Hike Info:
Type: Hiking
Trail: Marvin Pass, Kanawyers Gap Trails
Destination: Mitchell Peak
Actual Destination: Kanawyers Gap
Distance: 5.13 miles
Start Time: 12:32
End Time: 5:21
Travel Time: 4:49 (1.07 mph)
Moving Time:4:18 (1.19 mph)
Elevation Rise: 1,686'
Descent: 1,297‘Maximum Elevation: 9,655'
GPS Tracks
Description:
Got up and drove to the Grant
Grove Visitor Center
for my morning WiFi fix. At least so I could pull down the lightning
activity for yesterday-only a few of them. Then down the road to the
turn off to Delilah.
Why you might ask? I am meeting Greg. He is giving me a couple of
cans of propane because we have run out of it. This is a real
blessing. Thanks Greg. After he gives us the cans, he takes off to go
to Delilah and I go back to camp by 8:15. Sherri gets up shortly
afterwards.. We had french toast for breakfast.
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Gary laboring on way to Marvin Pass
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Now what are we going to do?
Sherri suggests Mitchell
Peak.
I have my doubts about making it, but we will not know unless we try.
We leave our campsite at about 11. Sherri decides to drive. I do not
think she knows what is in store for her, but I am glad she is going
to try. The road up to the Marvin
Pass Trailhead
is mostly paved. But even this paved part is narrow and windy.
Sherri takes it slow, which is the only way to take this road. But
the pavement gives out about two miles before the trailhead. Sherri
does not like dirt roads. While tense, she drives through it. The
road is pretty steep, but Sherri makes it up.
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Marvin Pass
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Rest of the weary
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The parking lot is pretty
warm. We get ready and start up. Several years ago we came down this
trail. At that time we said we would hate to go up this trail. But
here we are about to go up it. At least we are doing it without a
full backpack.
The trail does not disappoint.
It starts off on a pretty good slope. I have been having trouble
climbing, so I start in while Sherri is reading a sign. It turns out
I do not need this head start as Sherri struggles as much as I do
with this climb.. It is warm which does not help with the sweat. I
take this mile and a quarter one slow, heavy breathing at a time.
Finally get to the top of Marvin Pass. It is an 800+’ climb and I
took a breath for each foot of climbing. Sherri is about ten minutes
behind me. We both feel like it is time for lunch. It is after
1:00pm.
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Meadow going to the Gap
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Looking at the map, we are
only a third of the way up to Mitchell Peak. We look at our options:
Continue on to Mitchell Peak
or as far as we want to go.
Go up the trail towards
Mitchell, but take the trail up to Kanawyers
Gap
Mt
Maddox
is on the other side of Marvin Pass from Mitchell. It is only about
600; ascent rather than the 1200’ of Mitchell. But it is a
cross-country walk.
Loiter around Marvin Pass
After resting up for a little
while, we decide to go to Kanawyers Gap. The trail is more up, but
does not seem to be so steep as going up to Marvin Pass. I will say
that the trail is pleasant, but nothing spectacular. Of course being
in the Sierra with the forest around you is special anytime. After
aout ¾ of a mile we come to the junction where the Mitchell Peak
Trail goes off from the Kanawyers Gap Trail.
Our trail is a trail less
traveled. Still very recognizable as a trail. Prior to the junction,
you could tell where the trail maintenance crew had been through. Now
there are places where the trail could use a bit of clipping. But
like I said, very passable.
A short ways further, we look
down on an expansive meadow. Turns out this is the upper end of
Rowell
Creek-but
not part of Rowell Meadow. This is what a high Sierra meadow should
look like. Someplace which you could just stop at and stay a
lifetime.Our trail goes around the upper end of the meadow. This
gives us only about a hundred yards to the Gap.
Kanawyers Gap marks the
boundary of Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park.
We take a few steps into the Park, find a rock to sit by and munch on
an energy bar. The Gap has a fair amount of woods, so our view is
hampered a bit. But we can see some down into the Sugarloaf
area and across to the Avalanche
area.
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Path to Kanawyers Gap
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We stay around for a few
minutes and then we start down. The trip down is the reverse of
coming up, except we are a bit more tired, but not having to push
ourselves as downhill is obviously easier than the climb we did
earlier. We get to Marvin Pass and pause for a couple of minutes.
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Sherri on trail through edge of meadow
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By this time, the pounding of
going downhill is turning my legs into a form of Jello. By going down
this trail, you realize how steep it was going up-as if I really
needed confirmation. After walking down for 45 minutes, we reached
the cars. As we reach the parking lot, we meet a family going into
the glam resort of Sequoia HIgh Sierra Camp. They will walk in about
a mile and then get their needs taken care of-they look excited.
Sherri elects to have me drive
down. We decided on the way down that having a burger from
DNC
sounds pretty nice. So an hour plus later, Sherri orders us our
meals. Tastes really good. I try to get WiFi at the Visitor Center,
but it does not seem to want a connection to the outside world.
Nothing special.
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Token Bovine for trip
|
Back to camp we go. By this
time, the light is fading and so am I. But first, we decided to make
a reservation for Grand Teton in September to be with our daughter
Andrea and her boyfriend Lawrence. After taking care of business, we
climb into our sleeping bags, read and fall asleep, content with what
we accomplished.
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks |
French Toast | Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich | Grant Burger at DNC | Energy bars, jelly bellies. |
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Corn Lily Meadow
|
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Rocks on the flank of Mt Maddox
|
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Marvin Pass
|
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Bear marks or tree cracking?
|
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Kanawyers Gap
|
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| Kanawyers Gap |
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| Rip Van Gary on Kanawyers Gap |
Animals
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Fritillary of some type, maybe a Great Basin?
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Flowers and Plants
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Unknown to me
|
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Pine Drop
|
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Corn Lilly
|
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Cow Parsnip
|
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| Lupine |
