Darn near perfect overnighter

“

On Sunday I drove up to Kings Canyon National Park to do an overnight backpack trip with MaximusII (he posts on the other site but I don't think he does over here...) I had originally planned this trip with mtmnslady but she had to work Monday so I'm glad Brett could go! We met at the Grant Grove Visitor Center and there we got our wilderness permit. They are now charging a $15 fee per trip but the lady who wrote the permit did a very thorough job so we joked and said we guess she'd earned it!

After getting the permit we were off to the Rowell Meadow Trailhead (sometimes called the Sunset Meadow Trailhead). The trailhead is on the Sequoia National Forest off of the Big Meadows Road. Because it's a little ways off the main park road, the General's Highway, not many people go there. There were a few cars at the trailhead and we met a few hikers and horseback riders on their way out but we ended up having Seville Lake all to ourselves

The trail climbs steadily through a dense red fir forest then switchbacks up a dry, rocky ridge. The red fir give way to plants that can tolerate the sunny slope better such as Sierra juniper and carpets of manzanita and chinquapin. After about a mile and a half you turn north slightly and the trail follows a little creek up to Rowell Meadow. Here we passed the turn to JO Pass and then stopped for a minute at the Rowell Meadow Guard Station. I looked at the map and was a bit confused. The trail to Seville Lake looked like it might have split from the one going to JO Pass so we backtracked a bit and headed out that trail a little bit. But if it split, it split soon from that trail, and we did not see it. So we went back to the Guard Station and continued on a little bit further, crossed a creek, then saw the trail to Seville. Brett was very good natured about doing a little bit of backtracking to make sure we had the right trail.

The trail went around Rowell Meadow and crossed another creek. Here the forest is mainly stands of lodgepole pine. There were a few flowers still blooming, asters and ranger's buttons among them. Then the trail climbed gradually to a saddle point and then descended quite sharply down to Sugarloaf Creek.

At Sugarloaf Creek we could've gone on to Lost Lake, if we had more energy and hadn't spent time backtracking back at Rowell Meadow. But Seville Lake was a good enough destination we thought. From the creek it's about one mile to Seville Lake. After heading up the trail what seemed like a mile I began to have my doubts that Seville Lake was actually up there. Brett and I joked, "Anyone see a lake around here?"

But soon enough we found ourselves at Seville. It's a beautiful little lake surrounded by steep granite cliffs. There are two bear boxes at the lake so you do not need to bring a bear canister, unless you suspect that there would be lots of others at the lake. But as I said, we had it to ourselves. We camped on the west shore of the lake.

After setting up our tents I decided to go for a swim. Brett, well, I don't think he actually swam, but I did coax him into the refreshing water. I swam perhaps a third of the way across the lake and lay back and floated for a bit. What a nice way to end the day!

After I changed into fleece pants and a fleece top Brett mentioned he hadn't brought the legs to his convertible pants and he wish he had. I gave him my legs that went to mine to try to zip to his shorts and sure enough, they worked! Well, once you turned one inside out so the zipper was aligned! The legs were a different color and I said that he'd probably start a trend, lol

On the north shore of the lake there is a big rock that juts out a bit into the lake and we sat and soaked up the last of the sun there. The rock was warm and Brett said it did wonders for his back which was hurting a bit on the hike in. As we were lying there watching the clouds float overhead we suddenly heard a duck. Yes, a duck, a mallard, at a High Sierra lake! Brett named her Matilda and she wasn't shy at all and came up right to us on the rock.

Unfortunately when I was up on the rock one of my rings fell off my pinky finger and fell into the water. It was too deep to reach without getting really wet and it was getting dark so I didn't want to do that again and risk getting chilled. It landed near a rock so I hoped it would still be there in the morning and sure enough it was

We then cooked and ate dinner and relaxed and watch the full moon rise over Ball Dome. It was a nice night, it wasn't too cold and there were only a couple of mosquitos out and about.

In the morning I had cinnamon roll oatmeal for breakfast (it's the best!) and we packed up and headed out. The first mile and a half wasn't too bad, but then there was the slog back uphill to the saddle between the creek and meadow. This part of the trail is also quite sandy so it was a challenge, but we made it!

We made pretty good time on the way back and were at the trailhead by around 2:00 pm. We said goodbye there and Brett headed back to So. Cal and me to Springville. Brett's a very nice guy, he has a great sense of humor and is easy-going (great when the ranger gets lost, lol) and I hope that we'll get to do a trip together again!

Complete Trip Report with Pictures Seville Lake”

“Wow that's a beautiful place. Is that in California. I would love to go there someday. Looks like something right out of a calander. Very nice!”

“Yep, in the western Sierra Nevada mountains in California :)”

“thanks :) I really like reading TR's with pictures to show.

Sure is a beautiful place.”

“Beary nice report.”

“Gorgeous! Hey, did I read you correctly? $15 for a backpacking permit? So it's $20 to get into the National Park and another $15 just to backpack?”

