TR: 6/2-5/2022 SEKI loop through the Tablelands

[jimmyjamhikes]

A couple of weeks ago a buddy of mine and I did a wonderful 3 night loop up the Lakes Trail, then off-trail through the Tablelands to the Kings-Kaweah Divide, down to Crescent Lake and then back on trail over Silliman Pass to Twin Lakes and a side trip off trail to Little Lakes.

My buddy had gotten a permit for the Rae Lakes Loop, but I said to him "trust me, you will like this better!" So we cancelled that one and pulled the Lakes Trail permit instead.

I feel like we hit it just right, above freezing temps with no mosquitoes, and enough snow to make it pretty but not enough to make it hard! We took spikes but didn't need them. All the off-trail hiking was extremely easy class 2 hiking, even easier than many trails I have been on. And we saw no other hikers off trail, and only a couple at Pear Lake and Twin Lakes.

I will definitely do this loop again, and I especially recommend Pear Lake (I've missed that on my other trips!), Tablelands, the Kings-Kaweah DIvide, Crescent Lake, and Little Lakes.

I have posted a detailed trip report on each day here:

https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2022/06/ ... pear-lake/
https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2022/06/ ... ah-divide/
https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2022/06/ ... tle-lakes/
https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2022/06/ ... ler-trees/

But in the meantime, here are some highlights:


Pear Lake


A cute little pika


The Tablelands


Big Bird Basin from Tablelands Pass


Lake 10,559 in the Tablelands, seen from the Kings-Kaweah Divide


Alta Peak from 11,462T, our high point on the Kings-Kaweah Divide


Crescent Lake


Heading down to Lake 9518 below Crescent Lake


Silliman Peak from a meadow above Little Lakes


Upper Little Lake

[Silky Smooth]

I love that area, thank you soo much for sharing! Great hiking weather

[Wandering Daisy]

I am surprised that Watchtower trail was open- it usually is not this time of year. You have amazing wildflower photos. Although easy travel, I find navigating on Tablelands a bit tricky. I got just one small saddle off last year and nearly dropped to the wrong location! Once started down I realized the mistake. Lots of photos show you two in down jackets- it must have been chilly.

[jimmyjamhikes]

Thanks SS and WD!

The sign for the Watchtower trail being closed was still up, but there was no snow left on trail. And we also got a little turned around in Tablelands, for example coming up from the lake south of Table Meadows we ended up much farther east than we intended. We were there during a cold snap, so mornings were definitely puffy weather!

[cgundersen]

Hi JH,

I've encouraged several folk to visit Moose Lake and then scramble over to Big Bird as a great way to start getting familiar with off-trail navigating in an area that seldom gets too much use. At least a couple of them complained about getting horribly off track in the Tablelands which I found hard to imagine until my last trip up there when I fell into the same rut. Now I get it! It's a somewhat unique region in the Sierra, kind of a rolling-lumpy plateau with great, distant sight lines. And you guys hit appreciably more snow than I'd have predicted. Thanks for the write-up! Cameron

[stevet]

@jimmyjam,
Nice Route, lovely pics, and I suspect yes but did ChiaGlyph enjoy? Sure he couldn’t compare to the Rae Lakes loop, but 100% you visited prettier (and much less used) country

Now on the east coast, I live vicariously through you guys who can “weekend” it in the Sierra. TRs like yours warm me up and build anticipation for my now annual pilgrimage. Thanks

[sekihiker]

Great report and photos. Thanks for making flower ID's. iNaturalist would love to have your observations in its data base.

[Flamingo]

...a permit for the Rae Lakes Loop, but I said to him "trust me, you will like this better!"

...I love this. The RL Loop is great, but in a mile-for-mile comparison, I bet your Tablelands trip gave you more big vistas and more diverse locations. You're a true Sierra connoisseur!

[thegib]

Great pix, great report. Thanks for naming flowers. You mention 'red grinder stone' for one pic. Is that a thing? Can you explain? I just saw a similar/same thing in two or three water holes in the Tablelands - very bright red color, and was wondering what was up.

[wildhiker]

Thanks for the report. Wonderful pictures. I had forgotten how pretty Pear Lake is. I also got briefly (okay, for an hour) "lost" on my last Tablelands trip and had to backtrack after realizing I was heading down the wrong drainage.
-=Phil