Hiking Rae Lakes Loop, Backpacking & Camping Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Rae Lakes Loop, Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, Bears, Camping & backpacking Paradise Valley, Mist Falls, JMT 4k, the Crown of the Sierra Nevada.
This is a 5 day backpacking trip in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, doing the Rae Lakes loop with my new buddies Chuck The Mauler and Matt. We did this loop from Onion Valley going over Kersarge Pass and continuing counter clockwise. Our Camps where at Gilbert Lake, Charlotte Lake, Arrowhead Lake, then we split up and I camp one night a few miles below Junction Meadow to exit at Kersarge Pass the next day. Lots of wildlife, bears, dear, snakes and amazing views from one of the most stunning places in the Sierra. Paradise Valley, Mist Falls, Bubbs Creek, Glen Pass, Woods Creek, Arrow Creek. JMT (John Muir Trail) PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). I filmed this on my iPhone 11 Pro Max in 4k60fps.
Bear Safety info from NPS
Link to my previous Sequoia National Park Video
Link to the full Bear Standoff video
The video features unreleased Music by Melantopia
Gear Used on my trips:
Marmot tent
Marmot ball cap
Osprey Aether 70 Backpack
Paria Outdoor Products Thermodown 15 sleeping bag
Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm sleeping pad
Ursac
LaSportiva TX4 approach shoes
Norrøna Falketind pants
Fjallraven pants
Arcteryx Cerium LT puffy, synthetic shirt and Hard Shell Jacket
LaSportiva fleece
Helly Hansen base layers
Black Diamond headlamp
Primus cooking system
Apple Iphone 11promax for recording video
Alltrails app
Petzl Ice Axe
Patagonia puffy
Outdoor Research Gaiters
Black Diamond Crampons
00:00 Intro
01:36 Onion Valley
03:58 Camp 1
08:39 Kersarge Pass
11:01 Bullfrog Lake
14:19 Camp 2
16:53 Wildlife
19:22 Towards Glen Pass
25:13 Glen Pass
31:06 Rae Lakes
32:09 Stream crossings
35:15 Arrowhead Lake
38:09 Day 4
41:26 King of the forest
43:04 Suspension Bridge
46:16 Crossing Arrow Creek
48:22 Paradise Valley
49:26 Bear 1
52:50 Mist Falls
56:52 Day 5
57:32 Bear 2
1:01:49 Bear 3
1:04:17 Kersarge Pass again
Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop, Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Hey guys!
Join us on an epic 4-day, 3-night adventure on the 41 mile Rae Lakes Loop which goes through Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park and sections of the John Muir Trail (JMT) and Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Some of the milestone attractions are Mist Falls, Paradise Valley, and the hike up and over Glen Pass.
Enjoy!
-Juice
My LighterPack -
Gear In This Video
Video Shot on Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra -
Rode Video Mic USB-C Mic -
Pack - Nashville Cutaway -
Nylofume Pack Liner -
Nemo Switchback Sleeping Pad -
Gossamer Gear 1/8 inch pad -
Thru Pack Fast Bum -
Zpacks Pocket Tarp -
Zpacks Solo Groundsheet -
MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes -
Leki Micro Vario Trekking Poles -
Enlightened Equipment Enigma -
Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow -
Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex Jacket -
Gore R7 Shakedry Trail Rain Jacket -
Salomon Rain Pants -
Injinji Socks
Amazon -
REI -
Gore Wind Gloves -
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter
Amazon - h
REI -
BRS Stove -
Snow Peak Titanium Mug
Amazon -
REI -
Sea to Summit Long Handle Spork -
Zpacks Food Bag -
4 oz Fuel Canister -
RavPower 10,000 mAH Battery Bank -
Ear Buds - Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro -
Olight S1 Mini Baton Flashlight -
Garmin Forerunner 935 GPS Watch -
Squirrels Nut Butter Anti-Chafe -
Swiss Army Knife -
Deuce of Spades Trowel -
Culo Clean Bidet -
Outdoor Research Echo Sun Hoodie
Amazon -
Outdoor Research -
Gore R5 Running Shorts -
Under Armour Compression Shorts -
Hoka Evo Speedgoat Trail Runners -
Rayban Sunglasses -
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
My Favorite Remote Waterfalls, Backpacking, hiking, Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park Yellowstone
My Favorite Remote Waterfalls I have encountered while out backpacking and hiking. Most of these require several days of walking to reach, the most remote one is prob the Headwaters of Open Creek, which is really not accessible without walking for 5 days or bushwacking for 3 long days. The Waterfalls are located in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park California, Dark Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Teton Wilderness, Wyoming, Death Hollow, Utah 4k
