From August 7-10, 2012 Clara and I backpacked the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park. The trip took us from the base of the canyon at 5,000 feet in elevation up Woods Creek to the brilliant Rae Lakes Basin and over Glen Pass, just below 12,000 feet. After descending Glen Pass, we looped down Bubbs Creek back to the base of the canyon, following, essentially, an old trail that natives from either side of the Sierras used to cross the great range in order to trade. In the high country above the Woods and Bubbs Creek trails we
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Day 1: Clara and a Mule Train
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Clara and The Sphinx From Road's End at the base of Kings Canyon, we climbed along Woods Creek...
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The Sphinx, Clara and Me
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Mist Falls Only four miles from Road's End, Mist Falls is a popular day hike,...
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Clara relaxes at Mist Falls
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Views near Paradise Valley As we climbed above the falls, views opened up and clouds appeared.
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Clara pumping water: Woods Creek This is in the lower reaches of Paradise Valley, where we ate the wild...
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Clara and Woods Creek
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Paradise Valley This is near where I saw a bear! The clouds are also developing. The bear ran...
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Camp at Upper Paradise Valley The thunderstorm lasted an hour and a half. Our first night's camp...
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Storm Clearing
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Evening on Woods Creek in Upper Paradise Valley
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Day 2: Deer near camp As we left camp and crossed the creek, a deer waited for any food we had left...
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Clara above Castle Domes Meadow We climbed from the creek up and out of Paradise Valley, through a stretch of...
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View of Meadow and Woods Creek
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Castle Domes and Me The Domes rise to above 10,200 feet in elevation.
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Castle Domes from the meadow
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Mule Train A dozen miles from the nearest road and rather early in the morning, we saw a...
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Clara crosses Woods Creek The Golden Gate of the Sierra crosses the creek on the John Muir Trail.
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Clara surveys our progress as we climb towards 10,000 feet. Her arm and yellow shirt are visible to the...
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Clara resting with Castle Domes below
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Dollar Lake with Fin Dome What a relief it was to get here! The climbing was done; we had cover in the...
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The Slopes of Diamond Peak from Dollar Lake
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View from Camp at Dollar Lake We set up camp above Dollar Lake at about 10,200 feet.
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Fin Dome and Dollar Lake
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