Aug 14: King's River -- Evolution Meadow & Lake -- Alpine bliss

While we get out of the Puite camp about the same time, I lag behind this morning from taking a couple panoramas along the rugged San Joaquin River canyon. The knarly metamorphic rock and sun-baked vegetation definitely feels like southern Sierra country.

After Aspen Meadow I went slowly uphill to Franklin Meadow and the river crossing. I run into David and rest there for awhile.

For some reason, perhaps my cold, I’m really tired and we haven’t even done any big climbs. I decide to charge up the steep grade. It’s slow going and after awhile I catch up to David and Susan as the trail comes to some waterfalls/cascades. We pass a bronzed guy sunbathing along the Evolution Creek and come up to the crossing. Finally the running shoes get used as watershoes. We are passed by several people at the stream crossing as I re-apply new moleskin and David talks to a group of women.

A little bit later I spot a nice viewpoint in the Evolution Meadow and shoot it. There’s a few tiny wildflowers but it’s pretty dried out. The trail needlessly goes up and down on the base of the canyon walls. A theory develops that these up-and-downs are the trail-maker’s attempt to apply Darwinian selection to all who enter the valley. We reach the ranger station in McClure Meadow and don’t see the ranger, but do see a bunch of people lounging around. In fact they didn’t bother moving while I shot a panorama, although at the very end they finally decided to disappear, and so I reshot one angle to get this final composition.

Hours later, David and I reach the end of Evolution Valley and the beginning of a steep vertical climb to our campsite for the day, Evolution Lake.

As we gasp into Evolution Lake, Susan had picked out a fine campsite. I don't know how long she had been waiting but it seemed clear she possessed speed and endurance that few others on the trail could match. As we made camp, the sun was going down and the incredible granite formations tinged in pink formed an unforgetable view. According to The Guide to the John Muir Trail by Winnett & Morey, “The land here is nearly as scoured as when the ice left it 10,000 years ago, and the aspect all around is one of newborn nakedness.”

We had an enjoyable evening, despite my burning my light gloves on the stove, rendering them useless. Once again I didn’t set up my tent, but slept on a thin layer of earth on top of a granite slab. There’s a few other parties within earshot.

Equipment

View the overall trip map

Select (non-pano) Views from this trip

Other panoramas in this Park

Go back to JMT1