The Sierras!

Southern part of Kings Canyon: Sunset Meadow Trailhead/Lost Lake/Siliman Pass/Twin Lakes

Photos:

(You probably have to log in to facebook to see these, but they should be visible to anyone.. even outside of the ucsc network.)

• http://ucsc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080156&id=6703984 (Kathleen - facebook album)
• http://ucsc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080159&id=6703984 (Kathleen - facebook album)
• http://ucsc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080383&id=6701906 (Chelsea - facebook album)
• http://ucsc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080281&id=6703742 (Dylan - facebook album)
• Gimme links to more photos for this trip!

(Watch out for marmots!)

Updates!

• Reservations for fifteen people have been solidified! (I called them today.. I should get a PAPER letter confirmation early next week..)
• Last reported snow level was 9,500 and even though they got some more snow may 4th-ish, it shouldn't last.

*

IF YOU WANT TO GO, COME TO THE CLUB MEETING ON MAY 10th... we're going to do an ADVANCED PAYMENT thing!

• Cost for the trip is (assuming 15 people in 3 cars) $25 per person!:
  • $20 per vehicle park entrance fee x 3 = $60
  • $35 for one 7-15 person group campsite at Crystal Springs (or Canyon View) campground (next to Grant Grove Visitors Center)
    • 250 miles (rounded up to be safe) each way x2 (there and back) x3 (for each car) = 1500 miles of driving
    • 1500 miles / 20 mpg (is this reasonable? it is for my car..) = 75 gallons of gas for everybody
    • 75 x $3.60 (again, being generous, maybe? gas prices are 3.30/3.40 right now, could go up?) = $270
  • $15 for the wilderness permit
  • Total = 60 + 35 + 270 + 15 = $380
  • Divided by 15 = $25.33 per person! I'll even round it down to a FLAT TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
  • I'll have drivers keep track of how much gas they spend, and then if we didn't in fact spend the $25 per person, you'll be able to get money back!
  • If we take MORE than 3 cars, each additional car will be an extra $6 per person, but I'm all up for cramming people into as few cars as possible.

Notes

• Campground - maybe one car should go up earlier in the day on friday to make sure we get one of the 14 (crystal springs) group campsites, since it's 1st come, 1st serve.
• I'm pretty sure we'll need bear canisters, or some kind of anti-bear devices. We'll talk about this more later.
• IF Dylan leads a separate trip, the additional cost will be one $15 permit, which will translate to simply ONE extra dollar per person, but maybe all my over-estimating with the mileage will cover it. I don't feel like requesting twenty-Six dollars from everyone, so I'll leave it at $25.
• Grant Grove Visitor Center is located at about this address: CA-180 & NM-525A Rd, Springville, CA 93265, so google it.

Timeline:

• Leave Friday afternoon, camp as a designated campground
• Hike on Sat, Sun, Mon
• Drive back Monday night.

Map!

• Grant Grove Visitor Center, which is where we'll get our permit, is around here: CA-180 & NM-525A Rd, Springville, CA 93265, so google it.
• Where in California:

• Where in the parks, Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park:

• The Trail:

For future trips to this area:

• Check out the website for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
• A Wilderness Permit costs $15 for the whole deal -- however many nights, up to 15 people
• Trailheads have quotas for how many people can start out on them each day, and reservations are based on these
• Get the form from the website and fax it in, saying which trailhead you want and a general idea of where you'll be spending each night

Problems in general with this area:

• I can't seem to find a general list of all the trailheads and it's hard to even find a map that has them listed
• Even in late May, there will probably be snow...
• This place is out of the question in the winter and early spring, unless people want to learn about snow camping
• BEARS!