Breaking camp in Cold Springs campground, Mineral King, Sequoia National Park, near the Timber Gap trailhead, having driven up the night before. Shelter is a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo E. See my personal web page at: http://bryanlallen.googlepages.com
The Fit in the Timber Gap/Sawtooth Pass trailhead area. Marmots have been known to munch on cars here; note that the Subaru to the right of our Fit has chicken wire and boulders around it to hopefully fend off the pests. I trusted that the Fit, having low ground clearance and tight hood space with no coolant leaks, would not be an attractive rodent target.
View to south from just above trailhead. Farewell Gap is the obvious low spot; Vandever Mountain is the peak just to the right, featuring a snowfield dubbed by some as the "Bearskin Patch."
Trailhead parking lot is at lower right; upper end of Mineral King valley extends to the south towards Farewell Gap.
Nearing the top of Timber Gap, looking back south. White Chief basin is the large granitic cirque to the right of Vandever Mountain in the center of the photo.
Looking north to Alta Peak from Timber Gap (9450 feet elevation) across the drainage of the Middle Fork Kaweah River.
Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris), photo #1. How close can I get?
Marmot photo #2. Still closer?
Marmot photo #3; getting ready to scurry off.
Bear poop, fresh, beside the trail.
Looking west atop a ridgeback, just before the final descent to Cliff Creek.
Rest stop just above Cliff Creek. Trader Joe trailmix, yum. Note photo of "The Girls" on my pack.
Cliff Creek trail crossing, looking back. I hopped across the creek on the log fragment just above the large boulder rather than wading across in the foreground.
Slightly-slanted self-photo along the trail to Redwood Meadow.
There were lots of early-season flowers along the trail. 2007 was a poor snow year so the creeks were lower and the flowers more abundant than they normally would be in mid-June.
Tree lichen on the tree trunks, with bearbrush along the trail (note small white blooms.)
Giant Sequoias along the trail.
More Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) south of Redwood Meadow.
A trailside sign commemorating Gustavis Eisen.
Looking back south towards where I had come from. The dark conifers with the rounded tops are Giant Sequoias, whereas other pointed-topped conifers are various species of pine and fir.
View west to Moro Rock, a granitic dome along the north slope of the Middle Fork Kaweah River. The road to Crescent Meadow goes near Moro Rock and from that point there is a short trail to its top. Some of the trees in the lower foreground have the rounded tops characteristic of Giant Sequoias.
Yep.
Redwoods surrounding Redwood Meadow. Though I'd hiked towards this destination several times in the past (all the way back to 1969!), this was the first time I'd ever been here.
The meadow is not particularly large but it was quite lush. Not sure how it would look later in the season after being grazed by stock.
A nice bridge which crosses Granite Creek. This turns out to be a Bridge to Nowhere as the bridge further on across the Middle Fork is washed out.
Crossing the bridge; it certainly made this creek crossing easier.
Flowers and bees along Eagle Scout Creek.
Trail junction with markers from different eras. I was on my way to Bearpaw Meadow and beyond. Hospital Rock is to the west along the lower Middle Fork Kaweah.
Middle Fork crossing looking back; bridge foundations but no bridge. Fairly sporting to wade; wouldn't want to try it if the water was much higher.
Lush and lonely Lower Bearpaw Meadow; it showed little evidence of use.
