GoPro and battery charging system worked well. Atwell-Hockett Trail: Begins at Atwell Mill Campground. Some of the best trout fishing I've ever had backpacking was on that loop. 31.15 miles of absolute bliss and solitude! Tar Gap to Hockett Meadow, Evelyn Lake, Blossom Lake, Little Kern, and Farewell Gap. Route. Gender category. If you’ve got some time to spare, this 5-day Mineral King backpacking loop is a must-do. Mineral King Loop, July 20-24. 45 miles. Franklin Pass / Sawtooth Pass Loop. A challenging yet rewarding loop in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park, CA. Daily updates and our location we be posted to this page. Day 1: The infamous Mineral Kings Road, unavoidable for hikes out of the Mineral King trailhead, lived up to its reputation as a twisty, seemingly endless road. Mineral king Loop. By tradition, backpackers leave a vehicle there for a few days, and when they return, the vehicle has been completely disabled by marmots. Description. After 15+ years of waiting, my boots (trail runners, more accurately) finally touched the trails of Mineral King. No. Mineral King is a little known section of Sequoia. A bit worried about the high mountain passes that early in the season. Help keep our trails and parks open during COVID-19 by committing to social distancing. The traditional Mineral King Loop includes Pinto Lake, Black Rock Pass, Little 5 Lakes, Columbine Lake, and Sawtooth Pass. Mineral King (7,525-ft.) is truly a special place. Mineral King Hiking. Download the GPS file Backpacking Loop out of Sequoia's Mineral King. Download the free, full-sheet USGS 7.5 Minute (1:24,000 scale) Mineral King topo map as an Adobe PDF. The loop is ~45 miles long and was one of my favorites! Over the past dozen years, I've led small groups on week-long trips to California's Sierra Nevada. Otherwise, you’ll be climbing Sawtooth Pass on Day 1 and this is possibly the sloggiest slog that ever slogged on the west side of the Sierra. Thanks! Total time. Male. Mineral King, California topographic map and nearby trails. I did a variation of the loop that off-trailed over Glacier Pass to Spring Lake, then hooked back up to the trail at Black Rock in 2017. This was my first trip to Mineral King so the drive out was exciting. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. 45 miles. We’d originally planned to do a more traditional loop out of Mineral King: over Franklin Pass, through Big Five Lakes, and … save hide report. FKT: Josh Grant - Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) - 2020-06-13. This trip covers diverse terrain, from granite cirques, verdant meadows, and alpine lakes to high alpine scrambling passes, granite peaks, and scree. The adventure described below is an extended version of this traditional hike, which includes part of the famous scenery of the High Sierra Trail, while still maintaining the convenient loop … Vertical Gain. Gear that worked well: My Black Diamond hiking poles saved me, literally. Popular stock trail. No matter which way you do this loop you will have a lot of climbing, but I strongly recommend going clockwise as we did. Marmots crawl up under the vehicle and chew electrical wiring and radiator hoses, and they even drink anti-freeze that […] Much thanks. A great… I’ll reserved to pack the Mineral King loop in early August. The trail begins at the Mineral King Pack Station. Also can I expect the franklin pass stream and timber gap stream to be a reliable water source? The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Three R…, CA. Mineral King Loop 25.6 mi 41.3 km • 9,101' Up 2773.89 m Up • 9,091' Down 2771.03 m Down. Giant sequoia grove, meadows. Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Route: Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Submitted by Josh Grant on Sun, 06/14/2020 - 08:50am. Drove up to Cold Springs Campground out at the end of Mineral King Road. An elongated cirque of peaks, towering over 11,000-ft., rise above the valley floor. Note that Sawtooth Pass is Cross-country (no trail) and is best to cross it from east to west as the western face is steep and sandy / loose gravel. Would love some input from people who have hiked in that area before. Easy to moderate climb. It is well worth enduring the poorly maintained, 25-mile Mineral King Road to access this subalpine glacial valley; you will not be disappointed. at the the Sawtooth Trailhead in the Mineral King Valley of Sequoia National Park. Mineral King Loop Trip Report & Photos Monday August 29, 2011: Travel Day. 20 comments. Unsupported. We’d originally planned to do a more traditional loop out of Mineral King: over Franklin Pass, through Big Five Lakes, and … The twenty miles of sparely built road winding up steep foothills are as scenic as Glacier National Park’s Road to the Sun, but have a much more wild and rugged feel. The valley lies at the headwaters of the East Fork of the Kaweah River, which rises at the eastern part of the valley and flows northwest.Accessed by a long and narrow winding road, the valley is mostly popular with backpackers and hikers. 