Hell For Sure: Florence Lake
Kings Canyon National Park
Sierra National Forest
DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5
Sipping a bit of water helped deal with the effects of smoke in the night and the morning is clearer again. I have decided to poll the hikers I meet as to if they are through hiking or not. The two that were already at the site are JMT sobo hikers (John Muir Trail south bound) and the two who came later are the same, but hit the greater smoke to the south and are now bailing out at Muir Ranch.
The sign at the junction says it is 16 miles down to Florence Lake, probably meaning the trailhead, and that is essentially all downhill. I thought yesterday afternoon was a long time going downhill, this will be longer. The lost elevation is much less.
Crossing a bridge to the north side of the river, it is a little more open. There are more opportunities to bask in the grand flow of water and marvel at the massive canyon.
Another bridge crosses over Piute Creek and out of the park, back into the forest. I was here once eleven years ago on a crazy and wonderful trip, but only really remember that there was manzanita around and an impression of the far canyon wall from the short section of trail I will repeat. The smoke is moving in again to hide that wall.
Another junction and it is time to leave the PCT and JMT to climbing Selden Pass while I continue gently downward to Florence Lake. In just over five miles of trail, I have met over twenty hikers, all of them through hikers. A few are north bound, at least half are bailing, and one is that most rare of creatures, a PCT sobo (south bound).
Coming to yet another junction, I continue along on the well used trail toward Muir Ranch. This gets me specifically to the ranch or a trail for a public hot spring. Neither is what I want, but an unmarked trail seems to be a cutoff. It has some roads crossing it and little indication of which is the correct direction, but I seem to guess correctly and get past it to its road. I have bumped into another dozen through hikers on this spur and there are even more hanging out down at the ranch below. Eventually, there is another trail coming in that cuts around the ranch in a better route, but I missed it at that first junction after leaving the PCT.
Past the ranch buildings, there are a number of pastures that go with it. The trail wanders away from the river and even climbs a bit. It leaves the road for short and long sections before returning and leaving again. Mule tracks seem to keep to the trail, so I figure that is the better route for walkers and stick with it. There are a few big meadows along the way. I seem to be getting below and west of the smoke now, which is quite nice.
The trail starts downward again and there is a spur to the ferry that travels the length of Florence Lake. The ranch was not the last of the people. There have been four day hikers and a section hiker who will wisely turn north once he hits the long named trails. As I drop away from it, the mule train that keeps the ranch in supplies heads down to the ferry. The downhill to reach the river seems long.
The river is a welcome sight again, especially as I am a few sips from empty on my water. Pumping water, I have spooked a garter snake which takes to the water and crosses all the way to the other side. It is amazing how well the snake can swim. I just get a little, I only have a few miles to go and there should be water at the day's finish. There are campsites on both sides of the river and a lovely bridge to get between.
Past the bridge, it is not far to my junction near a creek. I pass over a couple creeks that seem smaller and sooner than expected, but then nothing for nearly a mile. I did not see any sign for a trail and did not look closely enough at the time to see an unmarked trail. Since I saw nothing of a trail, I decide to continue on to the second trail going my way. It is only a mile further according to the map.
It is a very long mile. I think about turning back and looking more closely by the creaks for the trail, but first determine where I am on the map. The GPS says I am basically at the junction, so I give it a little further. Just 200 feet later, there is a sign. It points up a trail that does not look like it has been used this year. So much for easy to follow trails. This trail promises a high lake not much more than five miles from a trailhead, it seems like the perfect thing to get a lot of use.
Less than a quarter mile along the trail I find I was wrong, someone has been this way this year. Still supple and bright, a pink ribbon hangs more than a yard long on a pine ahead marking the trail. That should help with following it. Cairns also come at frequent intervals.
The ribbon is every few hundred feet, but I do not rely on the trail markers entirely. The trail was well used once and there is usually a dip stretching out that can be followed. Unfortunately, this does not show on rocks and a short distance without it can lead to missing the trail entirely. Eventually the long ribbons stop again. Such long ribbons could not have lasted. Then after another half mile they start up again. And then they stop again. And then the cairns stop. And then the trail stops.
I see two possible ways, flat through a huge number of fallen trees or back for a short switchback. Neither one seems to yield more trail. I still have a little over half a mile to the creek I want to camp beside. Still, it does not look hard to go cross country here. I add a point for the junction of the two climbing trails, where I want to get to, and start on my way along deer trails. There are two rounds cut from a bit of trail early on, but nothing for them to have come from. Climbing, I still do not find it. I continue on, climbing at about the rate I have been climbing although it had seemed steeper than what was required. There are quite a few deer trails that seem to go my way. Eventually I am near, but high of, the rough point in the GPS. Losing elevation gets me to the creek. At first it looks dry, but as I cross it, I see deep within the boulders a dark, but clear, liquid. At the proper distance past it is a flat spot. There are two creeks shown in the vicinity on the map, but the other is smaller. I start toward it, but there is a good flat spot to camp. The sun is getting very low. I should take what is offered.
Getting water from the nearly dry Boulder Creek with the pump is simple, just drop the float down between the rocks. The water I get is most definitely the best tasting water of the whole trip.
Continue reading: day 5
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©2015 Valerie Norton
Posted 26 Sep 2015
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