Day 1: 15+ miles to Hamilton Lakes. It had been under snow for most of the summer and there had been trail damage due to a heavy winter, but as soon as the trails were clear, I got a 3-day backpacking trip on the books. Where: Sequoia National Park, High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow California Who: Ben, Jen, Paula When: June 27th-30th 2016 Permits: Required with a daily quota, book ASAP to get the dates and trail head you want.Fees associated. Day 2: 12 miles to Precipice and back with an evening of camping at Buck Creek. Sure, Precipice Lake is a beauty—Ansel Adams agreed when he made it famous in his iconic photograph. Bearpaw Meadow, 11.4 miles; Hamilton Lakes, 16.6 miles The trail from Crescent Meadow quickly emerges from the Giant forest and then follows a steep canyon alongside the middle fork of the Kaweah River. (8.8), or Buck Cr. Whitney.From the grandeur of Hamilton Lakes Basin and Precipice Lake, to the awe inspiring Big Arroyo and Kern River Valley, the High Sierra Trail is some of the best that Sequoia National Park has to offer. Mileages shown are from Crescent Meadow. Our plan was to do a loop from Crescent meadow on the High Sierra Trail to the Big Arroyo cut off, looping through Little Five Lakes, over Black Rock Pass, … We camped at Bearpaw Meadow the first night and third nights and Precipice Lake the second night. Trip Report: High Sierra Trail, Crescent Meadow to Precipice Lake & Kaweah Gap July 24, 2014 There was plenty of light by 5:30, but I didn't get started till around 5:50am. They had taken two days just to get to where we were. Itinerary. We began the day with a stiff climb heading out of the canyon up to Bearpaw Meadow… location of a luxurious high … ... Precipice Lake. Whitney, but getting to Whitney Portal makes the total hike length 72.2 miles. That afternoon, it began raining. They were a couple from San Diego, and when I told them that I had started at Crescent Meadow and was going to head up to Upper Precipice before dark, they thought I was mildly insane. (Bypass Moraine Lake and Upper Funston Meadow and save 1.2 miles.) But location counts a lot, too, and icy Precipice, which sits at 10,300 feet inside a bowl of sheer granite, couldn’t be better situated: at the end of … The High Sierra Trail begins in Crescent Meadow on the fringe of Giant Forest and travels through some of Sequoia National Park's most scenic backcountry. Precipice Lake sits at 10,000ft but the slow ascent of the High Sierra trail … This is, also, where hikers get their first view of the impressive peaks forming the Western Divide, a powerful reminder of what lies ahead. All campsites west of Whitney, except Guitar Lake, have bear boxes. It was already getting warm, but fortunately there is a lot of morning shade on the first part of the trail. The lake really is a destination in itself. Day 3 – Buck Canyon camp to Precipice Lake: 10 miles This was to be a long day with lots of steep climbing over 13 miles, so we got an early start. The High Sierra Trail has two great ascents – the first one over Kaweah Gap and the Great Western Divide, and the second over the Eastern Sierra and Trail Crest at Mt. The official trail length is 61.5 miles from Crescent Meadow to Mt. Campsites are situated at key points along the trail. On July 22, 1997, I hit the trail ready to hike to Precipice Lake. I did not make it that far. Plus, it passes right by a lake that had been on my dream list for a long time - Precipice Lake. We did this trip in 4 days, 3 nights. The mileage broke down to 11-9-9-11 roughly. I can definitely respect that. Most people complete their High Sierra Trail itinerary in 6-8 days. Backpacking the High Sierra Trail. Mehrten Cr., Nine Mile Cr. Day 3: 10 miles out to Crescent Meadow.