The Two Kings Loop — Kings Canyon NP — August 2019
After I completed the southern half of the Big SEKI Loop, I still had a bunch of time on my hands, so I decided I wanted to do the northern half of it. Although it was going to be solo, I knew that it would be some beautiful country so I was excited about the opportunity. The route followed Copper Creek up and out of the Canyon of the Kings River, up and over the Monarch Divide at Granite Pass. Then, it drops down the aptly named “Bitch” into Simpson Meadow and then up the wild and beautiful Middle Fork of the Kings River until its confluence with the raging Palisades Creek. We then crossed Palisades Creek to the JMT where we marched down the great Sierra Highway until the Palisades Valley cutoff where we could zoom down the Woods Creek and South Fork of the Kings River until we were back at Roads End. Overall, this was another jaw-dropping hike done during peak wildflower season and again i’m convinced that the SEKI backcountry is the best in the world. Every single day had moments where I couldn’t believe my eyes, and I’m pretty sure (we can verify by asking Pam and Maddie) that I said, “Wow, that was one of the most beautiful days of hiking I’ve ever had” at least 3 days in a row. It also was the beginning of a beautiful new friendship with two girls that I met on the trail and hiked with the entire time.
Day 1: Roads End to a bit past Granite Pass. Distance: About 12.5 miles. Elevation Gain: 6326' (lol), Elevation Lost: 1874'
This hike came 2 days after the hike detailed in my previous Trip Report (Circle of Solitude) and as I mentioned previously, there is no easy way out of Zumwault Meadows (Roads End). In that report, I went south up and over Avalanch Pass, but with this hike, I was going north: up and over Granite Pass and the Monarch Divide. As you can tell by the terrain statistics, it is a nonstop climb up Copper Creek, with the only break coming in the beautiful Granite Basin. I don’t care what anyone says, even when you are in good shape, ascending over a mile in elevation makes you hate yourself and your decision making. There were two helpful differences between my ascent up Copper Creek and my ascent up Avalanche Pass that made quite a difference: 1) I was acclimated and in much better shape having just just hiked for 6 days and 2) I was able to start at 8am and essentially be in the shade for the entire hike up. I made great time averaging around 2.5 miles per hour and reached the notch right before Granite Basin just after mile 7 with plenty of time to relax and have lunch.
It was here that the trip took an interesting turn, and upon getting to this notch where I could see that i was done climbing for a bit, I passed two girls in a tent. At first i didn’t think much of it, but about 10 minutes later after eating lunch, they passed me headed down to get some water and we struck up a conversation. After trading stories about how brutal the hike up Copper Creek was, I realized that what happened to them was similar to what had happened to Arash on our hike the week before. They explained to me that they were also planning to do the Big SEKI Loop, but that the hike up Copper Creek had kicked there ass and they were thinking of just turning back. I explained to them that although they could do that, they could also continue and cut the hike in half, bailing out at the Paradise Valley trail. Because I was planning to do this already, I suggested that we hike together and they agreed. In hindsight, I’m so happy that they did, because not only was hiking with them significantly better than hiking solo, but we also forged some incredible memories and friendships that are sure to last well into the future. Their names are Pam and Maddie, and they’ll be integral parts of this trip report going forward. Maddie is a fantastically liberal, blonde law-school student with an infectious laugh and an unbelievable motor and positive attitude. She was shaped by the mean streets of Brooklyn, but has a love and knack for the outdoors from her upbringing in Lake Tahoe. Pam is a bit younger, and is your quintessential east-coast liberal arts school student, fresh off a early 20s break-up. Pam’s a Vegan and my frustration with this/her food would become a theme throughout our journey as I’m constantly anxious about caloric deficiency.
They packed up their camp while i finished lunch, and we traversed the magnificent yet mosquito filled Granite Basin. I really wish we could have spent more time here because it was truly a spectacular place, with beautiful views of the Monarch Divide and beautiful granite bowls and faces. We wanted to get a bit past Granite Pass, so we walked for about 2–3 more hours at a very leisurely pace (I was in for a rude awakening pace-wise), stopping at a flat spot as the trail started to descend after the pass. We stopped, setup camp, and started drinking some of the whiskey that i had
Day 2: A bit past Granite Pass to the confluence of the Middle Fork of the Kings River & Cartridge Creek. Distance: About 11.6 miles. Elevation Gain: 1555', Elevation Lost: 4750'
I was excited to get down into the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Kings as it was a place i had never been, but was so famous amongst Sierra Nevada lore and early explorations. The only thing between us and it was possibly the worst piece of trail on earth. It’s so bad that on some very old/early maps of the region, it literally says, “The Bitch”. In addition, we were a bit spooked by a hiker that we saw headed up in the direction that we had come, saying that he was turned around by an avalanche at the Devils Washboard that made passing difficult. We didn’t heed his advice and pressed on. Once we were well on the way down The Bitch, which is 4000' of straight switchbacks, we got increasingly worried about the avalanche simply because we couldn’t fathom how anyone could think going UP The Bitch was a better idea than crossing the avalanche.