Music by Melantopia and Juliet Piper Follow The Butterflies and Diamond Mind
Gear Used:
Marmot tent
Marmot ball cap
Osprey Aether 70 Backpack
Paria Outdoor Products Thermodown 15 sleeping bag
Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm sleeping pad
Ursac
LaSportiva TX4 approach shoes
Norrøna Falketind pants
Fjallraven pants
Arcteryx Cerium LT puffy, synthetic shirt and Hard Shell Jacket
LaSportiva fleece
Helly Hansen base layers
Black Diamond headlamp
Primus cooking system
Apple Iphone 11promax for recording video
26000Mah power bank
Alltrails app
Walmart 4,99 $ Tube
Petzl Ice Axe
Patagonia puffy
Outdoor Research Gaiters
Black Diamond Crampons
00:00 Intro
00:23 Dark Canyon
02:00 Devils Washbowl
04:13 Death Hollow
11:17 Headwaters of Open Creek
14:15 North Fork Falls
17:27 Rae Lakes
18:21 Mist Falls Paradise Valley
19:35 Lower Falls Yellowstone River
Rae Lakes Loop Backpacking - Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
A backpacking adventure with 4 friends on the Rae Lakes Loop in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California from July 23-26, 2022. Although distant fires gave a little haze on day 1, we lucked into beautiful weather and an amazing experience covering 43 miles and 8,000 feet of elevation gain over 4 days.
Chapters:
- Day 1 (0:48): Road's End Ranger Station to Upper Paradise Valley
- Day 2 (4:01): Upper Paradise Valley to Middle Rae Lake
- Day 3 (6:58): Middle Rae Lake to Junction Meadow
- Day 4 (10:32): Junction Meadow to Road's End Ranger Station
#raelakesloop #backpacking #california
The Rae Lakes Loop - Kings Canyon NP 4K (2020) [Part 1]: Road's End, Mist Falls, Upper Paradise
This is Part 1 of a 2 Part Series of our Rae Lakes Loop trip in 2020 (Sequoia National Park & Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Mountains of California).
Day 1 finds us flying into Fresno and making our way into Sequoia National Park to stay at Wuksachi Lodge for the night.
On Day 2 we drive through Sequoia to Road's End Backcountry Ranger Station to begin our 4-Day Rae Lakes Loop hike.
We make our way up to Mist Falls on a really hot, bluebird day. It was extremely refreshing. We didn't really have time to acclimate to the elevation, and we had very heavy packs for us (50+ pounds), so it was nice to take a load off. We brought in bear cans (as per regulations), and packrafts with fishing gear. Typically our baseweight is in the 20 lb. range, so given the elevation gains and our packs being more than twice their normal weight it was a struggle.
After spending some time at Mist Falls we began our trek to Upper Paradise Valley, and our permitted backcountry site for the night.
We started to get a little concerned when we strolled into LOWER Paradise Valley just before dark. There were a few other groups who were setting up camp. They seemed a little worried when we told them we planned to still make the push to Upper Paradise, despite the fact that it was still more than 3 miles away from where we currently were... and that it was already pretty much dark.
From there it was definitely a race against the clock.
We hope you enjoy Part 1, and stay tuned for Part 2 of this 2-Part series. Thanks for coming along for the ride...
The Rae Lakes Loop - Kings Canyon National Park 4K (2020) [Part 2]: Upper Paradise, Rae Lakes, Bears
This is Part 2 of our 2-Part Rae Lakes Loop series.
Our plan was to head out from Upper Paradise Valley to Arrowhead Lake. We would stay at Arrowhead Lake for the Night, then hike the 1.5 miles to Middle Rae Lake for the entire day and night 3. We would then hike up and over Glen Pass, and stay at Vidette Meadows for night 4. On our final day, we would hike back out to Road's End, and then head to Yosemite for 2 days.
That was the plan.
We began our 2nd day just as we'd hoped. We started to make our way to Arrowhead Lake. About 5 miles in, right where the Rae Lakes Loop merges with the John Muir Trail & The Pacific Crest Trail, things started to go south.
When we arrived in Kings Canyon, we had not acclimated to the elevation at all. We went from 1,500 feet elevation in Fresno less than 24 hours ago to over 10,000 feet.
