I'm roughing together a new end of the year hike for this season and thought I would run it by the pros here.
Last year was 76 miles scheduled for 48 hours. It went bad due to illness and lasted 60 hours. I left Roads End at midnight, went through Paradise Valley and hit the PCT. Over Pichot and Mather before I took a quick nap. Then downhill until turning south at the middle fork and into Simpson Meadow. That's where I got sick. Crawled most of the way up Granite Pass and bivyed. After a good rest I made my way over and back down to Roads End.
I want another shot at it, but due to some things that went down with my hiking partner, I want to make this my own event. Good pre hike sleep is a problem leaving out of Kings Canyon so I thought about heading out of OV, over Kersarge to the PCT. Glen, Pichot and Mather - 1, 2, 3. Then a repeat of last year - Middle Fork, Simpson, Granite, Roads End but up Bubbs this time and back to the PCT and OV.
Tom H calls it 100.5 miles.
I'm also thinking about going the other way - Out OV and downhill to Roads End 1st, etc, etc.
Or - Skip OV totally and use Baxter and Sawmill as an entry/exit point. I would miss about 8 miles of the loop that way, but pick up a ton of gain.
Probably would take 72 hours.
Looking for possible partners - I know Rod is thinking about it, but the more the merrier..........................DUG
Oh yea! And I'm going to keep up with you? I may hike Baldy, SJ, etc., but I'm worn out at the end of those hikes. Whitney about killed me.
DUG...I love you.....and maybe, just maybe, when I have enough confidence to not embarrass myself.....I'll drag my butt behind you.
I'm gonna so no to this one.....so I guess Rod and I are both 50/50.
So far Steve sounds like he is digging it. I got him down for 60/40.
The thing to remember is it's NOTHING like what Moosie does -
All on well maintained trail. Just like walking on a sidewalk. Plenty of downhill. Barely over 20,000 feet of gain.
You're just walking. For three days, but you're just walking. No skill required - no route finding, no climbing - just taking a walking tour of Kings Canyon. And I don't even walk fast - I just don't sleep much.
There is a few bail out points (well one good one) if you just wanted to do a section with me.......................................DUG
Some decades ago, I was sent out on this route, which I propose to you as a warmup.
I dropped off my car at Angelus Oaks, then my "friend" Jon(1) dropped me off at Jenks Lake trailhead.
Jenks Lake (6,945') Poopout Hill (7,600') Dollar Lake Saddle (9,880') San Gorgonio (11,499') Jepson (11,205') Dobbs (10,459') Little Charlton Peak (10,696') Charlton Peak (10,806') Dollar Lake Saddle (9,880') Shields (10,680') Anderson (10,840') San Bernardino East (10,691') San Bernardino (10,649') Angelus Oaks. (5,780')
Took 12 1/2 hours. Jon told me it was about 31 miles. Drove home barefoot.
Of course, this was before the days of tracing out the route on the CD map. So if anybody cares to trace out the route & confirm the distance & add the vertical gain I'd appreciate it.
So, DUG, you could have Moosie start from one end, you the other & swap car keys, but you really should start from the Oaks, bang off the 9 peaks on the way to Jenks Lake, then, as the Chilton Manual for my car states: "Assembly is the reverse of disassembly". That would be a 60+ mile jaunt in 24 hours plus or minus.
(1) Actually, Jon was a very good friend.
Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
OV 9200 KP 11800 + 1600 BL 10800 - 1000 GP 12000 + 1200 PV 8500 - 3500 PP 12100 + 3600 -- 10100 - 2000 MP 12100 + 2000 SM 6000 - 6100 GP 10700 + 4700 -- 10000 - 700 -- 10300 + 300 RE 5000 - 5300 KP 11800 + 6800 OV 9200 - 1600
Total gain and loss: 20,200 That's about 7,000 gain and loss each day.
Hell, man! I couldn't have done that in my prime (and that was at least 30 years ago)! Even with an ultralight load of ~10-15 lbs.
That would be an ambitious week-long trip for me.
I especially like the drop from GP (Glacier Pass) to RE (Road's End). Over 5k vertical drop in a short distance. And then turn around and climb almost 7k over KP (Kearsarge Pass).
Ya know, we considered a TSDH (Trans-Sierra Day Hike) from Roads End to Onion Valley a few years ago, where we would do the car-key swap mid-hike with another group. But we couldn't find anyone willing to do the RE - KP - OV direction. But I did get people to do the opposite. Did it in 11 hours. But getting a car dropped at Roads End for us to use driving home was a big issue.
...But here's another trip I've been dreaming about: A trans-Sierra hike starting at South Lake. Bishop Pass, Dusy Basin, Le Conte Canyon, Middle Fork Kings River past Simpson Meadow, down to Tehipite Valley. Then for the unknown: off trail the last 6-8 miles to the South Fork Kings, and connect with Hwy 180 where it climbs out of the Kings Canyon. I keep hoping to explore that unknown stretch in the fall when the water is very low, but never get a round tuit. Tell you what DUG, you do that one, and I'll pick you up on the west side!
Who can resist a Laura call out Saying "Come on Boys"? It is difficult to say this, but it is still a "HELL NO" for me which for DUG stll puts me as a maybe.
I can't wait to read the TR on this one. Almost 4 MMWT RTs in 3 days - with a few more miles thrown in just for good measure. When are the target dates DUG?
Dude, I'd edit that real quick 'fore a certain Moose sees it. Me, I'll admit 24/7 that Laura can kick my butt. Never hiked with her, but I just know it. Absolutely no shame there!
DUG, due to unavoidable geographic limitations (and my desire to maintain two functioning legs), you'll have to put me down for 0/100.
Ooooops, I'll bet it's too late already. I'm hiding in my garage, peaking out the window for antlers!
0/100 ....come on....I've been motivating myself every night by watching videos of the Badwater Run to Whitney Portal. That's a mere 138 miles, with an average starting temperature of 106 degrees.