“Buck, yep, $15 per trip, even if it's just an overnighter!

But I don't worry about the entrance fee, I have a NP Pass...”

“Was it $15 because you did an early reservation over the phone, or did they still charge you $15 over and above the entrance fee just for an overnighter?

I am EXTREEEEMELY anti freaking public-wilderness land user fees. It goes against everything that the wilderness stands for... collectively owned public land that is free for all, not barring anyone due to cashola, and should be funded collectively through our tax dollars and not charged pay-per-hike like it's some commodity to be bought and sold. ARRGGHH!!! I see it happening more and more everywhere. America's wildlands: Home of the fee, land of the paid.”

“Anyway, sorry, I don't wanna go off subject... that really is a great photo of a gorgeous area, and your report was wonderfully written! Hopefully we can hook up for a trip sometime, we're sorta local, in a way, a little, sure.”

“It's $10 to reserve a permit... $15 for a permit whether or not you reserved it.

I'm not anti-fee because I've seen some great improvements and upkeeps that the fees go towards. The bottom line is that congress isn't appropriating enough funds to National Parks and Forests for them to operate with all the increased visitation over the past 20 years... If you don't want to have to pay a fee then you better be writing your congresspeople and telling them to allocate a little more of your tax money to the Parks and Forests...

Anyway, yeah, whatcha doin Sept 20-24? That's my next trip :)”

“Nice Pics and report Ziggy!
I luv dragonflies :)

Hey Buck...yeah it's true they charged me $15 just for an overnighter when Tekdude and I climbed Alta Peak...it kinda freaked me out when the ranger asked me for green backs”

“Yeah, I get a bit freaked at the price of entering State and Federal lands, but like Bear Crossing said.”

“Windy, the dragonflies at Seville were the biggest I have ever seen! They were like 747 dragonflies or something, lol That one was just sitting on the tree perfectly still except his eyes were moving a little...”

“"I am EXTREEEEMELY anti freaking public-wilderness land user fees. It goes against everything that the wilderness stands for... collectively owned public land that is free for all, not barring anyone due to cashola, and should be funded collectively through our tax dollars and not charged pay-per-hike like it's some commodity to be bought and sold. ARRGGHH!!! I see it happening more and more everywhere. America's wildlands: Home of the fee, land of the paid."
Buck
06:54:53 PM

Buck, you dang socialist!”

“Blame it on the Blue Ribbon Coalition. The "fee-demo" project has become permanent -- both as a way to subsidized slashed National Park and Forest funding and as a way to prepare you for the in-road of EcoWorld themeparks...

Nice trip report and pics BTW...”

“Actually Fee Demo may become permanent for National Parks but not Forests, looks like it's on its way out there. People are willing to pay to visit Parks but not Forests...”

“roseymonster, wrong-o, the Fee Demo program was Al Gore's baby. This was introduced during the Clinton Administration and championed and defended and nurtured by Al Gore.

For those who say, "oh well" and are willing to pay since Congress won't, well you're playing into the hands of an irresponsible Congress in this regard. The public land funds are to be properly appropriated by Congress out of our collective tax dollars so all have access to this basic right. It's "our" land. Congress knows they can turn their back on funding our wild areas because they know people will want to protect cute little fuzzy animals and pretty places and will be willing to whip out thier wallets and purses with no protest. It's blackmail and it's wrong. These are our public lands. Men and women died for such basic rights for our citizens. And now to tax us AGAIN to enter our OWN land just to see beautiful mountains and lakes and clear skies and fresh air? The land is already ours, paid for through tax dollars. It's like if I owned my own business, like a Baskin-Robbins, and the manager I hired to help run the place now charges me to enter my own freaking store? Huh? And it's also taxation without representation. Do YOU get to vote on how much should be charged? When National Park entrance fees went from $5 to $20 overnight, did YOU have a say? What official can you vote for or against in support or protest of this tax? None. They determine the tax, when and how much and where, and you have no say. All so you can look at such basic American rights as pretty mountains and waterfalls and lakes and rivers that you already own. It sucks and I will never ever cave to the argument of, "oh well, since Congress won't properly pay for it like they are supposed to, I'll do it for the cute little animals." No way. The pressure needs to be squarely on Congress to do their job properly in the first place. Hi.”

“its already been paid for. I purchase a NP pass which I upgrade to a golden eagle. This waives all admission charges at ALL public lands, but to charge a backcountry fee is rediculous...up the campground fees! those are the places where people need to pay for heated restrooms, toilet paper, parking lights, landscaping and maintenance...but the back country needs no supervision, nor should we pay for what is an inherent right...

I'm with buck!!! I am and shall remain...Stikmon!!!”

“great report and great photos...I have a copy of an Ansel Adams photo on my desk of Kings Canyon. It is a shot of Mt Clarence King Pool. Nice shot and I really like looking at it.”

“thanks, stikmon...”