Below is a listing of images and standard GIF images of our backpacking trip in Aug 2001 in Sequoia NP. The trip, which started at the Wolverton trailhead, is about a 6 miles trek to Pear Lake with an elevation climb of over 2000 feet. The trail is located off of the General Grant road in Sequoia NP. The first part of the trail is through a shaded fir forest until you reach the Watchtower trail. About a 1/2 mile in on the Watchtower trail, begins the part of the trail that was blasted out of the side of the canyon wall and offer a great view of Tokopah Valley and the falls below and of the Watchtower, an 8,973 foot monolith granite cliff. From the end of the Watchtower trail to Pear Lake, is a mixture of mountain and forest trails.
Camping is allowed at both Emerald and Pear Lake. My companion George had a difficult time adjusting to the high altitude and the 2000 ft elevation climb. We decided to stop and camp at Emerald Lake, about 1.5 miles short of our planned destination at Pear Lake. We were able to get a great site, isolated from the rest of the campground and close to the lake. The lake was clear and there were many trouts jumping on the surface of the lake. The following day we hiked over to Pear and climbed the surrounding mountain cliff. My son, Justin, took a shortcut by climbing directly up the mountain face that separated two lakes. This was in late August and snow could still be seen on the upper mountain range. On the hike out, we could hear a large pack of coyotes barking and howling as we left.
By clicking on them you will bring up a larger JPEG view of them.
©Copyright 2002 by jkjue, all rights reserved
last updated 04/15/2002