At any rate, after something like 2 hours of straight downhill switchbacks, we finally it down to Simpson Meadow which is a large, hot meadow on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Kings. We stopped for lunch on the VERY swiftly moving river next to a small log dam and relaxed/bathed for a bit. The Middle Fork was absolutely MOVING, and it was a bit nerve racking getting in, since one misstep is surely sending one on their way.
We walked up the Middle Fork at a leisurely pace and started looking for a spot to camp as soon as the shadows started to cover the canyon. Eventually we came upon the absolutely roaring Cartridge Creek and the very necessary bridge across it, and found a flat spot right at the confluence. This confluence is historical, as many early explorers of the Sierra used the trail up Cartridge Creek to get up to Cartridge Pass and then down into the canyon of the South Fork of the Kings River. This vital yet out-of-the way link between the Middle Fork and the South Fork of the Kings was the original route of the John Muir Trail before the Golden Staircase and Mather Pass were built.
As the sun set, Maddie and I got drunk and watched the the sky put on one of those remarkably beautiful light shows that have become staples of my journeys into the Sierra. Tired, delighted, ready for bed, I washed up in the creek, and fell asleep faster than i think i ever have in my life thanks to the constant white noise of the raging water.
Day 3: The confluence of the Middle Fork of the Kings River & Cartridge Creek to Lower Palisades Lake. Distance: About 11.2 miles. Elevation Gain: 5056', Elevation Lost: 807'
There were a few themes at play during todays hike. First is that it was spectacularly beautiful. Almost other-worldly and I loved almost every second of this days hike. Second, and most importantly, we would face off with the raging Palisades Creek and try to cross it without the bridge which has been blown out for years. Since the moment I met Maddie and Pam and we discussed the route, I let them know that if we were going to turn around anywhere, it would be at this creek crossing. Nonetheless, we were prepared to search for a way across for at least 90 minutes, and weigh the risks of crossing accordingly.
We got a relatively early start and were focused on getting to the Devils Washboard where the avalanche had allegedly blocked people from passing. This section of trail between Cartridge Creek and Devils Washboard is absolutely astounding. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking, but the entire time i felt like i was walking through Lord of the Rings. The Middle Fork of the Kings River is almost turquoise in some sections and it washes down the beautiful brown rock inside a canyon that is maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile wide. The wild flowers, waterfalls, and rapids are plentiful and it was just a beautiful scene to be in. After a bit of walking we made it to the avalanche and inspected our options. It seemed that some previous hikers had managed to bushwack their way up the canyon above the avalanche and although it wasn’t pretty (& we lost Pams sunglasses down the avalanche), we made it to the other side unscathed.
It was now a straight shot to Palisades Creek, which we made it to probably around 11am. As expected, the river was impassable, likely neck deep, about 15 feet across, and moving extremely fast. It’s really unfortunate that i have no videos from this sequence, so my words will have to do. We wandered up-stream on the south side for about 35 min before we came to a massive downed tree spanning almost the entire creek. It looked sturdy and was definitely wide enough, so we all decided that we were to give it a try. I waded a bit into the river, gave the log a few shakes, and hopped on. I chose to straddle the tree and scoot on my butt, leaving my pack with Maddie and Pam. Once across, I turned around, still straddling the tree, and Maddie began passing me all of our gear: packs, poles, and whatnot. Maddie did the same and i helped her to the other side. It was now Pam’s turn. With the creek roaring under her, Pam slowly slid across, frightened yet determined. It took her a little bit, but with an outstretched arm she was able to grab onto me slide across. We had made it and the stoke level was high. We stopped for lunch on the side of the JMT aka the Great Sierra Highway, and soaked in our accomplishments.
We proceeded SOBO (southbound in hiker slang) on the JMT up Palisades Creek towards the Golden Staircase and the Palisades Lakes basin. It was quite the slog, but wowee was this section of trail absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that our solitude was over. After not seeing anyone for days, were now seeing another party every 15 minutes. At any rate, The Golden Staircase was the last addition to the JMT, and it’s a never-ending staircase that is blasted into the mountainside up to Lower and Upper Palisades Lake. Fortunately for us, we were climbing the “staircase” as the sun went down, so the entire staircase was actually golden. Between that and the beautiful pine trees and creeks, I couldn’t imagine a better ending to this day.
Maddie and I made it up to Lower Palisades Lake and we quickly set up camp and finished off our whiskey. We then both went for a totally fucking freezing swim to wash off, and shortly after Pam made it up to camp. Once again, we were blessed with a beautiful light show in the sky and then went to bed, ending one of my favorite days in the mountains I ever had.
