20s and 30s Tablelands Tramp: High Lakes and Carved Granite in Sequoia National Park, California

This trip has been heavily subsidized by the Young Adventurers Fund for younger travelers on a budget. Sign up right here or by calling us at 415-977-5522. No scholarship necessary! For a full list of 20s/30s and 30s/40s trips and other opportunities for young travelers, visit our trips for young participants page.

The Trip

What’s a “tramp”? In our case, it’s an escape from the hot crowds below and an off-trail exploration of the Tableland, a high plateau above timberline in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The area is known for distinctive granite rock formations and hidden alpine lakes. It’s an area beautifully scarred by history, and we’ll get a chance to discuss that history.

We’ve designed this trip for early-career adults with limited vacation time and attention spans born of the internet age. We will spend 4.5 days backpacking, and the initial campsite will be available an extra night for those who come early to explore local sites (i.e., the Giant Forest, General Sherman, Kings Canyon Scenic Byway). Going off-trail will slow our progress and make mile and elevation gains more challenging (difficulty rating = 4 out of 5). You will need to be in good physical condition, particularly since most of our hiking will be between 9,000 and 11,000 feet. The reward of off-trail travel will be a more exploratory feel to the trip overall.

The Sierra Nevada is a young range, but still has about 40 million years on modern humans, who first populated this area 10,000-20,000 years ago. We acknowledge the tribes that long called Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks home, including the Mono (Monache), Yokota, Tübatulabal, Paiute, and Western Shoshone.

Consider the itinerary described below as a general plan with the actual route and schedule subject to change based on weather, group ability, and other factors. Flexibility is important. This is a point-to-point trip, so when we meet, some of us will stage cars at the trail exit point.

Note: Although the trip officially starts on Wednesday, the campsite will be available Tuesday evening for those who’d like to come early to see the nearby sites. Lodgepole Campground has a village area, showers, and a free shuttle to local attractions.

Day 1: We will meet at 5 p.m. for introductions, gear review, trail rules, and distribution of group gear. Dinner will be provided.

Day 2: After staging a couple cars at our exit point, we’ll head up Silliman Creek South Trail (also known as the Twin Lakes Trail), a forested route with fern groves, wildflowers, and the smell of pine. This will be a challenging day as we make our way to camp at Twin Lakes (7 miles, 3,000-foot gain).

Day 3: We’ll leave Twin Lakes to continue on Silliman Creek South Trail over Silliman Pass (10,174 feet) and down to Beville Lake. From here, we leave trail as our tramp takes us into the Tableland. We’ll follow the gentle cascade of Horse Creek to its source and our camp at Crescent Lake. Those with extra energy can tackle nearby Silliman Peak with its expansive views (4 miles, 1,400-foot gain; 6 miles, 2,600-foot gain with Mt Silliman).

Day 4: From Crescent Lake, the imposing expanse of granite -- cradling bright blue lakes and lively streams -- will help take our minds off the fact that the Tableland isn’t so flat. We’ll make our way over to an unnamed lake, where we’ll likely spend the next 2 nights (3.5 miles, 1,600-foot gain).

Day 5: Layover day -- a chance to explore the many lakes, streams, and rock formations of the Tableland. Alta Peak, with its sweeping panorama of the Great Western Divide, may beckon some. We may also choose to shorten our last day by moving our camp west a few miles.

Day 6: Our last day will take us past Pear, Emerald, Aster, and Heather lakes as we make our way back onto trails. Along the way, we’ll stop at the Watchtower for its prime views of Tokopah Falls, the largest falls in Sequoia National Park (it’s more of a cascade than fall, but no less beautiful for it). (9 miles, 800-foot gain, 4,000-foot loss)

Getting There

We will meet at a predetermined campsite in or near Lodgepole Campground at 4:00 p.m. Plan on a five-hour drive from San Francisco, a four-hour drive from Sacramento, and a five-hour drive from Los Angeles. The leader will communicate regularly with detailed instructions.

Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member. We also recommend that you do not plan to fly on the last day of the trip since we cannot guarantee completing the trip at a specific time.

