In defense of the day hike: Thoughts from Rae in a day

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c9h13no3
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Re: In defense of the day hike: Thoughts from Rae in a day

Post by c9h13no3 »

Yeah, I take an emergency blanket and a rain jacket. I wouldn't be comfortable, but I'd be fine.

Course, that soft sandy ground and the emergency blanket start looking pretty tempting around mile 35. "I'll just lay down here, and finish up tomorrow".
"Adventure is just bad planning." - Roald Amundsen
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Gazelle
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Re: In defense of the day hike: Thoughts from Rae in a day

Post by Gazelle »

When I dayhike I take enough to be able to spend the night, always have my emergency bivy, some extra clothes, and more than enough food, headlamp on almost every trip.
The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. Albert Einstein
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creekfeet
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Re: In defense of the day hike: Thoughts from Rae in a day

Post by creekfeet »

You have to be in crazy good shape to complete Rae Lakes in one day! My hat's off to anyone that can do that. Count me in as someone that's also a huge fan of the day hike, although I would put my limit at 20 miles or less, with no running whatsoever. I used to work in Sequoia, and would only get two days off at a time, so as a result I would do lots of pretty ambitious day-hikes. Here's a partial list if anyone's interested in some long, butt-kicking, beautiful day-hikes in SEKI.

1) Lodgepole Campground to Ranger Lake and Back (20 Miles)

2) Lodgepole Campground to Jennie Lake and Back (16 Miles)
Jennie Lake can also be accessed in a slightly shorter distance from two other trailheads, but this is the only way I've done it.

3) Lodgepole Campground to Mt. Silliman, Silliman Lake, or Little Lakes
Where the Twin Lakes trail passes Silliman Creek, look for the social trail that follows the creek. It's about the most well-defined social trail you'll ever find. Follow the trail until the creek forks. The left fork takes you to Little Lakes, a charming, forgotten mini-basin in the shadow of Mt. Silliman. The right fork takes you to the mountain itself and its namesake lake. This can be done as a loop by skirting across the Silliman Crest to Horse Creek and descending to the Tokopah Falls Trail. However, this descent of Horse Creek is pretty damn harrowing.

4) Copper Creek to Granite Basin and Back (18 miles)
My buddy and I did this when we were super hungover. We didn't get to the trail until 11:00 AM, which is the worst possible time to start up Copper Creek. We saw a ranger at the trailhead and told her our planned hike, and for some unknown reason she didn't caution us against it. We slammed beers as we ascended the switchbacks to fight off the hangover, but my friend still wound up puking. But somehow we made it to the basin without further incident, and didn't return to my car until 12:00 PM.

5) Road's End to Paradise Valley and Back
There's plenty of nice swimming holes and spots past Mist Falls, and you can walk pretty damn far without getting tired since it's essentially flat the whole way to Woods Creek.

6. Deep Canyon Loop
This route is insane, but it leads to what I'd argue is one of the most remote parts of the park in terms of visitation, despite the fact that you're never further than a couple miles as the crow flies from the General Sherman. Park at Pinewood Picnic Area and descend Sherman Creek to the Marble Fork. Follow the Marble Fork to the cave road, and take the abandoned trail at the bridge up to Sunset Rock. Take your choice of Giant Forest trail back from there. This section of the Marble Fork requires quite a bit of wading/swimming to get through, but once again, it's as remote as it gets, and it's right in the heart of the frontcountry. The reward is the best swimming holes in the park.
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