Backpacking in the Sierras

There is a group of us in Cambria that go backpacking together every summer for the last eight years. We have done sections of the John Muir Trail,  the Jefferson Wilderness in Oregon and two trails in the Colorado Rockies. This year we planned to stay local starting  in Sequoia National Park. Jim and Vikki from Colorado couldn't join us this year and we held our breath that the park and trails would be open for us as the Covid Virus continued to spread. We got lucky and they were allowing people who already had permits to go. Thanks, Janet, who always is so efficient at getting the permits and travel planning. So Janet, Mary, Randy and I headed out from Lodgepole campground for six days of backpacking the Twin Lakes Loop.

 It feels great to be in a cozy tent among the big trees

Our forst night was at Clover Creek

Lots of Wildflowers along the creek

We only hiked almost 5 miles but it was mostly straight up and a couple of 

thousand feet in elevation gain. First day..Lodgepole to Clover Creek

Next day, over the Sillerman Pass 

and on to Ranger Lake

                       Passed Twin Lakes, a good place for a break

A few creek crossings and meadows of flowers

 Always checking our location with the GPS

Beautiful Twin Lakes...and beautiful Mary and Randy

           Another 2,000 foot climb

Wonderful views at the top of Silliman Pass

with the whole mountain range spread out below us

including Mt. Whitney. The mountains create their

own weather so clouds gather almost every day

On top of the world at over 10,000 feet

   Ranger lake below us

Across a granite slab formed by Glaciers long ago

A big climb over Silliman pass to Ranger Lake              

We hit the 10 mile mark on the second day.

     

                             Only 2 other campers were at the lake...and they were far away.

Janet said "Its so quiet its creepy"

Janet tries to master the beer making

While a storm brews across the valley

                                                      Mt.  Whitney....I think..in the distance

I enjoyed waiting for the Alpen Glow

Into my tent for a cozy, quiet night at Ranger Lake

The next morning...off to Seville Lake...an easy 4 miles...but nothing is easy in the Sierras

We fund a really secluded camping spot and had time for a hike around the lake.

Not many hikers this year so the trail around the lake was a challenge

The usual clouds gathered but this time it rained

We packed up the next morning to head for Rowell meadows

Randy pumps water

Arriving at the meadows around lunch time we found it "buggy"so we decided to go on to

Jennie Lake. It made for a 9 1/2 mile day but we could spend 2 nights there.

Rowell meadows was full of flowers...and biting bugs

This little stream was the only water source in the meadow..another reason to move on.

Its was a long climb up..and a long day.

We felt like giving up but Mary led us on.

When we come out of Jennie Lake we will have only 6.9 miles to go back to Lodgepole

But the Lake is way down there...but we get to stay 2 nights before climbing back up and heading out

Jennie lake... we found a few more people there than our other sites.

But a nice site anyway

It was nice to have a day to explore the lake

Randy was enamored by the blue dragonflies.

We go off to explore the other side of the lake........We made it

The next morning..our 6th day on the trail, we pack up and climb up the mountain out of Jennie Lake.over the JO pass and head back towards LodgepoleSaying goodbye to Jennie Lake

My favorite...pussy pawsMy

Almost the end of a wonderful trip..but we decided to stop and see the General Sherman Tree.

Donning our masks we were back in the tourists

And stopped for a well deserved lunch at the Gateway restaurant overlooking the Wailea River