Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Sequoia

I found this picture online of Sequoia National Park. I am interested in this place. Can anyone identify the lake and the trail I see going to the right from the lake up the mountain. Any other favorite trails nearby?

Oh yes! That is the HST -- High Sierra Trail -- climbing above the upper Hamilton Lake, on the way to Precipice Lake.

When I did the HST several years ago, I was so intent on climbing to Precipice that I failed to stop and take pictures to the west. The massive granite block in the center is called Valhalla.

The trail ducks out of sight in that canyon on the right, and there is a tunnel in the ravine. The ravine fills with ice each winter, and can be a major obstacle to hikers doing the HST in June.

Yes! That would be Upper Hamilton Lake, Valhalla, on the High Sierra Trail, From somewhere just below Precipice Lake. Trail to the right (north) is HST, rock in the center, Angel Wings, middle distance.

Is this pic near a trailhead. Can I do a 3 night trip out and back (or loop) to Precipice lake?

The far (west) end of the lake is variously listed as 15 -18 miles from the Crescent Meadow trail head. Did it with my family in 2011 over a leisurely 5 days, could well be done in 3.

Precipice lake is about where this pic was taken from, well above the Hamilton camp. I think Steve did the hike to Hamilton in one day, Precipice itself may be 20 miles out, so yes its possible but a good push in 3 days

They are all right! I just did this a few weeks back. If you leave from Crescent Meadow in Sequoia, it's 19.8 miles to Precipice (about 6000+ aggregate gain). The first 11 miles are hot and sunny. The next 8 are immensely beautiful.

Permits can be tough to get, but if you start from the Wolverton Trailhead, you will add a mile and a couple hundred feet of climb, but will have an easier time getting permits.

If you have your dates in mind, SEKI does a fax-in-your-permit-a-thon on March 1st. Just fax in your permit then, and you're pretty likely to get a permit for your first-choice date.

I'd recommend the following itinerary:

Day 1: Wolverton to Bearpaw Meadow Cmpgd (12 miles)
Day 2: Dayhike to Precipice (maybe Kaweah Gap beyond) (16 mi)
Day 3: Out (12 mi)

A 3 day would be pretty burly. I went over the Gap in a day with a load on my back (22 mi and nearly 7k gain), I took two days to precipice and three over the Gap and I actually enjoyed that trip. You could do a four-day much easier.

DOn't think its anything like 7k elevation gain. Crescent meadow is about 6800 and Kaweah Gap is 10700.

It's not just the beginning vs end elevation, it's all the up and down in between where you get the total elevation gain... And there's a whole lot of up and down between the two points...

Those numbers are close. I've done it twice. There are numerous ups and downs between Crescent and Bearpaw. You lose 1.5k alone, to be regained, dropping from Bearpaw to Lone Pine Creek.

I just revisited my mileage table (made by going over a topo with string and a ruler), it is 6.4k gain, 2.5k loss, and 20.67 miles from CM to the Gap.

Joshua, I think you're reading your map contours as 400' between main contours. In the HST area, they are actually 200' contours. Also, the trail between Bear Paw and Lone Pine Creek appears to be mis-aligned compared to the satellite view, so what appears to be major drops are not so much--it stays fairly level along the bench above that sheer granite cliff. I think the trail drops from ~7700' at BP down to 7400 at LP Cr. Here's the map I used.

I learned my lesson regarding map contours hiking part of the PCT south of Tahoe. Right in the middle of our route, the maps I had changed from 200' to 400' contours. I was assuming they were all 200', so the section with 400' made the day a real workout.

Doh! Steve you are right about BPM-LPCB. My off-the-cuff numbers for the drop to Lone Pine Creek were wrong.

My mileage table is much closer. I got the contour int. right there. The aggregate numbers should be good.

I remember 2-3 minor bumps on the trail there. I was paying attention too, we took lots of photos. I love that section of trail. I believe i roughly summed up the "gain" on the BPM-LPCB segment as 100ft aggregate. Consulting the map and my memory, that rings true.

Original premise still stands. CM-KG is approx 20.7mi and 6.4k gain.

OK: the term "elevation gain" has always been confusing to me. I instictively think of it as net, and have to reminf myself that it is commonly used to mean "total uphill".

That said, ,I still have my doubts. All my sources say a lot less from Bearpaw to Lone Pine CR and seems like a lot less overall than. 2.5 total. I guess it depends on the granularity of measuring. Elevation Profile If you add the downhills that register at this level from the net gain of 4000, I get maybe 5500 total

That's a fair critique. I consider aggregate gain. The total of all uphills to a point. Uphill taxes a body in a particular way, I just like to anticipate how taxing and where. Hence the granularity.

The first time I did CM-KG in a day I looked at the base numbers thinking 3900+ feet gain (10700' at the Gap less 6800' at Crescent). I was shocked at the sun exposed 10-11 miles to bearpaw and how the numerous up/downs taxed me before I even got to the big climb past Hamilton and Precipice. AT the gap I was drained beyond the mileage i had done... that's because my body had experienced 6.4k of gain, 60% more than I was expecting.