Journey through Evolution: North Lake to South Lake, Sequoia National Park, California

The Trip

This nine-day hiking trip into the very heart of the Sierra will allow you time to enjoy the stunning beauty of this section of the "Range of Light." Our trip will take us from the abrupt escarpment of the east side of the Sierra down to the floor of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River, then up and into the centerpiece of our trip, Evolution Basin. This part of the Sierra is renowned for rugged peaks, endless granite, dramatic vistas, and refreshing lakes. The itinerary is planned to allow for a layover day in the Evolution region, where we'll hike beneath the amazing granite peaks named for Darwin, Huxley, and other great evolutionary thinkers. Fittingly, the basin provokes thoughts of the natural forces that brought about the landscape and life within it. Our route forms an almost complete loop as we travel from North Lake to South Lake with many of our campsites located at or above tree line. Our 54-mile route is mostly on trail. In addition to one planned layover day, a short hiking day will offer freedom to join a beautiful hike, wander off to nearby lakes, or just stretch out on a warm slab of granite for an afternoon nap. Expect congenial leaders who love to share their fondness for these special places.

The lands that we will travel through have been inhabited for over ten thousand years by the Paiute (Nuumu), Shoshone (Newe), and Timbisha peoples. These lands are called Payahuunadu or Panawe by the Nuumu and Newe peoples, respectively. This land acknowledgment is a recognition of the original inhabitants of the Eastern Sierra and is intended as a show of respect for Native peoples.

Our hiking schedule is not rigid. How far we get each day and where we camp depends on the weather, how we feel, and other factors outside of our control. Flexibility is important. The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan; the actual route and schedule may well depart from this plan. 

Day 1: We will meet at 4:00 p.m. on Friday at a group campsite near South Lake. We will have this site reserved so that we can meet and begin to acclimatize to the altitude. The first thing we will do is shuttle cars to our exit trailhead at South Lake. Following the car shuttle we will do introductions, check/weigh packs, divide up the group commissary, and take care of any last-minute details. Dinner will be provided this evening.

Day 2: After our first provided breakfast, we begin our hike at Piute trailhead (9,400 feet). We'll ascend, first through aspens then lodgepole pines, to enter an open glaciated canyon. We’ll pass several lakes, eventually crossing Piute Pass, with great views into Humphreys Basin. Then we'll traverse over to beautiful Muriel Lake, where we’ll make our first camp. Mileage: 6 miles. Elevation changes: +2,450 feet, -400 feet. Campsite elevation: 11,400 feet.

Day 3: We’ll descend from the stark granite landscape down Piute Canyon along Piute Creek. We'll make camp along Piute Creek near Hutchinson Meadow. Mileage: 6 miles. Elevation changes: +170 feet, -2,000 feet. Campsite elevation: 9,500 feet.

Day 4: We'll get an early start today as we hike down to the South Fork of the San Joaquin River and enter Kings Canyon National Park. After lunch we'll travel up-canyon on the John Muir Trail, and camp along the quiet river. Mileage: 8.4 miles. Elevation changes: +1,300 feet, -2,300 feet. Campsite elevation: 8,700 feet.

Day 5: We will ascend a series of switchbacks and begin our journey through Evolution Valley and one of John Muir's favorite places. Walking along Evolution Creek, we'll pass through McClure and Colby meadows. Finally, we'll arrive at Evolution Lake, where we will camp for the next two days. Mileage: 8 miles. Elevation change: +2,900 feet, -400 feet. Campsite elevation: 10,800 feet.

Day 6: This will be a layover day to explore the area or relax. Possible exploring opportunities include Darwin Bench or McGee Lakes Pass to McGee Lakes.

Day 7: With just a few miles to hike, there will be plenty of time to explore, take photos, write, swim, or just be inspired, as we make the short move to Sapphire Lake. Mileage: 2 miles. Elevation change: +400 feet, -200 feet. Campsite elevation: 11,100 feet.

Day 8: Today will be a long hiking day. After hiking along the shores of rock-bound Wanda Lake -- named for one of Muir's daughters -- we climb gradually to the stunning 11,955-foot crest of Muir Pass. Here we'll see the marvelous stone hut, built by Sierra Club members in John Muir's honor. We make a significant descent into glacier-carved Le Conte Canyon to a junction with the Bishop Pass Trail. Mileage: 11 miles. Elevation changes: +1,500 feet, -3,700 feet. Campsite elevation: 8,800 feet.

Day 9: Today we climb up into Dusy Basin, where we will make camp. Mileage: 7 miles. Elevation changes: +2,700 feet, -200 feet. Campsite elevation: 11,360 feet.

Day 10: Our trip concludes with a hike over Bishop Pass (11,970 feet) to the South Lake trailhead, hiking past a series of sparkling lakes. We should arrive at South Lake, our destination, by early afternoon. Mileage: 7 miles. Elevation change +1,200 feet, -2,800 feet.

