TR Mineral King Loop - Franklin to Timber via Kaweah Gap

[sambieni]

Awesome TR!
Can completely can relate to your vertigo/fear of heights. Like you I shock folks when they hear of my fears despite my forays outdoors - great you pushed thru this trip!

[wildhiker]

What a great trip report! So many beautiful places.

One little note - you looped back via Timber Gap, but your post title says Kaweah Gap. You can probably edit it.

-Phil

[giantbrookie]

What a wonderful report and terrific album of photos that show the High Sierra at its very best. This is the sort of report that makes so many of us ask ourselves: why are we reading this report on our computer when we can be out there?

[sekihiker]

Thanks for the great report and all the photos. These are some of my favorite trails. The views of the Kaweahs are especially nice from the Little Five Lakes Basin.

[Bill21]

Thanks for an inspiring, on multiple levels, TR.

[gary c.]

Beautiful report and pictures!! Thanks for taking the time to put it together and share with us.

[webdweeb]

Kpeter, great report. I just finished my own MK loop the week after yours, which involved several segments of your trip, and we benefited greatly from your conditions reports-we were prepared for the Middle Fork Kaweah ford, which was our most challenging of the trip, and we were able to avoid the worst of the mozzies thanks to your reports. We missed the LFL you camped at (want to return to see that one!) and camped at the main lake near the trail junction-too crowded, although the views of the lake were excellent. We opted to pass Hamilton Lake in favor of Nine Lake Basin (our loop was clockwise), which was sublime-not a soul within miles, an almost primeval setting among the tundra-like ground cover, beautiful lakes and views south of the Big Arroyo, and we were serenaded by chirping marmots as accompaniment to the evening's star and Milky Way sky show. We also enjoyed camping at Cliff Creek, which was much nicer than the campsites at Pinto Lake, our other campsite option, and had the added benefit of the nearby waterfall to help with our sleep. Redwood Meadow turned out to be a great campsite-it was a Sunday, so we had the entire site (and sequoia grove) to ourselves. We discovered a water spigot and a privy at the site, which was a nice surprise and eliminated having to filter water from the silty stream nearby. I completely agree with you on the monotony of the trail from Cliff Creek to Bearpaw, which was also the least scenic of our hike as well. We were able to avoid the Bearpaw backpacker camp by bookending our loop with nights at the High Sierra Camp, which was a nice luxury-hot showers and fabulous meals at the beginning and the end of the hike were definitely a welcome perk.

[sdchesnut]

Thanks for the great trip report and pictures kpeter! I'm heading out solo on the same/similar route Sept 6 (day after Labor Day), and after looking at your pictures I'm now torn between my original return via Black Rock Pass, or continuing over Kaweah Gap and back on your HST route to Mineral King.

My planned route is Day 1: MK>Little Claire Lake, Day 2: Little Claire>Big Five 10192, Day 3: Zero Day to relax and explore the Big and Little Five lakes (I don't fish so just wandering around), Day 4: Big Five>Cliff Creek over Black Rock Pass, Day 5: Cliff Creek>MK. Since I'll be going at my own pace I'm thinking that I might kill the zero day and use that to hike up Big Arroyo over Kaweah, then stay at Hamilton Lake. Same amount of days and total mileage, just not any rest.

I guess I'm just asking for advice from the group here. I plan on winging it a bit based on how I'm feeling when I get up there, but those pictures of upper Big Arroyo and the HST are killing me. Any thoughts from the group here? The miles and elevation don't worry me too much.

[maverick]

Hi Sdchesnut,

Welcome to HST!
Don't kill the layover day, the LFL area is well worth spending a day or two at, the lakes are beautiful and the views of the Kaweah Ridgeline will mesmerize you.

[Jackfromsequoia]

Very cool. Please provide dates of your trip (maybe its there, but I couldn't find it) as I am using TRs for monitoring snow cover! THX!