June 21, 2014 - Crescent Meadows to Nine-Mile Creek

Title: June 21, 2014 - Crescent Meadows to Nine-Mile Creek

Trail head:

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail: High Sierra Trail

Destination: Buck Canyon

Actual Destination: Nine-Mile Creek

Distance:  8.64 miles

Start Time:  1:12

End Time:   7:03

Travel Time: 5:51 (1.48 mph)

Moving Time: 4:23 (1.97 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,897'
Elevation Descended:877'

Maximum Elevation: 7,683'

Description:

Got up at 5:40; I am still pretty tired. Ray got up shortly after me, with the rest following at various increments. We were ready to leave around 6:30 for the Train Depot Restaurant.  The operative word for the day is slow. Usually the service gets you out of the place quickly with good food. But today, it seemed to take forever. Then we went to Subway to pick up sandwiches. But the first two were closed for breakfast, even though their hours were posted as being open. We finally get our sandwiches and head to Sequoia National Park. There is a  pretty good line waiting to get in. So we stop at Grants Grove to hold the permit and take a bathroom break. From their Andrea and I head off to. Horse Coral Meadows to drop off the Rav4 for our return trip, while the rest of them go to Giant Forest and secure our permit. It takes 45-60 minutes to drive up to the Meadow and about 45 minutes to come down. So Andrea and I get to Giant Forest around 1pm. Ray and Rachel are waiting for us; Sherri and Steven have gone ahead and started walking. We are able to drive to the Crescent Meadow parking lot because we have a permit-with weekend crowds, rangers block admittance to the Crescent Meadows area except by shuttle bus. So we feel like royalty as we drive past all the commoners.

Sherri and Steven

Andrea and Gary

So starts our adventure!  The first three quarters of a mile climbs us out of Crescent Meadows. The lushness of the place is something I enjoy. We quickly come to Eagle View. We appreciate the view. Looking westward we see Kaweah Reservoir; across the way is Castle Rocks which guards the way into Mineral King. It will be our company for most of today. Of course, the Middle Fork of Kaweah River is way down beneath us, several thousand feet in a very steep ravine. Finally, our eyes gaze at the wall we will be climbing soon, the Kern-Kaweah Divide. Those mountains just seem to rise up vertically, making you wonder how will I ever get beyond them?

 

Westward down Kaweah

Kern-Kaweah

Castle Rocks

Sherri and Steven have a 30 or 40 minute head start. So we are taking friendly wagers about when we will see them. It turns out none of these bets pan out on the first wager. But we enjoy our walking since there is a lot of shade protecting us from the heat of the sun.  Lots of wildflowers, I know some of the names of the flowers, but many more slip through my many gaps of flora.  Apparently these slips in my flora knowledge is a surprise to Andrea-she has always assumed I knew a lot more than I did-by did I have that girl fooled.

Andrea, Rachel and Ray

It is time for another wager. This time instead of distance it is time.Who can guess the time which we meet Sherri and Steven. Once again we all lose horribly. But what is there is complain about-Steven and Sherri are making good time, we have some very delicious eye candy, and the trail is not hard on us. There is much for us to stop and look at. We continue to see more of what we saw from Eagle View, but in various perspectives. With some cloud cover, the trail is not as hot as I feared it would be in the afternoon-but it still is plenty warm.

Steven and Gary

Steven

Still time for one last wager, since we have not caught Sherri and Steven and it is getting close to four. But a few minutes later, we see them and are reunited. They have done well, traveling about seven miles-this is definitely in the "Better Than Expected" category.

Little Blue Dome

But now we are pretty far east along the High Sierra Trail. Little Blue Dome has been coming into play below us. We have also been able to examine a bit more of the changing flora. There is a succulent growing out of rocks which such a pretty flower. I know understand it is called a Stonecrop. I think another week, it would look pretty poor, but we have caught it in bloom and marvel at it.

Stonecrop

While I was hoping to make Buck Canyon tonight, I think we will fall short, particularly with our late start. But it has been a good first day. Before leaving I was able to download a list of bear boxes along the way. This will prove useful. We decide to try for Nine-Mile Creek-it does have a bear box. I charge ahead with renewed energy and in 10 minutes find the box. According to the poster in the box, it says there is 6 camp spots here-where they would be, my eyes see only one obvious one and that is where we stay. Water flows pretty well nearby and we are set. We begin the routine of the next nine nights-finding a place for our three tents and two hammocks. Shortly after dark, it is into our bags we go for a good night sleep.

Today's Food

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Train Depot Breakfast	Subway Sandwich	Subway Sandwhich	Clif Bar, Jelly Bellies, CytoMax, Propel, GORP, Bank Balls

More Photo's

Kern-Kaweah Divide from Eagle View

End of the Kaweah River Basin

Little Blue Dome, clouds and where we are heading towards, over the Kern-Kaweah Divide

Andrea