There's no rhyme or reason as to how/when someone will get altitude sickness. However, we are flatlanders coming from NJ (a sea level state at best). Between the four of us, it was inevitable that one (or more) of us would run into problems.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.
Suffice it to say, when one of our group started to develop some serious symptoms we had an easy decision to make. And it's a good thing we did. Altitude sickness is no joke. It could've been a MAJOR problem, which could've put our friend's life in jeopardy. We are 23+ miles into the High Sierra backcountry, and a Search and Rescue operation is something none of us ever want to encounter. ESPECIALLY when we are involved.
Thankfully in turning back and reducing our elevation quickly in heading back to Upper Paradise Valley, we were able to mitigate the migraine headaches, lightheadedness, and violent vomiting that our friend was experiencing.
A good night of rest did wonders for him, and we decided to spend another day and night at Upper Paradise, hike back out to Road's End the next day, and head straight to Yosemite.
As with almost every noBear decision, it actually ended up working out MASSIVELY in our favor. Not only were we able to spend the day backcountry fishing for our dinner that night, but we had a close encounter with a mama Black Bear and cub. Not to mention that we got to cliff jump at an amazing secret spot on our way out the next day.
But most importantly, this allowed us to have 2 extra days at Yosemite that we weren't planning on having. This turned out to make the trip! As much as we were disappointed that we didn't get to see Rae Lakes, or hike over Glen Pass, what we got to do/see/hike in Yosemite more than made up for it.
Besides... we plan on going back to Rae Lakes with more preparation, much less pack weight, and possibly altitude medication which will allow us to complete the loop. Physical limitations and desire played no role in our failure, so we will definitely head back soon to cross this beautiful multi-day backpacking trip off of our list.
We hope you enjoy Part 2 of our Rae Lakes Loop trip, and be sure to check out the companion Yosemite National Park trip that can also be found in the uploaded videos on this channel. As always, thanks for coming along on our adventures.
Sierra High Route - JMT Loop: Rae Lakes Loop, Pinchot pass
Map:
Scenery: ★★★★★
Difficulty: ★★★★★
Thanks to @DanStenziano and @HikingNerd for inspiring me doing this backpacking.
Day 1: Road Ends - Paradise Valley - Mist Falls - Wood Creek Suspension Bridge (15 miles)
Day 2: John Muir Trail - Wood Creek Waterslide - Pinchot Pass - Lake Marjorie - Muro Blanco Trail (14 miles)
Day 3: Cartridge Pass - Cartridge Creek - Marion Lake (6 miles)
Day 4: Red Pass - White Pass - Gray Pass - Horseshoe Lakes - State Lakes - Glacier Lakes (10 miles)
Day 5: Goat Crest Saddle - Grouse Lake Pass - Grouse Lake - Copper Creek Trail (13 miles)
We started May 26, one day before the permit quarter season began. It would have been very difficult to hike 12,000 in May in average year. This year, however, the snow level is only 40 of the average. So we took the advantage of that. Still, the water level was pretty high. Crossing Kings River was quite challenging.
On day 3, I hiked only 6 miles. It's because of the bad weather. It snowed whole morning. We had to wait for an hour below Cartridge Pass as the it was white out in the higher elevation.
We planed 8 miles for day 3 and 4. We could catch up the planed schedule on day 4 by hiking 2 extra miles.
Day 5 was easy as it's mostly down hill.
Here is the map view of my channel. You can browse my videos by their locations.
Kings Canyon NP | Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop in 4 days
Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park, including day hikes in Grant Grove and Giant Forest (Sequoia National Park).
This is one of the best mid-range mileage trails around and easily manageable as a 4-day hike. I think this trail is underrated. Scenery is outstanding. Unlike other trails which go up and down repeatedly, the Rae Lakes Loop doesn't have multiple climbs and descents. If you start/end at Roads End regardless of which direction you go, it's basically 2 days of steady climb and 2 days of steady descent. The hike was a clockwise loop starting and ending at Roads End.
The hardest part of this hike is dealing with altitude sickness. This was the first hike we did where the trail went over 10,000 feet, and we definitely felt the effects of altitude sickness. It is real and not to be taken lightly. It took several hours to acclimatize, but afterwards we were fine for the rest of the hike.
This was also the first hike where we had to bring a bear canister. We rented one at the Roads End ranger station, but we didn't see any bears.
