Date Hiked: 13 October 2019
Distance: 12 miles
Elevation Gain: 2500 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Wolverton Road in Sequoia National Park
Over Columbus Day weekend I had my sights set on Yosemite, but after spending a whole day in California's favorite national park, I wanted to consider other parks in the area. I saw the little green blobs on Google Maps that were Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks. I always associated Sequoia National Park with giant trees towering from the forest floor (and rightfully so), but it, and its twin park King's Canyon, had so much more to offer than just big trees.
To start, Sequoia is really the perfect national park. To get to the entrance of the park, I drove up and up a beautiful winding road enveloped by lush forest. The shrubbery that lined the road was already turning shades of yellow and orange. Because it's a bit overshadowed by nearby Yosemite, traffic and crowds were low even during Columbus Day weekend. However, the park still had the infrastructure to support a large number of overnight guests. The Lodgepole area includes a small grocery store, self-service laundry, and a grill-style restaurant.
After stocking up on snacks for my hike, I headed to the trailhead for the Lakes Trail. The trail weaved in and out of Sequoia groves for the first three miles, occasionally opening up to clearings or crossing over small streams. The elevation gain is pretty gradual, but the altitude contributed to me fatiguing a little easier than usual.
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| The first half of the trail cuts through lush forest |
At the halfway point I was forced to decide between taking The Watchtower trail to the first lake or a trail named The Hump. The Watchtower features jaw-dropping views of a sheer granite wall of the same name and an underlying canyon. This trail is closed once icy conditions hit the park. It's pretty narrow in places and traverses steep cliffs. I was grateful that The Watchtower was still open the day I decided to hike it. I took a moment to rest and drink water at the overlook into the canyon and it was one of the highlights of my trip.
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| Fall colors can be seen in the shrubbery that lies in the canyon beneath The Watchtower |
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| The Watchtower is closed in the winter for good reason |
The trail opens up a bit more after this point and it was only another before I came up to the first lake on the hike, Heather Lake. The lake was a deep green color and surrounded by granite cliffs and loose rock. It was the perfect alpine lake and I was eager to see more. After Heather Lake, the trail transitions into rolling hills as opposed to steady incline.
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| The are several shoot-offs from the trail that lead to the shore of the lake |
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| The trail settles out after Heather Lake |
It was just another mile to the next lake, Emerald Lake. Emerald Lake was my personal favorite because of how enclosed it felt by the granite cliffs. There was also a smooth and flat boulder right by the shore that made a good place for my lunch. I sat there for probably half an hour, just soaking in the views and the sunshine. By this point, I was pretty fatigued. I hadn't done any hiking at over 8,000 ft in a while, and my body was feeling it. For this reason, I decided not to push on the last mile to the final lake on the trail. I was perfectly satiated by the sheer cliffs, the green alpine lakes, and the larger-than-life trees, so I called it a day and headed back.
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| Emerald Lake would be a perfect place to set up camp for sunrise or sunset |
Most of the people I saw during this hike were backpackers who were coming back from the primitive campsites at the lakes or headed there to set up for the night. I must say that I felt pretty jealous of them. I would love to be able to see sunrise and sunset by the lakes and stay up to see the dark night sky over Sequoia. Even though this hike was left me feeling fatigued, I loved every minute of it and hope to come back on a backpacking trip one day.
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| The Lakes Trail was beautiful in fall and I would love to see it in spring |
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