May 24, 2013 - Roads End

Title: May 24, 2013 - Roads End

Trail head: Upper Paradise Valley

Hike Info:

Trail:  Mist Falls, Paradise Valley, Return leg of Kanawyer Loop Trail

Destination: Road's End

Distance:  11.10 miles

Travel Time: 7:06 (1.56 mph)

Moving Time: 5:49 (1.91 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,013'

Maximum Elevation: 6,915

Description:

iPad is at 20% this morning, but it was on when I looked at it. I thought it was in the 30's last night when I went to bed. Watching the video took about 10%. It went from 20% to 15% in 3 hours I had it off.

Got up a little after 6 and after having my quiet time. It certainly seemed lighter this morning than yesterday. Even Sherri was awake around 6:15, even though she stayed in bed for about an hour after I got up. I walked around, said hi to Rick, the person whom we met we'd night.

Middle Paradise Valley

We were pack and on the trail back to Road's End by 9:30. We will need to do something with Sherri's pack and Garcia bear canister. It is hard to fit into her pack. Just the volume. We make good time coming down Paradise Valley. Stop for a Clif bar break at the middle camp. Then it is off again.

We make pretty good time getting to the Lower Paradise Valley Camp. Of course it is only a mile further than the middle camp. Still, passing this camp is the outpost of the valley. So it is with regret to be passing out of Paradise--makes you think about Adam and Eve being shoo'd from the garden. There is still about a third of a mile of pleasantly flowing water beside us. But we come to the log jam which signals the drop down into the canyon.  

Lower Paradise Valley

The Sphinxes

This is a segment where we experience a lot of the noon-day sun. But it is downhill, and the day is relatively cool. We both are thinking that two days ago we came up this trail. Seems so much better downhill. We get to the top of Mist Falls and stop for lunch.  This is the same place where we left the meetup group Wednesday.

A fellow backpacker came up the trail and we invited her to stop and eat with us. Pleasant conversation with her. She is from Bakersfield and just began to backpack last year. Just a pleasant time. But it was time for us to go our separate ways. 

Above Mist Falls

Mist Falls

The Falls are enjoyable. The mist is bellowing from the top of the falls. Even below the falls, it is great looking. We go on down, scenting that home  or at least the car is not that far away. We stop and cross the Bailey Bridge-this bridge has two spans, about 70' long each, secured by a large rock in the middle of the South Fork of the Kings. After crossing, we come to a good place for an afternoon break. Clif and granola bars are devoured. Feels like we should take a nap. But we probably should be on our way.

South Fork of Kings

Usually we are on the north side of the river, but today we will do a new trail on the south side. This is a trail which I have seen on the map and people have told me about it. So it is a time to enjoy it. It is said to have more shade and is more scenic than the north side. It is about a half of a mile longer, but with more shade and less sand. A bit more variation in the rise and falls. We pass by Muir Rock. Also there is a large rock with the initials of W.B. 1912 in it. We could not find out who W.B. was. One guide book says that you "Pass by a large boulder curiously inscribed with W.B. 1912". But Danny Palmerlee does not say anything more about it.

But we get back to the car, enjoying taking off our boots and resting for a few minutes, before our two hour drive back to Fresno.