Question about traverse from Volcanic Lakes to East Kennedy Lake - Kings Canyon

[KathyW]

I have a permit to go up Copper Creek Trail on June 25, 2024. I will go to Grouse Lake and try to climb Goat Mountain. From there I will go over Granite Pass and wander toward Volcanic Lakes.

After this I can continue on the route of the old trail through Kennedy Canyon to Kennedy Pass or try to take a more direct route from one of the southern Volcanic Lakes to East Kennedy Lakes. Does anyone have any input on these options?

I realize snow might make my trip end up being too ambitious but going south along the Volcanic Lakes appears is appealing due to scenery.

[jmherrell]

I did a similar trip but the opposite direction from Lewis Creek to Copper Creek and I included Glacier Lakes and Kid Lakes. The route went from East Kennedy Lake east to Volcanic Lake 10288, then north to the trail. I remember the terrain around Volcanic Lakes as easy and scenic. I did this in early July so the mosquitos were bad but there was no snow. I met a guy at Kennedy Pass who was aborting his trip because of the mosquitoes.

[KathyW]

Thanks. I am most concerned with the outlet to East Kennedy Lake, but I am glad you brought up the mosquitoes. I read elsewhere that the mosquitoes are bad in that area. I think I will postpone until September.

[creekfeet]

I did a very similar route ten years ago in which I descended the chain of Volcanic Lakes, picking up the Kennedy Canyon Trail just beyond the northernmost lake in the chain. It's an unmaintained rail, but was still in fairly decent condition in the part that ascends Dead Pine Ridge. Once on the ridge there's no actual trail, but there are a series of consistently placed ducks to follow, and really it's pretty straight forward walking just staying on top of the ridge. As the trail begins descending towards Kennedy Creek it was harder and harder to spot ducks, so I just stopped trying, and dropped down to the creek further south of where the map indicates the old trail is located. Once on the along side the creek I was able to pick up stretches of trail here and there, with numerous ducks and plenty of creek crossings. The trail becomes fairly well-defined again just short of East Kennedy Lake and beyond up to the pass. In 2014 stretches of the trail on the other side of the pass were severely overgrown, and given that it's a sun-baked southern slope in a section of the park that was closed last summer, I imagine it's overgrown now. Beautiful terrain though!

[sekihiker]

Many years ago, I crossed the ridge from Volcanic Lakes to the canyon that contains East Kennedy Lake. It was not difficult but Volcanic Lakes are so cool I didn't bother going down into the canyon, I just turned around and returned to beautiful Volcanic Lakes Basin. For a few photos of Volcanic Lakes, go to: http://www.sierrahiker.com/MonarchDivide/index.html