TR: Woodchuck country-Goddard Creek-Tehipite Valley Loop

[jacob]

Got back a couple weeks ago from an 11 day loop (7/22-8/1) from woodchuck country to goddard creek and then into tehipite valley. I’m not sure exactly how many miles it was but i think somewhere around 75 with maybe a third of it off trail.

I started at the crown valley trailhead a couple hours northeast of fresno and headed into woodchuck country. Stopped at halfmoon lake for the second night and Portal lake for the third. Day four i started off trail and made it across mantle pass into blue canyon. Next day headed over blue canyon pass to goddard creek. For the next two days I descended goddard creek, took me about 10 hours hiking time of class 2 scrambling and some very nasty bushwhacking. Day 7 after making it out of goddard creek I got back on trail and camped at a beautiful spot in Simpson meadow. Day 8 and 9 were spent in Tehipite valley. My campsite was right in front of the huge dome and it was breathtaking. Great fishing in the kings river and it wasn't as hot as i expected with almost no mosquitoes. Leaving tehipite valley I had to do a hard 4000 feet uphill and camped near crown valley station for my last night before hiking out to the trailhead on day 11.

I saw a lot of bear scat in tehipite valley but didn't see a single bear. I was a bit surprised as from trip reports i’d read it was supposed to be full of bears and rattlesnakes (only saw a couple of those). I did see a mother bear and cub and another cinnamon colored black bear in woodchuck country but they were running full speed away. Did see quite a few deer and some smaller wildlife as well as great fishing almost everywhere.

Overall it was a great trip with a ton of beautiful views. I do regret that i didn't make it to tunemah lake but it would have been a couple extra passes and at least one hard day and decided to skip it this time.
Any questions about the trip or route just ask and i’ll do my best to answer.

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[justm]

Beautiful photos !! Thanks for the trip report. Did you use a bear canister ? Was it hard to fit all your food in there for 11 days? Could you post a map of your route. Thanks

[maverick]

Very nice trip thru some beautiful country. Hope those 2 photo's where only
just teasers Jacob.

[jacob]

I didn't use a bear canister, just hung my food. The bears are pretty wild in the area and I wasn't really worried at all. I started with around 25 pounds of food and still had probably 5 left when i finished. This was my first trip with an awesome new pack, a 3lb Kifaru KU5200 and my starting weight of close to 60lbs was no problem. I'll try and highlight my route on the map i have and post it when i get a chance.

[jacob]

Here's a few more pics then Didn't bring a camera just used my iphone with a lifeproof case and they turned out good but not the best quality

[lostcoyote]

thanks for the trip report - brings back some wonderful memories.

i did sort of a reverse - came ot of tehipite and then on to halfmoon to portal to mantle to tunemah and back into goddard creek a few years ago.

great isolated country.

[giantbrookie]

Great report of a really special route. I must do something like this one day. I had planned to do a trip that included Tunemah and Tehipite "Tunepite" in 2008 but a fire in Tehipite caused an audible when picking up the wilderness permit to "Tunechuck" (no complaints about that trip, for it was certainly one of my best).

[maverick]

Thanks for the extra photo's Jacob. Simpson looks a lot drier than it usually
does this time of the year.
How was the water flow at Silver Spray and Blue Canyon Falls?

[Cross Country]

I envy you. I love that whole area (I never went to Tehipite) and the fishing is excellent.

[Stewart G]

Nice route! I've been over bits and pieces of it during the last fifteen years, still hoping to make it to Tunemah one day, and nail down the last stretch of Goddard Creek, too.

[windknot]

Thanks for the report! I need to do this loop some day.