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Kings Canyon NP April 2025 I always look forward when Kings Canyon NP opens Highway 180 all the way down to Cedar Grove and Roads End. Depending on the amount of snow we get and damage to the road it usually opens up near the end of April every year. This year was no different and the road opened on April 25, 2005 and I was going to make sure I was one of the first ones to explore this area of the park. I was having second thoughts driving into the park as it was overcast, foggy and rainy as I approached the park. But once I got under the clouds driving into the canyon I was glad I stayed the course. The views of the Kings River as you get lower into the canyon are fantastic. My first stop was an outlook of the confluence of the middle and south fork of the Kings River. Next was to check out Redwood Falls near Convict Flats before stopping at Grizzly Falls. Grizzly falls this early in the season is great stop. It is misting you as a soon as you can see it. Once I made it down to Roads End I decided to hike to Mist Falls with a stop at the footbridge over the SF of the Kings River. I was surprised me of the first hikers on the trail. I only ran into two group of hikers in front of me a group of 2 guys and another group of 5-6 guys backpacking in. Mist falls was raging and was a sight to see. I wish it was a little warmer as the mist off the waterfall would have felt much better! On the hike back out I ran into a few more hikers and I got to get close to a few Mountain Quail that I got to watch and video for a few minutes. Make sure to put this area on your list to visit as it will not disappoint. 📍Mist Falls, Kings Canyon National Park, Fresno County- Home of the Nyyhmy (Western Mono/Monache)

Graveyard Lakes is located about 9 miles from the Edison Lake in the Sierra National Forest. We started the hike from the Mono Creek Trailhead and headed towards Devil’s Bathtub on a suggestion from another hiker coming down. About halfway up to Devil’s Bathtub we took the Graveyard Lakes cutoff trail until we met up with the Goodale Pass Trail. We took that for just under 3 miles to the junction of the Graveyard lakes trail and then hike the last 3/4 of a mile to Lower Graveyard Lake. I hike with Justin, Devin, Dave, Ryan, James and Vicente (V) to Graveyard Lakes. This was my first time there and it didn't disappoint. The second day Justin, Devin, V and I hiked up to Graveyard Peak. The up was all off trail and was a blast climbing up. Justin was the only one to climb to the proper peak and sign the register. Devin, V and I made to the peak just to the east. After about 30 minutes at the top we headed down towards the upper Graveyard Lakes and reconnected to the trail and headed back to our camp at Lower Graveyard Lake. Day Three we headed back to the trailhead but decided to hike down the Goodale Pass Trail until it met up with the Mono Creek trail and back to the trailhead. It was a great trip and the Graveyard Lakes are spectacular! Can’t wait to go back and do some more exploring in this area. 📍Graveyard Lakes, John Muir Wilderness- Sierra National Forest- Fresno County - Home of the Western Mono/Monache Tribes and the Numu (Northern Paiute)

This was my second time on this trail. The last time I hiked the trail earlier in the season I made it up about 1.5 miles and was inspired to hike much farther. I have passed this trail many time going to the Kings River NRT where I volunteer and do trail maintenance when I’m not hiking or Backpacking on it. The last year and half the road needed repair just before the Kings River Trailhead so I decided to give this trail a chance. Last summer the Basin Fire burned most of this area which really helped open up the trail and make it easy to follow. Once you climb and get to the first high point you realize how spectacular this trail is. The views are awesome and the wildflowers are just starting to pop out. As I advanced on the trail the views and landscape got better and better. The fire really cleared any brush on the trail and you could tell the fire fighters used this trail to work the fire. I made it up the trail to where the Basin trail meets the Bear Wallow trail just below where the trail leads up towards Rodgers Ridge about 4 miles in. If I had a little more time I would have made it the top. I guess I will save that for next time.

Cliff Lake This trailhead is located on the west side of Courtright Reservoir and lead you into the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. Cliff lake is about 5.7 miles from the trailhead according to my Garmin watch. The trail starts off going down hill for about a mile then it gradually goes up hill until the last two miles where it gets a lot steeper. At the lake there is plenty of camping along the north side of the lake and if that is crowded Bullfrog lake is a short hike away with more great camping spots. Once I set up camp at Cliff lake, I decided to hike to Bullfrog Lake and to the base of Dogtooth Mtn. Bullfrog Lake was beautiful and the views from the base of Dogtooth were spectacular. I definitely want to come back there and explore some more. I had been to Dogtooth before but I hiked to it from the pass above Cliff lake so this was all new territory. The next day we hiked back to the trailhead feeling energized and refreshed. Music: Mulholland by Kings Canyon 📍Cliff Lake, Dinkey Lakes Wilderness - Sierra National Forest- Fresno County - Home of the Western Mono/Monache Tribes.