3 Days / 3 Nights. Water socks were nice for camp shoes. Mileage for the Mineral King Loop: 8.5 + 6.3 + 8.2 + 2 = 25. Tar Gap to Hockett Meadow, Evelyn Lake, Blossom Lake, Little Kern, and Farewell Gap. My new Hanwag hiking boots were bomber. Monarch had fish, but I remember the camping opportunities to be exposed/crowded. Wilderness permits for the following trails are only issued from the Mineral King Ranger Station. Be careful out there: Dangerously intense, prolonged, and humid heatwave for most of California : Weather West. Finish date. Just the drive up to the trailhead is a mind-bender ( and don’t forget to marmot-proof your rig at the end of the drive). 2020 Mineral King Loop Backpacking Trek. 3 Day Loop hike through the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park including Franklin Pass, Black Rock Pass, Glacier Pass (we think), and Sawtooth Pass. Looks like an awesome backcountry trip. Mineral King is a trailhead/campground in the southern part of Sequoia National Park. Style. I was very pleased with Cold Springs Campground. 9475 ft. Distance. 2020-06-13. 16 comments. Helinox Zero chair was worth the weight. Answer 1 of 6: I finally got around to writing a trip report for a backpacking trip I did from the Mineral King trailhead in the fall of 2015. I was also in the area two years ago, hiking a more southern loop CCW from Mineral King -> Franklin Pass -> Big Five Lakes -> Sawtooth Pass. 251. Some trails or park services may be closed this weekend so check with local authorities before heading out. Mineral King Loop Trip Report. Day 1: From Mineral King to Franklin Lakes Day 2: From Franklin Lakes to Little Claire Lake Day 3: From Little Claire Lake to Little Five Lakes Day 4: From Woods Lakes to Rae Lakes Day 5: From Rae Lakes to Onion Valley Campground. 50 miler trek in Sequoia National Park. White Chief Trail The White Chief mine, claimed by James Crabtree in 1873, made Mineral King a household name among miners of that time. Trek dates 7/24-7/31. On the other side the route goes down and around the Forrester and Little Claire Lakes. Mineral King Loop, July 20-24. The truth, though, is that the Mineral King loop is hard to beat. I planned to come back through the Pyra-Queen Col where I would complete a loop back to my starting point via the High Sierra Trail. Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Route variation. First allowed campsite - Clover Creek (6 miles). I’ll never forget flipping through those brochures in awe of kids jumping off rocks into alpine lakes. 2020-06-13. Location. There are several day and multi-day backcountry hiking loop options available This is my first time in the Sierra alpine area, what can I expect temperature wise between 6-12k at that time of year? Also camped at the middle of the Big Five Lakes, but the fishing there was much worse (I don't think we caught anything). So did iPhone as camera only. Standard loop. Posted by 6 days ago. Josh Grant. Mineral King loop This adventure is a 5 day hike in the Mineral King section of Sequoia National Park. First of all Mineral King is a hard place to get up to. The bigger plan was to move through Mineral King into Nine Lakes Basin, then cross Pants Pass into the Kaweah Basin and summit Triple Divide Peak and Picket Guard Peak. Suggested itinerary is noted in different colors. 30.6 mi. I just got a permit for late June. share. 2010 Mineral King Loop. Mineral King is a subalpine glacial valley located in the southern part of Sequoia National Park, in the U.S. state of California. 5 likes. The Mineral King area of California's Sequoia National Park provides hiking access to some of the most spectacular high country in the southern Sierra. The route travels 36.3 miles over Franklin Pass, Black Rock Pass, and Timber Gap totaling 12,140ft of gain. Anybody ever hiked the Mineral King Loop? Mineral King is a favorite of mine. This route starts at the Sawtooth pass trail head in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. The loop starts at the end of Mineral King Rd. Description: Classic loop from the Mineral King trailhead along Timber Gap, Blackrock Pass, Big Five Lakes, Lost Canyon, Columbine Lake, Sawtooth Pass and back. Start date. Log in or register to post comments; Athletes. Mineral King Valley. Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 27.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. California, US. 202. Multi-sport. Near Three Rivers, California. 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