Get a little closer to heaven
Written: Aug 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredibly beautiful, less crowded
Cons: Difficult access, can fill up quickly on holidays
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| karst's Full Review: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park |
If you would like to visit a National Park, but prefer to avoid crowds, go to the lesser-known part of Sequoia National Park, Mineral King. Mineral King is one of the most beautiful places in the Sierras. It is a deep glacially-carved valley, surrounded by 11,000 foot high peaks of granite. The snow-fed Kaweah River flows through the valley, which is populated by tall pines, and a few privately owned cabins, dating back to the last century. Deer, bears, marmots, birds, and other wildlife are common sights. The lower elevations of the valley are covered with a redwood forest, that while not quite as monumental as the trees in Sequoia, are still awe-inspiring.
Access: Entry Fee $10 (1999)
The road leading to Mineral King is easy to miss. It is a turnoff at the fire station just outside of Three Rivers, several miles before the park entrance for Sequoia. There was no sign the last time I was there. The road is winding, narrow, and twenty-five miles long. Go slow. It will take two hours to travel this winding 25 miles. Expect oncoming traffic. The side of the road is on a canyon wall that drops precipitously. Also, expect to meet cows and horses ON the road. Turn on your headlights, fold in your mirrors, and if you have an RV or a big dual wheel truck, don't even try it. RV's actually are not allowed. About two-thirds of the way, you'll get to the park's entrance booth. They charge $10 when they are open (as of 1999) or you can buy an annual pass. After this point there are some stretches of road that are not paved, but are generally well maintained, just dusty. When there is rain or snow however, these parts can get messy. One last item: fill up your gas tank before you go head into the area, as Silver City is the only POSSIBLE place to buy gas once you enter the park, and I wouldn't guarantee that they will have any.
Visiting times: Memorial Day to Halloween, but varies
Mineral King usually opens for Memorial Day, and closes by the end of October, depending on the weather. I have been there before opening day, and after closing. If you chose to go outside of that period, you can hike in, but it is a long hike from the gate. There is usually some snow on the ground until late June or July, depending on the elevation, and first snowfall in the fall is often in late October. The ranger station at Sequoia can tell you the elevation of the snowpack before you go, and if you are going early or late in the year, I advise checking with them first to see if Mineral King is open.
Marmot warning:
If you go in late May or in June, I strongly advise taking a length of 3 foot high chicken wire with you that is long enough to completely circle your vehicle. This is to keep out the marmots. Anchor it with rocks around your car. These large, cute, rodents are hungry for salt when they come out of hibernation and have found that radiator hoses, tires, and electrical wires in cars are good to eat. I have seen many SUV's being towed out of MK after the marmots ate their wiring. I'm sure it costs a fortune to get a tow truck back there. By July this isn't a problem.
Facilities:
Mineral King has a patchwork of privately owned property within the park boundaries. The first of these you will encounter is Silver City. This is an old mining town. There is a general store, and a few houses. The general store has a restaurant, pay showers, and rents cabins. I have never used the facilities, but they look nice. You can buy film, batteries, and a few food items at the store, as well as some souvenirs, but they have limited selection. It's not a 7-11.
There is NO ELECTRICITY in Mineral King. The phones there are powered by a generator, and connected by satellite. There are no phone or electric lines into the area.
Camping: Fee $6 per night (1999)
There are two campgrounds in the valley. They do not accept reservations and do fill up on weekends and around holidays. If they turn you away, your only options are to leave, or go into the backcountry to camp (with a permit, of course). Camping fees were $6 per day in 1999, but may go up. There is running potable water at the campgrounds, supplied from a spring several miles away, that is tested each year before opening. The toilets are just outhouses- no flush toilets. They take checks or cash- no credit cards. Try to arrive early in the day and you will be less likely to be turned away.
The lower campground at Atwell Mill is usually the last to fill up, and is in the redwoods. It is also warmer than the upper campground, which is called Cold Springs. Cold Springs is the nicest campground, in my opinion, as it has a nice view of Mineral King, which is the name of a peak on the east side of the valley. Cold Springs is along the Kaweah River, and some of the campsites next to river are quite noisy from the rushing water.
Black Bears:
As much as I enjoy seeing bears, they can be a problem everywhere in Mineral King. They will walk into Cold Springs campground and steal food right off of your table if you turn your back. There are metal bear-proof lockers in each campground that MUST be used. Bears do not mind breaking your car window for nothing more than a bag of ramen noodles. They can smell everything, everywhere. If you need more space for food storage, or want to leave your car unattended and need to remove the food, there is a food storage building open to everyone across from the ranger station. DO NOT LEAVE FOOD IN YOUR CAR. Bears will destroy your car if you do.
The other part of this problem is that if the bears are caught raiding cars or campsites regularly they will be captured and destroyed by the park service. Don't be the cause of an innocent bear's untimely death. Put your food in bear-proof storage.