This was my scouting trip for the Forest Service on the Dusy-Ershim OHV Trail - I hiked the trail from July 5th to July 8th. I encountered 38 trees down or leaning into the trail. That is way less than the 218 trees down or leaning on the trail I recorded last year. If you want to see my report go to the link below https://www.pathfinderwest.com/post/dusy-ershim-2024-scouting-report First Day - White Bark Vista to Mallard Lake Second Day - Mallard Lake to Knights Camp Third day - Knights Camp to Thompson Lake Fourth Day - Thompson Lake to Chamberlain Camp Fifth Day - Chamberlain Camp to Maxon Trailhead. Music Believe (Instrumental) by NEFFEX Earth Appears by Brian Bolger Packed by Density & Time

Duck Lake I went up early Friday(June 21) afternoon to camp at the Rancheria Trailhead so I could get an early start to this trip. There were a few cars in the parking lot but I would not see anyone until Sunday (June 23) when I hiked out. I have hiked to this lake many times before but this would be my first time backpacking there and staying the night. This would be my last test trip before I hike the Dusy-Ershim OHV trail July 5th - 9th. The weather was perfect up here especially when it was forecasted to be 107 in the Fresno/Clovis are for the next couple of days. The trail was in good shape and I didn’t come across any big obstacles on the trail. The wildflowers were starting to really pop and it was great to see them and all the butterflies dancing around them. Once I got to the lake I found a good spot to camp on the southeast side of the lake. While I was setting up my tent I heard a big splash and then noticed an Osprey coming out of the lake with a trout! I wish I caught it on video but it was still a great thing to experience. Once I was set up I did some fishing and on my first cast I caught trout! The fish were really biting you probably could have used anything and caught a fish. I was using a small mepps spinner that worked well. I ended up catching three of four fish before deciding to explore around the lake. From camp I headed in a counterclockwise direction around the lake but I went up high so I could get some views. Along the way I came across a deer and many different types of beautiful flowers. The views from above the lake didn’t disappoint and I could see the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness Peaks, plus’s Hoffman Mountain and Finger Peak which were close by. It was an uneventful night listening to the frogs and the birds that are active at night, just what I needed. The hike out the next day was great and I only ran into two hikers. There were still some cars in the parking lot but they must have went on other adventures in the Forest. I would definitely recommend this hike to any beginners with good fitness as the trail is nearly all up hill (1916 ft in elevation gain over 5.4 miles according to my Garmin watch). The trail is in great shape usually and well traveled so you shouldn’t have any issues following the trail, but I always recommend taking a map and GPS device and or App that you are comfortable using. (All Trails, Garmin Earthmate, CalTopo are all a few I would recommend) Make sure to check out my website www.pathfinderwest.com 📍Duck Lake, John Muir Wilderness - Sierra National Forest- Fresno County - Home of the Western Mono/Monache Music: Packed by Density & Time Gold and Crawfish by Density & Time Believe by NEFFEX #hikecalifornia #getoutside #hiking #sierranationalforest #ducklake #johnmuirwilderness #pathfinderwest

Hobler Lake Once I heard that the road to Courtright Reservoir was open, I knew I needed to do a hike out of the Maxson Trailhead. Hobler Lake was perfect for a day hike and to gauge the trail conditions. It was a warm day in the Central Valley so this was a perfect getaway for the day. The trail was in good shape with only a few trees down and the creeks were all easy to cross without getting your feet wet. I stopped by Chamberlain Camp and signed the log book in the outhouse. I was the first to sign it for the 2024 season. ( I would sign it two more times in the coming months.) I did’t see anyone on the trail other than two hikers that were coming from Voyager Campground area. Hobler Lake was peaceful and full to the brim. I took my lunch there and took in the beauty of the area. On the way back I took a small detour to get some views of part of the Sierra and John Muir Wilderness I would hike later that summer. It was a great trip to test my fitness and get accustomed to higher elevations. I will be back again I’m sure. Music: Mulholland by Kings Canyon

I took a group out to hike to Stevenson Creek Falls on Mother’s Day. There were 7 of us on this hike and a 4 had never hiked it before. It was great to see their faces light up when coming to the waterfall. You start the hike on Million Dollar Road hiking about 3.5 miles to the waterfall. It is a 7 mile roundtrip hike on a paved road. You need to be aware of Southern California Edison and they could be coming down the road at anytime (they drive really slow). Reach out if you have any questions about the trail.

My friend Alan (IG: @blazingtrail.cali) and I headed up past Oakhurst and to the South trailhead of the Lewis Creek NRT. We took the trail to Corlieu Falls and decided to follow it until we got to the area where the bridge washed away last year. This is a great hike that can be enjoyed by all levels of hikers. Corlieu Falls is the main attraction but there are many other great spots along this trail to hang out and have snack. Have you hiked this trail before? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for watching! Don Veatch Pathfinder West