Day 4: Lower Palisades Lake to Lake Marjorie. Distance: About 11.4 miles. Elevation Gain: 2768', Elevation Lost: 2233'
While I was on the hike, I was a tad conflicted from the middle of Day 3 until the end of the hike. On one hand, the hike was simply jaw-droppingly beautiful every second of the way. This section of the JMT — from LeConte Canyon to Paradise Valley Cutoff — is so grand, colorful, and exciting that it must be some of the most beautiful trail in the entire Sierra. On the other hand, we were on the High Sierra Highway and it was incredible how crowded it was. The trail was beautiful built, easy to follow, and never too steep, but i just found the lack of privacy at all a bummer. It gives you more respect for the parts of the trail that are off the JMT and are consistently empty.
At any rate, the morning of Day 4 revolved around getting up and over Mather Pass, the ever so elusive divide that drove early explorers of the Sierra into a tizzy. Getting into the region of the South Fork of the Kings River proved incredibly difficult due to the rugged terrain of the Monarch Divide (which we summited far to the west at Granite Pass on Day 1.
We got an early start since I knew that our pace would be slow and were able to get to the top of the pass by 10:30am. The view into the Upper Basin, which is the headwaters of the mighty South Fork of the Kings River, is stunning from Mather Pass. The entire walk down for that matter was absolutely stunning. I must have turned around to look at Maddie 2–3 times to just exclaim, “This is so SICK!” The photos from this region continue to awe me and we got spectacular light all morning and early afternoon, a rarity in the mountains. For the entire walk from Mather Pass to Lake Marjorie, we were treated to beautiful light, tranquil streams, and fantastic views of the surrounding peaks. I dont have much else to say so I’ll let the photos speak.
Day 5: Lake Marjorie to Paradise Valley. Distance: About 15.2 miles. Elevation Gain: 1458', Elevation Lost: 5958'
Similar to the previous day, the first few hours of the morning revolved around getting up and over a pass, this time Pinchot Pass. On the bright side, it was all downhill from here. Literally, from the top of Pinchot Pass back to the car — 22 miles — was all going to be downhill.
Additionally, with respect to the scenery, this day was again quite similar to yesterdays, as the south side of Pinchot Pass is the headwaters of the Woods Creek. It was a spectacular sight just like the Upper Basin region from the day before. Again, I’ll let the photos do the talking.
We made it to the Paradise Valley cutoff by mid after noon, and started the final phase of our hike. We planned to make it to Paradise Valley to camp so that the following day we could make it to the Cedar Grove General Store for a hot meal by lunch. We still had something like 15 miles or so, but since it was all down-hill, we were coasting. Additionally, we were officially off the Great Sierra Highway and were now on the even more popular Rae Lakes Loop trail, so the number of hikers increased even more. The only notable park of this hike that I can remember is that this is that after having ZERO bear experiences, in this stretch of trail alone I had two. I was about 10 minutes ahead of Pam & Maddie, and while i was zooming down the trail, I heard something around a massive boulder, turned the corner, and BAM: there was young cub playing with a pinecone no more than 10 feet away from here. I
“NOPED” the fuck out of there and turned back to wait for the girls. Maddie has quite the bit of experience with bears from her Tahoe days so i let her lead the way after that.
We made it to the blown out bridge that marks the confluence between the Woods Creek and the South Fork of the Kings River which is where the Paradise Valley campground starts. By this time we were tired, nasty, and excited to get off our legs. Given our experience wading rivers, we just said “screw it” and went across this swift, thigh-deep river without any precaution. Nonetheless we made it and we were soon camping with maybe 15 other parties there to enjoy a nice weekend.
Our campsite was buggy due to tall the people and trash around, but we (or at least I was ) were happy to have one last night in the outdoors together. If I recall correctly, we all went over our favorite parts of the trip, and unfortunately i dont remember what we all had said. In hindsight, mine was definitely a tie between the Middle Fork of the Kings River, the Golden Staircase/getting drunk at Palisades Lake, and then the hike down through the Upper Basin after Mather Pass. Maddie and Pam, if you read this, let me know and I’ll update.
Day 6: Paradise Valley to Roads End. Distance: About 8 miles. Elevation Gain: 821', Elevation Lost: 2457'
This was the second time I had hiked from Paradise Valley down to Roads End along the South Fork of the Kings River. The first time I almost slipped and fell in at Mist Falls. It’s an absolutely beautiful walk, and I highly recommend it to anyone. The only notable thing from this quick hike down was that Maddie saw this one dude toss the sole of his shoe into the forest and went to grab it. She hiked it out the whole way and then handed it to me to give back to him at the car. I didn’t want to scare the guy, but walked over to him, dropped his shoe and his feet, and gave him a stern, “Dont fucking litter, jerk.” He was an asian tourist, so i’m not sure he even knew what i was saying, but littering pisses us all off so we wanted to make a statement.
At any rate, we all went to lunch and reflected on the trip. We then luckily were able to snag a vacant room at the lodge and ended up drinking and playing cards, which was exactly what all of us needed. Until next time Pam and Maddie!