We also saw the two largest sequoia trees on Earth; General Grant in Grant Grove, and General Sherman in The Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. They are reached on short, easy hikes and are worth the time to visit.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:04 Grant Grove
05:24 Kings Canyon Scenic Byway towards Roads End
06:35 [Rae Lakes Loop] Roads End to Upper Paradise Valley
11:03 [Rae Lakes Loop] Upper Paradise Valley to Middle Rae Lake
16:35 [Rae Lakes Loop] Middle Rae Lake to Charlotte Creek
20:37 [Rae Lakes Loop] Charlotte Creek to Roads End
24:09 Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Sequoia NP, Giant Forest
25:53 Outro
Base city: Fresno, CA
Related video...
Fast Forward of Kings Canyon Scenic Byway:
#kingscanyon #raelakes #sequoia #backpacking #hiking #camping #backcountry #nationalpark #nationalparks
Rae Lakes Backpacking June 2022
Our big trip for the year! Watch as we take on the famous Rae Lakes trail for 4 nights and 5 days of insane mishaps with incredible views. We left town in the afternoon of June 7th and headed 5.5 hours to SeKi NP and stayed at the Sentinel campground to attempt to get an early start the next morning after we picked up our backcountry permit. Bear canisters are a must in this park and I was pleasantly surprised when we were asked to show them to the ranger before he would hand over our permit, love the dedication in this park. It was absolutely STUNNING there.
The first day we hiked about 8 miles with about a 1800 ft elevation climb and camped about halfway between Middle and Upper Paradise Valley. It was an ass kicker of a day with intense elevation climb in exposed areas that the heat just beat down on us. Once we rolled into camp I immediately needed a power nap. The next morning we woke up early to find one of our buddies wasn’t feeling well so we opted for a shorter easier day instead of pushing to get to the lakes as planned. We hiked roughly 7 miles that day with a another 1800ft elevation climb to the Woods Creek crossing suspension bridge. Even though the bridge is incredibly safe, I still felt terrified as I made my way swaying several feet about the river below. We camped just over the bridge in a popular PCT rest area. I was thrilled to meet several PCT hikers with tanned skin and excited faces as they are making their journey to Canada, a dream I can only hope to attempt one day in my life. Lots were from out of country! Sadly though, we found many PCT younger hikers in cliques walking in huge groups, thrashing their sites, leaving garbage in the bear boxes, acting rude or judgmental to normal hikers, even defecating in a middle of a field with no care to hide behind something. Sad.
The third day we awoke to find our friend was pretty ill again so it was decided he would hang back at camp and rest for the day while two of us day hiked up to see Rae lakes, and let me tell you - we were so happy we did! It was about a 12 miles hike up and back to the lakes with a 2000ft elevation climb/decline. Once we made it back to camp our buddy was feeling MUCH better and we instantly felt bad he wasn’t able to join us. After waiting around all day he was eager to get a hike in and move camp! Holy crap I was already exhausted with aching feet; I don’t know why I agreed but we made the decision to start our journey back to the trailhead. We night hiked about 5.5-6 miles to a little campsite by the river between Castle Domes Meadow and the South Kings river crossing. All in all was about an 18 mile day with 2000ft elevation gain and 3000ft ft elevation decline, and man was I paying for it with my left foot. OUCH. The next day was pretty easy going about 5 miles, declining 1200ft. We found a lovely campsite to relax for the whole day and and rest my foot for one last night in the forest. The bugs were out in full force there but we enjoyed river bathing and watching hordes of butterflies flying around us. The last day we wrapped it up in the morning with a quick 6 mile trek down to Roads End trailhead declining the last 1600ft to the car.
Additional filming by @cojack1287, thanks for getting me in the video man ????
Backpacking & hiking highlights 2020 Pt 2 ,Yellowstone Mt Whitney Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Backpacking and hiking highlights 2020, Part 2, Hiking Yellowstone, Mt Whitney, Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Rae Lakes Loop, Big SEKI Loop, Yellowstone, Teton Wilderness, Absarokas, Mount Langley, Mt Whitney, Kjerag, Pulpit Rock and more.
A very long part 2 og my backpacking and hiking highlights from the 2020 season.
