California - Day 2, Sequoia - Wolverton Alta Peak

On the Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone, the following words are displayed:  "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People."  OPEN THE PARKS.  As if Illinois is not bad enough...  Today, the federal government shut down closing the doors to our national parks.  Would you do this in the middle of the summer?  No - so don't punish the childless, retirees, and foreign people that choose to travel in the off-peak months.  A very personal line was crossed this time.

 

On day 2, we got up early in Three Rivers and headed into the main portion of Sequoia National Park.  We had the Alta Peak hike planned this day.  After the clouds had rolled in the day before at the high elevations, we stopped to ask the ranger at the entrance station if she had any updates on weather.  She thought it felt different that day and that it would be clear - she was right!

 

 

Up the Generals Highway we went!  Soon enough, we spotted the Sequoias of the Giant Forest, but we knew we had to keep going to get an early start on this epic hike.  There were a few cars in the Wolverton parking lot, but it was obvious there would have been many more in the summer months.  We placed our food in the bear boxes, got our packs ready, and headed out (or should I say up?).

 

Alta Peak was a 13.4 mile hike with 4,000 feet vertical gain.  We knew it would be a long day.  Due to reduced services, our goal was to make it back to the Lodgepole market by 4:30 in order to secure a low cost dinner.

 

The first portion of the hike was all in forest.  It was a gentle uphill.  In fact, the first 4.6 miles gained 2,000 feet; then the last 2.1 miles gained 2,000 feet...so the first half of the hike was much easier!  The first glimpses of high sierra views came at the top of Panther Gap.

 

And boy - the views were just spectacular on this portion of the trail.

 

Soon enough, we were back in the forest again.

 

Several of the trail posts I had found online said Alta Meadow was a good alternate if you were not feeling up for Alta Peak.  It was at this point that another hiker caught up to us.  He was doing the peak, so we thought we might as well just go for it for we were feeling good.

 

The more difficult incline then began, but, you were quickly awarded with wonderful views.

 

Up...up...up...  We had seen a group of surveyors on the beginning miles of the trail, but knew that they were not going past Panther Gap.  We had seen a Frenchman at about mile 2, but he was continuing on the Lakes Trail early on.  So, at this point we knew it was just us and the other hiker that was slightly ahead of us.  We had the wilderness all to ourselves!

 

Once you get above the tree line, shade is harder to find.  So, any nice resting spot in the shade that came along (few and far between)...I took it!

 

The views were just perfection all the way.

 

We did start to get tired.  At one point (knowing the market closed at 4:30 pm), we had said that we would go until the other hiker was coming back down.

Rob definitely was ahead of me for the last portion of the hike.  Alta peaks at over 11,000 feet...so I definitely think I was feeling the altitude towards the end.

 

About 10/15 minutes from the peak, the other hiker was coming down.  Actually - he was running down!  I was amazed at his ability to navigate the descent so easily.  He informed us we were almost there; it was an easy decision at that point to just keep going.

 

I did know that the last 20/30 feet was a rock scramble. I had asked the hiker about it.  He suggested not doing it and that the area next to the rock scramble counted just the same.  He also knew that he didn't pass anyone else on the way up - so we were alone 4000 vertical feet and 6.8 miles from the trailhead.   So - I took that advice and didn't go up the last set of rocks.  Rob?  Yes -that is him doing a spiderman crawl across the granite.

 

 

The views from the peak were terrific.

 

And there was a survey marker!  (Picture taken by Rob on the high granite.)

 

 

Down down down we then went.  We made it back to the car at about 4:10 pm...enough time to get to the market.  Unfortunately, the deli and snack shop were closed for the season, and they did not have a public microwave.  Ugh!  We did buy some packaged lunchmeat and continued down the road.  At the dining room at the Wuksachi Lodge, they had a 5:15 pm reservation open - so we took it.  We ended up eating water, chili, and salads for over $30...but it was very nice.  Services were few and far between on this portion of the trip.  In Three Rivers, we had gotten a loaf of bread and peanut butter at the market...we had a lot of peanut butter sandwiches this trip.

 

And for that French hiker that we saw early on?  On our way back, we actually ran across him again (and nobody else).  He was continuing on for over a week backpacking.  So, that would put him back in Wolverton perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday.  He didn't speak good English, so I can only imagine what his confusion level will be coming back to an empty parking lot and park.