South Fork Kaweah River Canyon to Hockett

[richlong8]

Whew! I have always kind of liked the South Fork Kaweah trailhead, because from my door in Bakersfield to trailhead is no more than 2 hours driving, and it is kind of pretty in its own, low elevation kind of fashion. I am suddenly not so interested in going up there again. That area is national park, I believe, but little use, never seen any rangers, or government personnel, and self issue wilderness permits are at the trailhead most of the time. Sounds like the wrong sorts of folks are taking advantage of the situation. We could start a whole sidebar conversation about going armed into some areas is maybe not as silly as some people think. But I won't....

[rlown]

Interesting note: we camped along a large, open granite slab close to the river. We laid out there until about midnight to look at the stars...didn't see or hear anyone else. The next morning when we left camp to hike up to South Fork Grove, we found twig objects/figures lashed together with natural twine at the site where we had been stargazing.

I don't know who would have put twigs together like that in the middle of the night. That area gave me the willies.

Did you keep the twig figures? or take pictures of them? Nice Blair Witch twist.

[AlmostThere]

Low elevation trailless areas are prime real estate for marijuana growers. Used to be if you were driving to Mineral King and saw a guy or two standing in a pullout with a large ice chest, you averted your eyes and kept right on driving... growers hiking out the harvest waiting for pickup. Those steep brushy canyons no one wanted to be brave enough to explore were perfect for them.

SAR conferences usually have at least one class on identification of booby traps. Our team were encouraged to conceal carry.

[iHartMK]

Trust me....don't do it

Have you tried it?
Following the south fork Kaweah river from South Fork Grove up to Hockett Lakes?
we went up it for another mile or so past whiskey Log last year. We came across a couple of really cool campsites on the north side of the river and the non maintained trail seemed to keep going..
Looking at Google Earth it doesn't look that bad.

I've come down from South Fork crossing/Hockett lakes many times. The first was an attempt to follow the river. It was steep and choked with manzanita in places. I would never do it again so I wouldn't advise going UP. Now I would follow the ridgeline similar to the old trail (Maverick posted some excellent info...second map) and drop off the ridge to get to the SF grove. I wouldn't advise going up that way either but it's more doable. Stick with the Garfield trail or try coming up the old Hockett trail.

Thanks for the info. Maybe this route isn't such a good idea afterall.

[iHartMK]

Last November a friend and I made our way past Whiskey Log Camp and camped along the South Fork Kaweah. Once we passed Ladybug Falls we didn't see anyone else the entire time we were in the canyon. There are some nice campsites on the north side of the river maybe 1 mile past Whiskey Log. After a night of camping, we followed a faint trail along the north side of the river up the canyon. We made it well into the South Fork Grove, where there are some awesome sequoias, including a huge one that has fallen and you can walk on top of.

As I recall, the trail continued up the canyon along the north side of the river. There were remnants of camping gear and shredded clothing in the area...don't really know what that was about.

Interesting note: we camped along a large, open granite slab close to the river. We laid out there until about midnight to look at the stars...didn't see or hear anyone else. The next morning when we left camp to hike up to South Fork Grove, we found twig objects/figures lashed together with natural twine at the site where we had been stargazing.

I don't know who would have put twigs together like that in the middle of the night. That area gave me the willies.

I have spent a lot of nights up in the south fork canyon. I have also found shredded clothes/gear and even a tent once. Not on the trail, but in a side canyon. I always assumed it was people that were too lazy to pack out their gear..then the bears find it. But as you guy higher and further up the canyon it definitely gets weirder. I always get the willies up there too. Not to sound too weird, but I have always thought that if Sasquatch was real, it would live up there. So who do you honestly think made those twig things you found?

[sparky]

Superstitious marijuana growers made them.

I have been quite a ways beyond south fork grove trying to get to hockett lakes. I dont mind bushwacking but it was nasty and steep.

[iHartMK]

Superstitious marijuana growers made them.

I have been quite a ways beyond south fork grove trying to get to hockett lakes. I dont mind bushwacking but it was nasty and steep.

Really? You think that's who made them?? Trying to scare people away?

So how far did you get before you turned back? I got pretty far on a dayhike from Whiskey Log once and it looked like it started to open up, but I was alone and it started getting creepy back in there.

[sparky]

Not to scare people away exactly....voodoo.

I dont remember, this was many years ago. I just remember bushwacking, scrambling, bushwacking I was getting worked. I too was alone but I wasn't getting spooked. Now if I had found some weird voodoo dolls I probably would have been a little worried!

[iHartMK]

That's is trippy.. to say the least.

Oh ok, well maybe we need to get a group together this fall and do it. It seems like it would be a cool adventure.

[DMQ]

Reviving an old thread here, I'm an on and off long time reader here but have never had much to say. I did the South Kaweah Canyon to Hockett Meadow loop a couple weeks ago. It was mostly fun with half a day of hellish bushwhacking, yet nowhere near as bad as what the North Kaweah has to offer as far as bushwhacking goes...
http://darinmcquoid.com/southkaweah.html