Individual video links:
Rae Lakes Loop
Big SEKI Loop
Yellowstone
Mt Langley and Mt Whitney
Kjerag Norway
Pulpit Rock Norway
Music by Melantopia
Gear Used:
Marmot tent
Hilleberg Soulo 1p tent
Marmot ball cap
Osprey Aether 70 Backpack
Paria Outdoor Products Thermodown 15 sleeping bag
Western Mountaineering Puma GWS sleeping bag
Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm sleeping pad
Ursac
LaSportiva TX4 approach shoes
Norrøna Falketind pants
Fjallraven pants
Arcteryx Cerium LT puffy, synthetic shirt and Hard Shell Jacket
LaSportiva fleece
Helly Hansen base layers
Black Diamond headlamp
Primus cooking system
Apple Iphone 11promax for recording video
GoPro Hero 9
26000Mah power bank
Alltrails app
Petzl Ice Axe
Patagonia puffy
Outdoor Research Gaiters
Black Diamond Crampons
#backpacking #hiking #yellowstone
00:00 Intro from Norway
01:50 Rae Lakes loop, Sequoia Kings Canyon national park
05:33 Bullfrog Lake
07:57 Animals get real close in camp
13:50 Glen Pass
16:57 Rae Lakes
20:00 Suspension bridge
22:19 Paradise Valley
25:04 Mist falls
28:08 Big SEKI loop, Sequoia Kings Canyon national park
31:30 Devils Washbowl
36:58 The Golden Staircase
40:09 Mather Pass
46:49 Pinchot Pass
49:13 Rae Lakes
53:58 Glen Pass
58:07 Yellowstone national park
1:01:37 Greater Yellowstone, Teton Wilderness, The Absarokas
1:09:00 On top of the continental divide
1:14:42 Headwater of Yellowstone river
1:20:52 Into the Thorofare
1:25:07 Paradise found below Overlook Mountain
1:33:43 Into the remote Rampart Creek
1:38:01 Mount Langley and Mt Whitney summits, Sequoia Kings Canyon
1:45:45 Summit Mt Langley
1:54:36 Beauty lakes below Crabtree Pass
2:01:32 Smoky sunset in the Sierra, Crabtree basin
2:02:57 Guitar Lake camp
2:05:27 Summiting Mount Whitney
2:14:13 Fjords of Norway, Kjerag
2:14:44 Kjerag Bolt
2:21:33 Pulpit Rock, Norways most iconic views
2:26:29 Sitting on the edge of Pulpit Rock, 2000ft above the fjord
Kings Canyon NP - Tehipite Valley Backpacking 4K
Our trip to Tehipite Valley in the summer of 2019.
How NOT to Hike Rae Lakes Loop: Day 1
The 4-day adventure begins at Road's End in Kings Canyon National Park.
With stunning views of the enigmatic Sphinx, Mist Falls and Paradise Valley, it's just a taste of what was to come.
But plans had to change after Day 1!
So, we didn’t end up completing the loop, but made it up to Upper Rae Lake and back again.
That actually meant MORE miles than completing the loop, but circumstances dictated we adjust our itinerary.
So, this is how NOT to do it, but it is an option if you find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew!
Watch Day 2 of our adventure to see how we adjusted and just enjoyed ourselves!
Woods Creek Suspension Bridge, JMT/PCT and Rae Lakes loop trails
Located in Kings Canyon National Park.
Mist Falls at King Canyon National Park California
This falls is different and amazing. I Started the trail really late at noon but still got plenty of time to enjoy the hike & fish. This trail is 8.7 miles out and back, All Taken and record with my hero go pro 8.
Rae Lakes Loop 2016
Fitpacking Backpacking trip through Sequoia and Kings Canyon, including Rae Lakes Loop.
Rae Lakes Loop 2020
This Rae Lakes Loop hike was my wife Sarah's 1st ever backcountry trek and it gave me some peace after a brutal year.
Big SEKI Lookp: Bubbs Creek to Road's End - Day 8
Day 8 of our trip through the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in Sierra Mountains.
Drive to Kings Canyon
Got a new 360 camera and decided to test it out on the drive. What do you think?
Mosquitoes Swarm Kings Canyon Lewis Creek Trail
We planned a beautiful 4 day backpacking trip up Kings Canyon's Lewis Creek Trail. The trip was ruined by swarms of mosquitoes. The hike was hard enough with most of the trail over grown but the mosquitoes made it unbearable.
To find out more visit TheLongwalkers.com
Ramon's Hiking Adventures - Marble Falls - Sequoia National Park
Marble Falls Trails is a lightly traveled trail in the foothills of Sequoia National Park. There are very scenic waterfalls. The entire hike is nearly 8 miles.
For more information: