Brewer Basin in Kings Canyon

Big Brewer Lake. The trees at the outlet promised a possible campsite.

Heading Down Into the Basin

We then began a comedy of camp finding consisting of a conversation that sounded like, "Lets camp here. No, wait! Here! No, over here...." Dave had no stomach for camping in the treeless tundra, and wanted to go lower. I wanted to get to the Big Brewer Lake (10951) that now lay below us if at all possible, gambling that a suitable campsite could be found at the lake. As we dropped lower I found a small intimate camp among the stunted trees that cradled sheltered spots fit for a bivy John Muir would of approved of. But we continued to drop lower into the basin, Big Brewer Lake beckoning like some glittering jewel, urging us on.