Kern-Kaweah and Kaweah Basins

Welcome to heaven: the Kern-Kaweah Basin. There are few places in the Sierra that rival this valley.

The Kern-Kaweah Canyon

Kern-Kaweah and Kaweah Basins via Colby Pass, September, 2000.

Below me was the Forrest lined Kern-Kaweah river that drew my eyes up-canyon to the rugged terrain and peaks of the headwaters. Down river the trees hit the river but a large swatch of green announced the presence of a large meadow surrounded by white granite. The zigzag canyon had the unmistakable "U" shape of an ancient glacier bed, and its outlet into the Kern Trench could just be seen. Mt. Guyot peeked up over the horizon, a recognizable shape on the Sierra Crest. The various depressions on the gray landscape of the far wall hid lakes I knew from maps were there. It all was a true marvel to behold, and I could not wait to get down there. Little did I know I would be descending into paradise.