Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada, California

June 25 - 30, 2000

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Photographic journal from a 5-day hiking trip into the upper reaches of the Bubbs Creek valley. An overview map documents our journey. Please click on the photos in the journal to enlarge them... (Note: the above photo is a northern panorama of the High Sierras from University Peak) You can also read a text in Czech describing this trip in more detail (learning Czech solely for this purpose is probably not worth it :-)

All views and opinions expressed herein are mine. For an alternative account of our journey, see Paulina's trip report ...

On the way there...

We drove from LA through the Sequoia NP and stayed at Grant Grove to get a head start acclimating to altitude...


The gang on Moro Rock: Paulina, Robert, Orly, and On (left to right)


Feling dwarfed...


These sequoias are big!
Sherman tree - the largest living thing on earth
Day 1: Cedar Grove to Junction Meadow

A hard and mundane day... The trail follows the Bubbs Creek up the canyon through rain-starved vegetation and desert heat. We gained over 3500 vertical feet in about 10 miles.


On still deep in the canyon, near Cedar Grove.
"Wildlife" right near our first camp in a grove of Ponderosa pines.
Day 2: Junction Meadow to Vidette Meadow + a small hike

After gaining some more elevation, we set up camp around 9500 feet and headed for a quick ascent of the closest Kearsarge Pinnacle


Junction Meadow


Camp 2: near Vidette Meadow


Our first view of University Peak! (from Bullfrog lake)


Paulina at Bullfrog lake
Kearsarge Pinnacle we climbed (around 3600 m, class 3) photo by Paulina


Climbing the Kearsarge Pinnacle, Bubbs Creek valley in the background


Vidette Meadow from Kearsarge Pinnacle


Paulina at Bullfrog lake from the pinnacle (Gould Peak in the back)


On the way back to camp: East Vidette Peak lit by the setting sun...

Please see the second part of the journal for photos from Days 3 (ascent of University Peak), Day 4 (trip to Vidette Lakes), and Day 5 (return journey)...

Photos by Robert Zeithammer unless noted otherwise