We decided to leave Santa Cruz at 6:00, the drive was almost five hours to Roads End in Kings Canyon. We were hiking in the off season for Kings so we didn't have a recreation.gov rez and we didn't need to pay for park entry which was nice. I hadn't been backpacking with my sister since we were kids so I was excited to show her the ropes. Although, I didn't know exactly how it would go. We planned to get into Gardiner Basin, one of the most remote areas in the Sierras. No trails. High elevation. Unknown passes to us. I have read Secor, Arnot, and Roper accounts, but no matter how much I read I never feel fully prepared for a new cross-country route. Our plan was to get to Sixty Lakes Basin via Rae Col from the top of Glen Pass, then head West over Sixty Lakes Col into Gardiner Basin. But I kept telling Cara if we ever feel out of our comfort zone we can bail, the Rae Lakes loop is always there. We could get to Glen Pass and see how we feel... More on this later.

We started hiking around 11:00 at 5,000ft from Roads End and our aim was to get to at least Junction Meadow at 8,200ft. I have fond memories of hiking Zumwalt Meadow, but it is always hard climbing ~5,000ft to our destination. Very low western Sierra start. Interestingly I found an obsidian arrow head! I had heard the natives had knapping fields in the high sierra but I never thought I'd find a piece on a well trodden trail! Anyway we hiked to Junction Meadow by 17:00 and decided we could push on to Lower Vidette Meadow before it was too late. We made it by 18:00, yes it was getting dark, getting water was a little tricky. But we made it work, cooked quickly, and went to bed.

We woke up at 7:00, I never sleep well, but I think Cara was more unaccustomed to the "noisiness" of the Thermarest Neoair inflatable mattress. We decided to sleep a comfy distance apart on subsequent nights! The first day was supposed to be the hardest at 13 miles and about 5,000ft of climbing, while day two was supposed to be moderate at 8 miles and only 2,500ft of climbing. That changed quickly! After our customary oats and coffee we were on the trail by 8:00, a solid start.

We made it to the saddle above Vidette Meadow by 9:30 near the confluence of the Kearsarge Pass trail, Charlotte Lake trail and the JMT. It was incredibly sandy up there, giving off an appearance similar to what I imagine the surface of the Moon would be.

The trail to Glen Pass is pretty moderate, not too much climbing compared to the first day, but still a fair bit over a much shorter period. But as we climbed we saw some clouds creeping up Charlotte Creek, which would ultimately change our decision to go cross-country into Gardiner Basin! It started slowly and didn't cause any concern, merely a natural beauty to behold. It quickly engulfed us entirely! Certainly a unique, amazing experience, but also freezing and windy which zapped our warmth. It also made us realize that we were unprepared for real cold, by the time we reached the apex of Glen Pass, we made the decision to stick to the Rae Lakes loop and save Gardiner Basin for another time.

Day 2 was supposed to be "easy", but after deciding to bail on Gardiner we had a lot of miles to cover.

The cold and wind hadn't quite set in when we reached the top, but it didn't take long before it changed our thoughts on Gardiner.

While eating lunch at the beautiful Rae Lakes we decided we had to now do 15 miles instead of the original 8 to get into Gardiner. We had to go! It was still nice to enjoy the break in one of the most beautiful areas in Kings Canyon. We saw tons of trout in the lake and wished we had our fishing rods. Maybe next time. For now - marching miles.

We got to Woods Creek by 17:00 and we were beat! 2,500ft of climbing then 3,400ft of descent! Our dogs were barking. Cara had to wrap up her feet, but avoided getting any blisters. There were some great camp sites on the South side of the suspension bridge, but we decided to see if we could find any better closer to Woods Creek. We ended up walking maybe a half mile West down Woods Creek and found an old Cowboy campsite, possibly a trail maintainer site or stock site. There were some stumps for sitting and a fire ring which we didn't use. We found some nice flat spots for our camp and had another pretty early night. I brought mountain house "Chicken in Adobo Sauce" with tortillas and Tapatio. Very content.

It was hard waking up on day 3, the temperature mid October really dropped. It was definitely below freezing, but without a thermometer, I can't be entirely sure what it was. Probably in the 20's. All our water froze and I woke up covered in frost and ice! Luckily my REI sleeping bag from 2010 still keeps me warm! Day 3 was pretty chill, we only hiked 11 miles and it was essentially all down hill. We had a solid hour long break at an amazing spot on Woods Creek. We got a great dip in the freezing river in. I have never felt so clean!

Since our day 3 was pretty chill we took an hour long break by Woods Creek, got a good rinse on!

Merely fifteen minutes later we were crossing the mighty South Fork of the Kings River, making our way to Lower Paradise Valley. It really does live up to its name. The route south is a gentle slope, the trail is pleasant and soft, beautiful scenery on either side of us. It really is a paradise to hike in. The old bridge over the Kings River was washed away during the 2016-2017 season from severe flooding so we had to cross the old fashioned way. I jumped over some rocks maybe 100ft south of the junction with Woods Creek and Cara took her shoes off and walked in the shallows. The trail was only a few hundred feet from the shore but it was a little confusing finding the path amongst the huge group of dozens of campsites. Eventually we found it and started hiking south.

We got to Lower Paradise Valley by 15:00. An early day for us! After setting up camp, we explored the space, soaked our feet in the water, played some cards and just hung out. It got cold pretty quick so we bundled up while we ate dinner. We decided to get up early and make the last six miles to the car quickly so we can get home at a reasonable hour.

Day 4

I think we woke up at 5:30 or 6:00, we skipped brekky, made a celsius energy drink and got our snacks ready for the day and we were off. The sun wasn't even fully up so it was freezing! We hiked in our long johns and jackets on. There were moments of complete zen. They're rare, but after four days of hiking especially during the early mornings, all thought would cease and I would become lost in the moment. It would come back pretty quick, but those are the moments I backpack for. Surrounded by pristine stillness and beauty before the world awakes doing what my body was designed to do, walk. Truly a pleasure to share with my sister. I think we'll do this every year.