d_silva1 wrote:AlmostThere wrote:Check out the options for High Sierra Packers.
http://www.highsierrapackstations.com/trip_options.html
You could have them just take you and all your gear in to Evolution and drop you. Would take less than a day for them to get you there, and then you'd have plenty of time to wander around.
Actually, according to their web site, it is up to an 8 hour trip. I'm assuming that means one way. this you have to pay for packer plus two horse for two days. Tht is expensive. I'm hoping we can just add ten puonds of food to an existing trip.
"Evolution Valley, in Kings Canyon National Park, features good stream fishing, and gorgeous scenery including lush meadows, waterfalls, and panoramic views. This is a 7 to 8 hour ride."
Yes, they would spend the night, but 7-8 hours is still leaving part of the day for the customer to set up camp. That's about what I hike in a day, starting at around 8 am, and when we roll into camp at 3-4, we fish and play in the water and set up, have dinner, etc.
In any case, the cost being the sticking point, you might be able to network up some backpackers to help you carry it. Not everyone is an ultralighter and there are a lot of people who love that part of the JMT - me included. (But my long trips are all planned out for the year, so not this year, for me.)
I would call the packer anyway, since they know their schedule and their client list, and inquire about whether anyone else is packing up to where you want to be - or anywhere along the JMT in that section - and see if they ever get clients together to share the cost. And I would post on backpacking forums looking for information about anyone who might be willing to pack your stuff in for you, ask interested parties to send a private message to you -- possibly there may be someone willing to do it if you reimburse them for gas to get to the trailhead. It's an opportunity for a backpacker to get a "free" trip to a gorgeous area.