Gary-Summer: July 27, 2021

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

July 27, 2021 - Kanawyer Gap

Title: July 27, 2021 - Kanawyer Gap
Hike Info : Description : Menu : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Marvin Pass Trailhead

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.

Gary laboring on way to Marvin Pass

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.

Marvin Pass

Rest of the weary

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.

Meadow going to the Gap

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.

Path to Kanawyers Gap

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.

Sherri on trail through edge of meadow

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.

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.