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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Diamond Peak and Dollar Lake Diamond Peak (13,126) and Baxter Pass (12,300'), along its shoulder,...
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Clara at Camp: Dollar Lake The stars here were among the best we've ever seen. We could see the gas...
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Day 3: Fin Dome and stream Fin Dome rises above the outlet stream of Arrowhead Lake, just below...
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Arrowhead Lake, Mt. Clarence King Mt. Clarence King (12,905') and Arrowhead Lake (10,300') from...
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Clara and Lower Rae Lake
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Fin Dome, Lower Rae Lake and Me
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Middle Rae Lake If we only had another day! This is where I would play. The loop is often...
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Upper Rae Lake and Painted Lady Dragon Peak (12,995') is also visible above Painted Lady's...
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Crossing between Middle and Upper Rae The John Muir Trail crosses a stream between the Upper and Middle Rae Lakes.
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Island in Upper Rae Lake
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Marmot!
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Glen Pass Glen Pass (11,979') is the dark-colored saddle in the middle of...
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Alpine Gentian
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Alpine Sorrel
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Views as we climb the pass From right: Diamond Peak (13,126') and Black Mountain (13,289'), with...
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Unnamed Lakes Northwest of Glen Pass
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Clara on Glen Pass
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South From Glen Pass with Mt. Brewer (13,576') in the distance.
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View from the pass This is a view of the Bubbs Creek, Center Basin and Junction Peak, and Mt....
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Clara on Glen Pass
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North from Glen Pass The three Rae Lakes are in the sun and surrounded by green to the right.
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Switchbacks and Lake South of Pass The extensive switchbacks on the south side of Glen pass descend around a...
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Clara descends from Glen Pass Glen Pass is the dark-colored saddle above, on the shoulders of Mt. Rixford,...
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Glen Pass from the south The trail climbs the wall above the lake to the dark saddle.
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Rock Fringe below Glen Pass The austere alpine country near Glen Pass was not entirely lacking in...
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Clara resting below Glen Pass
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Tarn and Snow
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Charlotte Dome and Canyon Descending along the John Muir Trail, we saw a pika, along with views...
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Charlotte Lake
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Foxtail Pines and Clara As we descended back down to the trees, ancient foxtail pines welcomed us.
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Bubbs Creek Valley The massive peak at center-right is East Vidette (12,350'). We headed to...
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Camp at Vidette Meadow Vidette Meadow (9515') marks the junction of the John Muir and...
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Clara at the creek, Vidette Meadow Though we had great creekside access in Vidette Meadow, we also...
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Clara at camp, Vidette Meadow She's pumping the fuel canister to increase the pressure in order...
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Clearing Storm: Vidette Meadow with Kearsarge Pinnacles above
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Clearing storm from Vidette Meadow
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Storm clearing over Kearsarge Pinnacles
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Evening at Vidette Meadow
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Clara drying clothes, Vidette Meadow The storm soaked some of our clothes.
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Day 4: Morning from Vidette Meadow On the last day, we descended 4500 feet in elevation over 14 miles...
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Me with Bubbs Creek Canyon
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Bubbs Creek Canyon
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Cinquefoil
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Clara and rock slide, Bubbs Creek
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Crossing Junction Meadow
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Peaks above Junction Meadow
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Descending along Bubbs Creek
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Clara at the confluence of Sphinx and Bubbs Creeks. We saw what we think was an American...
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The Sphinx On the first day of our trip, Clara and I posed before The Sphinx. On...
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Back down to Kings Canyon! This is where we're heading, the bottomlands near Road's End.
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Clara looking down Paradise Valley This is the valley we climbed up from Road's End four days ago. At...
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Back in the woods with the Ponderosa I reunite with the ponderosa pines near the floor of Kings Canyon....
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