Day Hiking:
There are several trails leaving out of the valley. You can hike for a day, or leave for weeks, depending on your ability and experience level. You must get a backcountry permit at the ranger station if you are going for more than a day hike. This was free as of 1999. You can make a reservation for backcountry permits, for a $10 fee, and I advise it if you know when you will be there, as they do limit the numbers. However, if you are as poor at planning as I am, and are flexible, I would not let the lack of a backcountry reservation keep me away from MK.
Every trail leaving the valley involves a rise in elevation of two or three thousand feet. If you are not in good shape, and are not acclimated to the high elevations, this can be really difficult. Even if you are in good shape, I recommend sleeping one night at the campground, to acclimatize yourself to the elevation before heading out on an ambitious hike. You can buy trail maps at the ranger station. A crude trail map is at
http://www.nps.gov/seki/mkvc.htm
There are trails leading up the mountainside on both sides of the valley as well as from the campgrounds. There can be parking problems at the trailheads, but there are some overflow parking spaces further away.
If you go early in the year, while there is still a lot of snow at higher elevations, be warned that the streams can be VERY DANGEROUS to cross. I have crossed tiny brooks that didn't even wet my boots early in the morning, and when I came back down the mountain in the evening, had to wade in waist-deep icy-cold fast-rushing water to get back across. BE CAUTIOUS and if you expect to be doing this, do as I have done, carry rope or webbing, a farmer-john wetsuit, Tevas or wetsuit booties, and a climbing helmet. Falling in that 33 degree water could easily be fatal. There is a period of several days to weeks where this is a problem on several of the trails while the snow is melting. The best prevention is to go early in the morning, and come down early in the afternoon, before the afternoon suns starts melting the snow.
Fishing:
Fishing is allowed in the park, but the rules are far too complicated for me to explain (or remember). The rules may vary according to the stream or lake and species. You must have a valid California fishing license ($35 for out-of-state the last time I checked). There are trout in most of the streams and lakes. I must say one of the best meals I've ever had was fresh trout I caught myself. Check with the rangers before you go fishing.
Backcountry camping: (reservations are recommended for groups, especially)
If you get a backcountry permit, you can hike and camp along the miles and miles of trails. There are many glacial tarns, glacially carved lakes, at higher elevations (10,000 to 11,000 feet). Snow often does not clear these areas until well into July, and the ranger station can advise you about this. There are specified camping spots near the valley with bear-boxes, but as you hike further away you can chose your own spot. You must pack out ALL of your trash, and practice minimal impact camping. Bring a bear-proof container, or learn to tie your food and toiletries high between two trees, as the bears will walk right into your campsite to sample your food if you don't do this. If you happen to be sleeping when this happens, it is not a pleasant surprise. The proper response to an approaching bear, while it is still pretty far away, is to make lots of noise and throw small rocks at him or her. Do not attempt to stop a bear. Most of them weigh over 500 lbs., and females with cubs are especially dangerous. Do not get between a female and her cubs. Throwing small rocks at bears does sound cruel, but it helps teach the bear that humans should be avoided, and this attitude could save the bear's life. I've had park rangers tell me to do this, but I expect that many would not openly admit to this. Deer actually cause most of the injuries to humans in this park, as a result of people getting too close to them. Deer can kick extremely hard, so just admire them from a distance.
Campfires:
Fires are not allowed in some areas, and with this year's (2000) dry conditions, I expect these rules may have changed. Check with the rangers before you go into the backcountry.
Trails:
I recommend White Chief trail, or the Franklin Lakes trails. Of course, these are the areas I have the most experience in. I have never travelled the Sawtooth or gone over Farewell Pass, but both look like they would be beautiful. You can get up to Franklin Lakes in a half-day if you are in good shape and don't have too heavy a pack. A friend of mine calls the trail "the elevator" due to the steep switchbacks, but it is not that bad. It's a worthwile destination, or you can continue from Franklin Lakes far into the Sierras. Franklin Lakes are located just below the Great Western Divide in a glacial cirque, meaning that once you cross that ridge behind them, all the watersheds drain southward out of the Sierras, rather than westward. The Mosquito Lakes are on the southwest side of the valley and are a nice destination for a day hike. There are two trails leaving from the Atwell Mills area as well.
Pack horses:
During part of the summer you may have to share the trail with the pack horses. There is a pack horse operation in the valley that runs horseback rides up towards Franklin Lakes. I know some hikers don't like sharing the trail with horses (and what they leave behind), so be forewarned if this bothers you.
Conclusion:
Mineral King is heaven on earth. It's not for everyone, which is part of its appeal. If you want to escape the crowds, and are physically prepared for some real hiking, you will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful vistas in the Sierras. There used to be a sign over the road, mounted between two huge trees, that said something like, "Between these trees is the gate to heaven" or something like that. Sadly, one of the trees died and the sign fell down, but the gate to heaven is still open.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
karst
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Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Professional geologist who travels frequently, and sometimes remodels houses.
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