Sequoia NPS info please

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Bito
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Sequoia NPS info please

Post by Bito »

Hello all!

I am a new member and have already found plenty of VERY useful info here, thanks! I have a trip planned with my two teenage daughters(14 & 16). I have been backpacking with them for several years(Zion, Escalante, Yosemite(x2) and have a trip planned in sequoia(Mineral king th, bear paw meadow, little 5 lakes, columbine lake) july 12-18. By your best guestimation... what will the conditions be like? Water crossing, temp, etc? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

Bito
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maverick
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Re: Sequoia NPS info please

Post by maverick »

Hi Bito,

Welcome to HST! No TR's from the area yet, but have you read the SEKI NP trail conditions reports:
Mineral King and Kern Canyon

Paradise Ridge Trail
6/19 - Snow Free to ridge from trailhead. Some patched along ridge to Paradise Peak. Route finding necessary on back side, heading towards Redwood Meadow. Trail still covered in snow aand debris from tree fall in trail.

Timber Gap
6/24 - Water on trail midway up from traihead, snowbridge is melted along trail. Patchy snow on the top 1/4 mile both sides of pass. Hard to find at times. Trail passes on east side of saddle. A few down trees near saddle and avalanche shoot on north side of pass. Trekking poles reccomended for extra stability.

Tar Gap
6/26 - Horse Creek knee deep both times (1 and 3 pm) on 6ft tall man. Lots of trees down. Wet between ranger station and Evelyn lake. Decent sized snow drifts, trekking poles recomended.

Sawtooth
6/19 - Sawtooth and Glacier Passes are impassable. 20-30ft sheer drop from cornice - ridgeline. Crampons and ice axe nessasery.

Franklin Lakes and Franklin Pass
6/21 - Will encounter a hazerdous water fall by Crystal Creek, not suggested to cross, had to turn back. Only encountered some patches of snow by Crystal Creek from the station.

White Chief, Eagle Lake, and Mosquito Lakes

6/21 - From the ranger station, you can hike 1/4 mile before encountering hazerdous creek crossing at Spring Creek. Had to turn around due to swift water in creek.

6/23 - To get to Mosquito Lakes you can follow Mosquito creek drainage, starting from Tar Gap trail. Trail initially easy to follow, then extreamly brushy with snow patches to the Mosquito Lake trail. Lots of snow from lake #1 up. Lake #1 melted, lakes 2 &3 Partially frozen. Some legal camping areas are snow free at lake #2. Possible to make lake without snow equipment. Trekking poles reccomended. Strongly reccomend snow equipment (traction and self arrest) past lake #2.

6/23 - Eagle Lake- Tufa falls Creek is too high to cross, climbed above to get around instead of crossing. Patchy snow at Eagle/ Mosquito junction. The talus field bowl before eagle is really unstable. Not reccomended even for experienced staff/visitors. Once at Eagle lake, solid snow. Pass on the Plateau relatively solid Ansel Lake still frozen. some bare patches. Ansel/ Blossom ridge has lots of snow.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Bito
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Re: Sequoia NPS info please

Post by Bito »

No... I did not see that. Very helpful! I will keep my eye that! Thx Maverick!
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emcd661
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Re: Sequoia NPS info please

Post by emcd661 »

I will let you know ASAP when I get back. I am heading into the same area (MK>Forester>Little 5>MK) tomorrow and plan to be back on the 11th. I will update.
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emcd661
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Re: Sequoia NPS info please

Post by emcd661 »

Sawtooth (columbine lake) pass is impassable without ice gear according to the rangers at MK. Blackrock pass (little 5 lakes) was unknown. Franklin pass is doable but good luck. We chose not to do it just because of how difficult it looked with the snow fields covering a significant amount of the trail. Water crossings were not all they were made up to be. Really not too bad or intimidating for the average hiker.

Hope I caught you in time. Good luck.
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sherpa9
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Re: Sequoia NPS info please

Post by sherpa9 »

Just visited West areas of Sequoia 7/4-7/9. Found snow patches at 9000ft and snow fields on North-facing slopes starting at 9500ft. Temperatures were warm, however, even at night, so melt is on. Agree with emcd that the crossings we encountered were fine (this is going to vary a ton based on how steep and how far downstream you cross). No information on the specific passes you mention, so take this "weather report" fwiw. Hope you post a report upon return. We plan to return to SEKI to hike near your route @ end of July.
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