Lots of smoke settling in the valleys at the beginning of the hike at low elevation
The little cub was hiding behind mom, and hiding behind trees, peeking at us with playful curiosity.
We had periods of rain in days 1-3, pea-sized hail on day 2. The hail actually hurt!
Camping on our first night on a river, we found a nice swimming hole. Cold but incredibly refreshing.
Evidently my battery was dead or I was too exhausted and dehydrated to take photos on day 2!
Typical view from the trail that morning. Endless waterfalls and wildflowers.
Still smiling before reaching Black Rock Pass
Nate’s salmon attracted a lot of interest. The boys quickly developed an elaborate bartering system.
Getting steeper, almost above the tree line
We had to climb down into the gully and back up.
A big storm was rolling in as we ascended. Ominous clouds and thunder, but only light rain.
The storm rumbled off and we were rewarded with sun and a clear view at the top.
The pictures don’t capture the beauty of this spot— a truly magical place.
Soon we will be descending on the other side of Kaweah Gap, through some of the most stunning scenery of the hike.
It was a pleasure to sit and listen to the sound of the snow slowly melting and pouring into the lake, which then fed a waterfall that began the long descent to Hamilton Lake below.
Somehow our photos aren’t quite as good as the ones made by Ansel Adams in 1932, but the lake looks exactly the same.
There are some stunningly beautiful but very exposed (and rocky) camp sites overlooking Precipice. We hemmed and hawed and finally decided to move on to Hamilton Lake. Rudy decided to stay behind and enjoy an evening of solitude with the marmots.
Tremendous work must have gone into this trail. I believe it was a public works project during the depression.
After a long, hot day of hiking, this swim was spectacular.
with a view
We had a short hike on day five, and were able to spend the afternoon swimming and doing laundry.
This is a raging river in the spring when the snow melts, but in August it is a nice creek with some deep swimming holes. My tent is in the background.
