Brewer Basin in Kings Canyon

Just below the giant glacier carved and polished doorway, we looked back on the wet meadows of Brewer Basin. Sphinx Pass can be clearly seen here showing how easy it is to get to from this side of the pass.

Lawns, Doorways, and Giant Steps

Our pace was somewhat leisurely: we did not want to burn out before the real climbing began. After a pleasant stroll we came to a grassy basin at the foot of Mt. Brewer, and also at the foot of a cheerfully splashing cascade that marked our route upward. The way is very interesting from here. Our route looked like a huge doorway with massive granite steps leading down to the royal green carpet we stood on, all decorated with grass and flowers. We opted to travel to the gently graded left for a ways, over green swaths of grass, polished granite, and small gurgling snowmelt streams. Eventually we had to cross over to the right over a small stretch of level talus, and began weaving upward among the giant steps of granite shelves, ramps and benches until we reached the elusive pass summit and final noisy cascade. After a short traverse on a rocky bench, we sat down for a short rest and a snack..