Accommodations and Food

The first trip meal is dinner on our first day. The last meal will be lunch on the final day. The Sierra Club will provide all meals and snacks (with vegetarian/vegan-friendly options), and we’ll rotate cooking and clean-up duties. We will carry food in Sierra Club-provided bear-proof canisters. Feel free to bring additional snacks, particularly if you have a large appetite.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated a 4 out of 5 (Difficult). You must have the ability to carry your own gear, plus 10-15 pounds of group gear. While prior backpacking experience is not a prerequisite, proper equipment, a positive attitude, and adequate conditioning are essential for your personal enjoyment and the success of the group effort. We may have to cross snowfields that linger far into the summer, and there will be stream crossings. We will backpack about 30 miles with additional (optional) exploratory hikes. Daily mileages will range from 5-9 miles, but much of this will be off-trail, which slows and demands more of travelers. Most days we will be hiking 5-6 hours, including breaks. Our backcountry campsites will range from 9,000-11,000 feet in elevation.

Hiking, running, and cycling are good training activities. Adding a fully loaded backpack to your training hikes will help to build muscles specific to backpacking. An overnight backpack trip prior to our trip would be part of good preparation and give you a chance to test out your gear. Leader approval is required. Please complete and return the approval and other forms within 30 days of signing up for the trip. The leader will arrange a telephone call to discuss the trip with each participant prior to approval. 

The High Sierra is well known for its excellent summer weather; however, extended storms can occur at any time of the year. Afternoon thunderstorms, with sudden cloudbursts of wind, rain, hail, and even snow can happen. Be prepared for extremes: temperatures during the day can exceed 80 degrees and fall into the low 30s at night.

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club provides food and group equipment, including stoves, pots, bear-proof canisters, cooking utensils, and fuel. Keep your personal gear at or below 20 pounds so that, with the addition of ~15 pounds of group equipment and food, your total pack weight is 35 pounds or less at the start of the trip. You are responsible for providing and carrying your own camping gear, clothing, and toiletries.

Your pack must have room for group equipment as well as your personal gear, requiring a backpack capacity of 60L or more. Each participant's group load is one food canister (9” x 13”), plus additional non-food items such as a stove, fuel bottle, tarp, rope, pot set, or group water filter. This is about the size of a full paper grocery sack. Pack weight is checked upon arrival at the group campsite to ensure your gear is 20 pounds or less.

Participants can rent equipment such as sleeping bags, packs, and tents. The leader is happy to provide advice on suitable gear. We give each participant a Sierra Club whistle to be worn except while in your sleeping bag. The leader will send a list of required and optional equipment after you sign up for the trip.

To extend the battery life for picture taking, charge your phone before departure and keep it in airplane mode. Other activities such as listening to music or reading will exhaust your battery unless you bring a backup charging source. We will be out of cell phone range for most of the trip; the leader carries a satellite communication device for emergencies.

References

Maps:

• Tom Harrison "Mt. Whitney High Country" and USGS topographic quadrangles for Lodgepole and Mt. Silliman (7.5-minute). Note: You won’t need a map, but may enjoy using one to practice navigating.

Books:

• Morey, Kathy et al, Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada. Wilderness Press. A classic guide to hiking the Sierra from the Desolation Wilderness south to Yosemite National Park.
• Secord, R.J., The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails (published by The Mountaineers). An excellent general reference to trails, cross-country routes, and climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.
• Laws, John M., The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. An excellent field guide to plants and animals.

Conservation

The Sierra Club's motto is "Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet." We are privileged to have pristine wilderness to explore. Your leaders enjoy sharing these areas and hope that you will come to appreciate them as much as we do. This trip will allow you to see the direct impacts of climate change from trees ravaged by the bark beetle to drying, fire-prone forests to shrinking streams and snowpack. The consequences of climate change challenge wilderness practices and have forced them to be adapted to evolving conditions. We will discuss how wilderness practices have changed over the years and how our actions and behaviors will influence them going forward.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.