Roaring River Hike June 2007

Early-morning in Big Meadows Camp #3. Overnight low 31 degrees F. Drove up here the previous night. Very nice series of campgrounds along Big Meadows road in Sequoia National Forest along the northern edge of the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. Tent is a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo E. See my home page at: http://bryanlallen.googlepages.com

Small creek next to campsite.

Pay-phone just across the road from Big Meadows Ranger Station, near trailhead.

Our Honda Fit. A very capable and economical mountain car, and surprisingly good on the freeway too.

Vista of Big Meadows near ranger station, looking to south.

Mormon Metal-mark butterfly (Apodemia mormo); there were a LOT of these pretty little butterflies along the trail. I had to be careful in some areas to watch my step so as not to damage any.

Macro shot of Mormon Metal-mark butterfly (Apodemia mormo) amongst decomposing granite and forest litter.

View to north from northern edge of Jennie Lakes Wilderness on trail to Weaver Lake. Gentle terrain.

Looking northeast to peaks in Kings Canyon National Park.

Snowplant (Sarcodes saguinea), a saprophytic plant which lives on decayed organic matter rather than on sunlight.

Weaver Lake in Jennie Lakes wilderness, looking west.

Weaver Lake in Jennie Lakes wilderness, looking south towards the ridge of Shell Mountain.

Well-maintained trails and landscapes in Jennie Lakes wilderness, Sequoia National Forest.

Water, flowers, lichens, and granite.

Pleasant little watercourses along the trail heading east from Weaver Lake.

Gurgle and splosh, granite and moss.

Along Boulder Creek, jennie Lakes Wilderness.

Rowell meadow, looking south from trail.

Sign to east of Rowell Meadow at junction of trail to Seville Lake; I was heading east to Roaring River.

Looking east towards Sugarloaf Valley in foreground and further to peaks east of Roaring River along the Sphinx Crest and Great Western Divide.

Lots of Pussy Paws (Calyptridium umbellatum) along this section of the trail.

Trail junction; I was heading east towards Roaring River. The walking was very easy here in the bottom of Sugarloaf Valley.

Comanche Meadow. I surprised a large golden-coated Black bear (Ursus americanus) which was right at the center of the photo on the far side of this small meadow. It took off running away from me quite fast; probably it was suitably impressed with the possibility I might shoot it, since this meadow is close to the boundary of Sequoia National Forest where (in season) such an assumption would be reasonable. This is commendable behavior, as it keeps bears and humans properly out of each other's way.

Camping area in Kings Canyon National Park. Don't camp here; anywhere there are bear boxes there will also be bears...

A little extra protein in my drinking water; probably a Mayfly nymph (no, I didn't really consume it.) Sierra water sources, suitably chosen, have excellent water which is cool, aerated, and measurably lower in pathogens than any city water supply as established by several scientific studies. If you're carrying a water filter in the Sierra Nevada you're carrying useless weight.

Fresh bear paw-print along the trail; I saw bear poop here and there too.

Sugarloaf, a small granite dome along the northern edge of Sugarloaf Valley.

Mountains to east along Great Western Divide; I believe one of these is Mount Brewer but am not sure. Note paucity of snow even at higher altitudes; the snowfall that winter had been barely above the minimum ever recorded.

Sugarloaf from east side in late afternoon.

The log I used to cross Sugarloaf Creek; I wasn't too eager to get my shoes wet by wading the stream as it was getting late in the day so I backtracked a ways to this log rather than using the trail crossing.

Photo looking up Ferguson Creek while standing on a rock mid-stream; rocks were placed so that the crossing could be done without getting your feet wet, at least at this water level.

Getting ready to break camp the following morning; my "Bristlecone-brown" Ray-Way quilt, which I was using for the first time on this trip, can be seen inside my Lunar Solo E. My camp here is along Roaring River about a mile northwest of the Roaring River summer-ranger station.

Early-morning sunbeams on Roaring River, Kings Canyon National Park.

Trail along the bottom of the Roaring River canyon. Very placid.

Looking back to southeast towards the junction of Deadman and Cloud Canyons, with Great Western Divide on skyline.

Sugarloaf creek, with crossing log I'd used the previous day in distance.

The crossing of Sugarloaf creek. looking back after crossing. I waded across this day since I needed the practice and it would keep my feet cool. The drill is to remove shoes and socks, take out insoles, and put shoes back on. Once on the other side, remove shoes and wring them out, dry feet with green rag, reinstall insoles and then don one pair of liner socks, swapping out the socks after a half-hour or so of walking. Works great!

Trying not to sink too deep into Comanche Meadow. Nice!

Forest floor texture and shadows near the base of a large tree.

Mmmm, getting a nice cool drink. Ahhh!

Looking northwest towards Big Meadows road area.

Jolly yellow flowers along the trail near the end of my hike. Completely satisfactory outing!