Getting There

Our trip begins on Friday at a campground near Bishop, California on the eastern side of the High Sierra. We start at the North Lake Trailhead and finish our trip at the South Lake trailhead, both of which are in the Bishop Creek area. It is the responsibility of each trip member to get to and from the trailhead.

The closest commercial airport is in Reno, about 200 miles and a little more than a four-hour drive away. Los Angeles is 275 miles from Bishop and should take six to seven hours, depending on traffic. Plan on an eight-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. It is less than 300 miles away, but several bottlenecks along the way can make the going slow. 

There is public transportation to our meeting place that is offered by the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority from the city of Bishop. 

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, as we cannot guarantee completing the trip at a specific time.

Accommodations and Food

All on-trip meals, beginning with dinner on our meeting day (Friday) and including lunch on our last day (the second Sunday), are included in the trip fee. The leader enjoys planning meals that are flavorful, diverse and, at times, atypical of usual backpacking fare. Meals will be vegetarian-friendly and whenever meat is served a vegetarian option will be available. It is very important that you specify any dietary restrictions or preferences on your application. We will eat well and make every effort to ensure that folks are well-fed and eat nutritious meals to help with the rigors of backpacking. All cooking gear and stoves are provided. Trip members will be divided into cook crews to assist with preparing our meals and washing the pots and pans afterward.

In this area, water should be treated. Participants will need to carry some method of water treatment. Micropur tablets will be provided by the leader for those interested. Options for water treatment can be discussed with the leader.

Trip Difficulty

The overall trip is rated moderately strenuous (4 on a scale up to 5). High-altitude backpacking is physically demanding, and this route and itinerary will require participants to be in excellent physical condition. A disciplined training and conditioning program will be necessary to achieve the very good level of fitness required for this hike. Your leaders will discuss a fitness regimen with you upon sign up. 

We plan to hike between 6 and 12 miles on each hiking day. Altogether, we will hike a route total of about 54 miles, mostly on trail. 

Our first hiking day will likely be the most physically demanding, when we will gain 2,500 feet in altitude and carry the heaviest backpacks of the trip. 

We will be above 10,000 feet for the majority of our hike, which also contributes to the difficulty of the trip. Most of our planned camp locations are above 10,000 feet and we will cross several passes that are close to 12,000 feet. Because of the altitude, the leader requests that you spend two nights at altitude prior to the first hiking day to help you acclimatize. One of those nights will be at our campground outside of Bishop.

Possible snow pack on the high passes and high water levels for stream crossings can add significantly to the physical demands of the trip. We normally do not expect these at the time of our trip in August, but such conditions are possible, depending on the winter snowpack. 

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club will provide the group equipment, including bearproof food canisters, pots, cooking utensils, stoves, fuel, first-aid kit, Ziploc-type bags for packing out toilet paper, and iodine drops or chlorine tablets for purifying water. Although we try hard to keep the commissary weight down, each participant's share of the group equipment and food will be about 15 pounds at the start of the trip. 

As soon as you are approved for this trip, the leaders will send you a detailed list of personal equipment to bring. You will want to bring all the items on the list and very little more. It's critical to limit your personal gear to 20 pounds (with pack) to maximize your enjoyment of the trip. This will bring your total pack weight to approximately 35 pounds.

References

Please plan on bringing your own digital or paper maps, not only is this a matter of safety, but you will have a better appreciation of where we are going and where we have been. 

Maps: 

Maps covering our route include: 

• The "Bishop Pass Trail Map," published by Tom Harrison Maps (http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com) covers the complete route. 
• Alternatively, the combined "Mono Divide High Country" and "Kings Canyon High Country" maps published by Tom Harrison Maps also cover the complete route. 
• The two-sheet map set of the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia/Kings Canyon Wilderness published by the U.S. Forest Service. 
• Seven USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles: "Mt. Thompson," "North Palisade," "Mt. Goddard,""Mt. Darwin," "Mt. Henry," "Mt. Hilgard," and "Mt. Tom."

Books: 

• An excellent general reference to trails, cross-country routes, and climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada is The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails, written by R.J. Secor and published by The Mountaineers.

Conservation

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, encouraging grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding, advocacy, and participation in the goals of the Club. 

On March 4, 1940, Kings Canyon National Park was established. Before Kings Canyon, there was General Grant National Park. A week after Sequoia National Park was created in 1890, General Grant National Park was established to protect the sequoias in the General Grant Grove. In 1940, Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a new national park called Kings Canyon that incorporated the area of General Grant National Park with the spectacular canyons and high Sierra country to the east. 

Visitors like us have an impact on the wilderness we will be hiking through. Our trip will provide a good opportunity to consider why it’s important we minimize this impact and how we can do so by carefully observing the seven Leave No Trace principles. We may also discuss how wilderness practices have changed over the years and how they can be further improved while at the same time allowing wilderness experiences such as ours. Further, we will invite discussion of current efforts to protect wilderness and de facto wilderness lands.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under permits from the Inyo National Forest and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.