South Fork Kaweah River Canyon to Hockett

[maverick]

Hi Darin,

Welcome to HST! Really enjoyed your kayaking adventures on your website. Hopefully you will find time to post some in our "Other Wicked Sierra Nevada Sports" section.

[DMQ]

Thanks Maverick, hopefully I'll have time too Also if any of you HST guys have missions in the area just give me a shout as we're right in Three Rivers with a nice shower to wash off the poison oak or want to get a good nights sleep.

[iHartMK]

Great trip report! I am so jealous. You Darin, are my hero!
We will be backpacking & exploring up on south fork Kaweah this weekend, but unfortunately won't be doing this. Hopefully someday I will though.
If you ever feel like doing it again, I would be more than happy to accompany you.
Is that metal camp sign new? For some reason I don't remember ever seeing that sign..
Thanks again for the trip report and cool pictures.
William Hart

[DMQ]

Hey Will,

We are just starting our third year here and the signs have been there since we got here. The Cahoon Mdw - S. Kaweah sign looks like the tree used to obscure most of it. I'd guess those were put up some time in the '70s? - Correction, the Trails End Camp sign is certainly from a different era, bolts instead of nails and it has rounded edges.

Have fun up there, I'd imagine you'll see some snow if you go too high up

[limpingcrab]

Thanks for the share, Darin! I must say I sure would like to see some pictures of that steep granite section of the South Fork as I've been considering a low water swim/hike down from Hockett Lakes.

Didn't realize you live in Three Rivers, I'm in Visalia but I may have to stop by sometime to pick your brain about kayaking/fishing a few spots around here

-Daniel

[iHartMK]

I recognize the Cahoon sign, it looks like it's been there for many years, I just don't remember ever seeing the Trails End Camp sign. But then again it's been a few years since I have been that far back. Did you happen to see the homemade camp sign back there? I think it says David's Camp? It's made out of wood.. It's about a mile past the end of the trail.
We had a great time up there, didn't see any snow. But we did run into 3 plainclothes undercover Park rangers looking for a grow site. As always, S.Fork Kaweah never is boring.

Hey Daniel, you and Darin and I should get together someday and do a trip. I also live in Visalia.

[DMQ]

Agreed on getting together for an adventure, it would be fun. The riverbed looked the worst of the Kaweah forks for a swim/hike down, mostly boulders with few deep pools. If you haven't done it, the North Fork would be the best section from ~4.5 miles up back down to the TH.

I didn't see the homemade camp sign, but easily could be because I wasn't on the right part of trail at that point.

[limpingcrab]

Ya, I love the North Fork and have fished it from the junction of Stony and Dorst Creeks all the way to the Yucca Creek trailhead and have kayaked the lower section through private property. Still need to explore the Cherry Falls area more than the few visits looking for caves.

The south fork is the Fork I am the least familiar with so it intrigues me. I've only seen from Cedar Creek down while looking for big trees in the Homers Nose Grove but if you guys say the upper section isn't so great it would be cool to go down Horse Creek from the Hockett Lakes area to the East Fork of the Kaweah. Check that out on Google Earth!

IHartMK, any chance you'll share your name on here or in a private message? If you're from Visalia we may have crossed paths and I have Harts on my fathers side of the family.

Talking about the mountains is great!

-Daniel Jeffcoach

[DMQ]

Yeah from what I saw most of the upper south fork was either slides into shallow pools or just a steep rock pile; for example the bear in my TR was standing in the middle of the riverbed. Have you done much on the Middle Kaweah at summer flows? I was thinking about going from Panther Creek down but you'd probably need a rope here and there, unless the pools are deep enough to jump, which is tough to say after only seeing it at higher flows.

Horse Creek does look good, some acquaintances did it earlier this summer and spoke quite highly of it, I do think it needs a rope once or twice if staying in the riverbed.

[iHartMK]

IHartMK, any chance you'll share your name on here or in a private message? If you're from Visalia we may have crossed paths and I have Harts on my fathers side of the family.

Talking about the mountains is great!

-Daniel Jeffcoach

Yeah for sure, my name is William Hart. I live in Visalia between COS and downtown. You can find me on Facebook. Or on Instagram @ Hart_Life Look forward to talking with you