TR: Tablelands, Triple Divide Peak, Kaweah Basin (8/15/2021 ~ 8/23/2021)

[TheFool]

This is a report from a trip in August 2021. The report is dedicated to Bill Finch who inspired the route as well as the Triple Divide Peak climb. I hope the route to and from Lake 11,650' and the Colby Trail is recognized as the Finch Route.

Here's a link to the full 76 page trip report PDF:

• (Original v5, 10/8/2022) https://drive.proton.me/urls/7XQ6QCEZM8#8GxjSXSxzh7M

• (v6, 10/10/2022) https://drive.proton.me/urls/B2JJGDHPAG#RGj6QqkU2TBF

• (Latest v7, 10/16/2022) https://drive.proton.me/urls/TG5RDDMSFM#s8L4MtBA7Na7

Area: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (NP)
Trailhead: Sequoia NP Wolverton/Lakes Trail
Dates: August 15, 2021 ~ August 23, 2021 (9 days)
Distance: 77 miles (On-trail: 43 miles, Off-trail: 34 miles)
Elevation:
Start/End/Low: 7,280’ (Wolverton)
High: 12,634’ (Triple Divide Peak)
Ascent and Descent: ~20, 000’
USGS 7.5-Minute Series Maps: Lodgepole, Triple Divide Peak, Mount Kaweah

Itinerary Overview
D1 8/15/2021 Wolverton/Lakes Trail -> Pear Lake
D2 8/16/2021 Pear Lake -> Tablelands-> Pterodactyl Pass-> Lonely Lake
D3 8/17/2021 Lonely Lake -> Horn Col -> Copper Mine Pass/Copper Mine Peak -> Lion Lake Tarn -> Glacier Lake
D4 8/18/2021 Glacier Lake -> Triple Divide Pass (leave pack) -> Triple Divide Peak -> Triple Divide Pass (pickup pack) -> Lake 11,650' above Colby Trail
D5 8/19/2021 Lake 11,650’ -> Colby Trail -> Picket Creek Lake 10,560'
D6 8/20/2021 Picket Creek Lake 10,560’ -> Picket Creek Pass -> visit Pyra Queen Col from east side -> Kaweah Basin Lake 11,530'
D7 8/21/2021 Kaweah Basin Lake 11,530’ -> Kaweah Pass -> Big Arroyo
D8 8/22/2021 Big Arroyo -> Mehrten Creek
D9 8/23/2021 Mehrten Creek -> Wolverton/Lakes Trail

This route was inspired by the Tablelands, Triple Divide Pass/Peak, and Kaweah Basin trips that Bill Finch reported from the 1990’s on his website http://sierrahiker.com. The goal for this route was to visit the Tablelands, traverse the Deadman Canyon and Cloud Canyon sections of the Great Western Divide, climb Copper Mine Peak and Triple Divide Peak, explore the Kaweah Basin, and climb Mount Kaweah. I wasn’t able to climb Mount Kaweah for the reason explained in the report, but did climb Mount Kaweah in August of 2022.

During the trip there were fires in the Avalanche Pass area as well as south of Sequoia NP. The amount of smoke varied with the worst days at the end of the trip. An afternoon thunderstorm at the end of day 2 at Lonely Lake fortuitously cleared the sky for day 3 on Copper Mine Peak and day 4 on Triple Divide Peak. The smoke worsened toward the end of the trip especially at the lower elevations near Bearpaw Meadow and Mehrten Creek. The weather was warm throughout with no nights below zero.

I hope this trip report provides inspiration for other backpackers' trips to the Tablelands, Canyons, and Kaweah Basin. If you find any errors and are able to name some of the rocks, mountains, flowers, trees, animals, and routes that I did not identify correctly I will appreciate any and all feedback.

overview.jpg

triple-divide-peak.jpg

[thegib]

Hi Fool,
What an epic trip. Figure 14 are Pussypaws, Figure 61 are Sierra Primrose, Figure 95-6 are Foxtail Pines, not Bristlecone.
From Lion Lake Pass tarn it is much much better to traverse around the knob to Glacier lake. Going up is a beast. There's a faint use trail through the scree that makes the traverse go much quicker than expected.
I've looked an easy way down to the Colby pass trail and hadn't found it. I'll try your Finch route next time, thanks!
I hope you have another trip w/o smoke or toothache!

[SweetSierra]

The use trail that thegib mentions through the scree from the tarn below Lion Lake Pass is a good way to go to Glacier Lake. After leaving the use trail, it's a climb across solid class 2 talus to the lake. There's a drop off to one side of the use trail but it's a good trail and solid footing.

I had the same type of infected tooth this year in February. It was also in my lower jaw. I learned a portion of the root was missed in the root canal a year or so before and it festered into an infection. I dealt with it for a week. Ibuprofen only helped for a few hours at a time. The endodontist finally reopened the tooth and saw the infection. He said it happens, but it's rare. It wasn't possible to ignore (painful). I can imagine how stressful it would be to deal with on a solo hike.

[TheFool]

@thegib thank you for the flower and tree identification. Thank you and @SweetSierra for letting me know about the alternate route from Lion Lake Tarn to Glacier Lake. I've updated the PDF with your feedback and posted a new version here: https://drive.proton.me/urls/B2JJGDHPAG#RGj6QqkU2TBF. @SweetSierra yes, we had the same root canal missed root problem!

[zacjust32]

Nice loop! I've done much of it but not strung together like you did. I was yelling at the report when you decided to take the hump trail out of Wolverton. The Watchtower is superior in every way!

[LMBSGV]

Thank you for sharing your epic journey. The cross-country mileage you covered in a single day is quite impressive. The tooth infection really changed your trip and prevented you from taking more time to fully enjoy the splendor of the trip’s final days. Here’s hoping you can return to those places on another journey.

[Mike M.]

Fool, what a great trip you had! That was me you ran into at the Kern-Kaweah crossing before you headed up to Picket Creek Lake. I had just hiked down from there and was taking a water break before heading down to Junction Meadow. Smoke had moved into the area the night before. One of these days I'll post a trip report.

Mike M.

DSCF7856_DxOpsp.jpg

[TheFool]

@Mike M. I remember you and our conversation well! Great picture - it looks like we did stay at the same campsite at Picket Creek Lake. You were the last person I encountered until I reached the High Sierra Trail three days later on the other side of Kaweah Pass. I also remember the first people I met on the HST. I've found during solo hikes of several days or more in isolated areas that the memory of any human interaction during the time becomes very strong. Maybe this is an aspect of human memory that brings us together socially?

[sekihiker]

Great report and excellent photos in an area I love. Thanks for posting this epic report.

[cjt93]

Thanks so much for this trip report. The xcountry route via the Tablelands to Kaweah Basin is at the top of my Sierra wish list.

- What was your opinion on the pace of the trip. You covered quite a few cross-country miles, so pretty strenuous requiring hiking all day?
- Were there any areas you felt rushed or would want to explore more on a future trip? For example, an additional day in Kaweah Basin or the Red Spur Lakes area east of Kaweah Basin?
- I read a trip report on HST about an alternative path to the Colby Pass trail from Triple Divide Pass. Instead of proceeding east to the Finch route, the alternative route loops around the east ridge of Triple Divide Peak to a snowfield/tarn immediately to the Southeast of the peak, before then proceeding down the slope to the head of the Kern-Kaweah River and following it down to the Colby Pass trail. Did you consider or see any evidence of this path?
- I didn’t quite follow your description of the preferred route from Lion Lake tarn to the plateau and Glacier Lake. Is there a use trail that goes north from the tarn and around the plateau to Glacier Lake?