[pct-l] giant sequoias

[mardav at charter.net (Marion Davison)]

>>Sly wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>
>LOL..  It would be tough to ignore elevation changes!  Anyone know the total 
>gain from Giant Forest (start) to Mt Whitney?   And how tough it would be to 
>get a permit?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Sly
>_______________________________________________
>  
>
Giant Forest (actually, Crescent Meadow) about 6,500.  Climbs up to 
10,800 at Kaweah Gap, drops to 9,600 at Big Arroyo, climbs to 10,500 on 
Chagoopa plateau, drops to 6800 in Kern Canyon (Funston Meadow), climbs 
to 10,800 at PCT junction in Crabtree Meadow, climbs to  13480 at Trail 
Crest , and to 14500 at Whitney summit.  You do the math.
There is a marvelous, isolated, tourist- free redwood grove you can hike 
through at Redwood Meadow. It includes a hikers campsite  nestled among 
very giant sequoias (1 tenth mile north of the stock campsite and old 
cabin complex).  If you really want to see redwoods, start at Crescent 
Meadow, go south at Bearpaw Meadow, hike thru Redwood Meadow, and cross 
the Great Western Divide at Black Rock Pass, to Little Five Lakes and 
Big Arroyo, where you can continue on the high sierra trail.  You miss 
spectacular Valhalla and Kaweah Gap, but you also miss the crowds.  The 
trail from Lone Pine Creek crossing to Kaweah Gap is carved into the 
side of a vertical face.  The view is tremendous as this country is 
extremely vertical, but the exposure is terrifying at times, and it can 
be very hot in midday. Hamilton Lake is so overused and crowded that it 
has numbered, designated campsites.  Big Arroyo is lovely and far less 
crowded.  Moraine Lake is especially lovely.  Kern Hot Spring is 
awesome.   Beware of troublesome bears at Lone Pine Creek and Pinto 
Lake.  Pinto Lake has a huge bear box and a very assertive bear.
Last year our big trip was Kearsarge Pass-Glen Pass-Paradise 
Valley-Avalanche Pass-Elizabeth Pass-BlackRock Pass-Kern 
Canyon-Forester-Kearsarge so we got to do the route I describe from 
Elizabeth Pass to Bearpaw to Black Rock Pass and back to the Kern 
trench.  We did Valhalla in 2000 on a different giant loop.  We've hiked 
about all the trails in SEKI that can be accessed from the east.  It is 
all spectacular.
The High Sierra trail route is detailed in the Wilderness Press book 
Sierra South.
There are actually Giant Sequoias in Kern Canyon, near the ranger 
station, but they are young, so not very giant. 
Marion