Circle the Cirque Crest

From the Copper Creek Trail you can see the broad flat "yosemite" valley of Kings Canyon, and up canyon the hanging valley of Bubbs Creek canyon. Further up the canyon on the right is the cut of Sphinx Creek that holds the Sphinx Creek Trail. John Muir called valleys like this "yosemite's" with a small "y".

The Kings Canyon "yosemite"

Circle The Cirque Crest - By D.W.Donehoo (All rights reserved)

A 12 day trip from 30 Aug. to 10 September, 1997, circling the Cirque Crest in
Kings Canyon NP, mostly on the Sierra High Route.

I have decided to write this in diary form, a chronicle of a trip my partner and did that turned more personal and intense than most journeys into the wilderness. Read on and find out why...

Day 1. We had no problem getting a permit, although we were the last two of the daily quota. It was a warm day, and we were on the trail by about 1:30 PM, somewhat late in the hottest part of the day. We drank plenty of water at the start and began the endless grind up hill. We were going to gain over 5000 feet over the next two days, and naturally we had the heaviest packs of the trip...