towards Sapphire Lake. We also brought along dark chocolate and tequila for special-treat nights. The stars up there were surreal. We took four full, plus two half days, to hike the 57-mile route starting at South Lake and ending at North Lake, so 10-12 miles each day was the score. The contradiction lies in the amount of water all around. 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. Tiny bit of snow on bishop pass was completely avoidable. . Actually now that we've gone to North to South, I'd hope to go the opposite direction someday, as the ascent to Muir Pass via LeConte Canyon would be thrilling. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Elevation gain: 2200 feet We saw a snow avalanche once at a distance. 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. All in all, it had been another great day in the High Sierra. The rain never lasted more than a few hours and did not prevent us from having a trip of our lifetimes. Others seemed to have no issues on the regular crossing. 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. 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+ This was an epic backpacking trip and I would do it all over again to see evolution basin, and everything in between. 4 trip report day 8-12: Red's Meadow Resort to Muir Trail Ranch. There were only 2-3 times where I needed to use my AllTrails app to figure out the correct way to continue. The trees were also providing good shade, except for a couple of bare places where avalanches had swept the forest away, leaving only chest-high chaparral. 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 More like a river. When we crossed the river it was only about knee deep and also like to mention NO mosquitoes so we were super lucky. Piute Pass. Membership. The first day we stopped at the Florence lake bridge. The ferry was not running yet. Absolutely beautiful. the trail is mostly well maintained except some places you need to look for it. Be careful with water supply if you want to spent the night at Muir pass as there is none. It was cloudy for much of the way, but it only rained briefly. $3,395: Description Itinerary Resources The John Muir Trail is one of the finest hikes to be found anywhere in the world. 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