June 24 to June 26, 2015
Seville Lake, Kings Canyon National Park
Total distance walked: 13.2 miles

Our family embarked on our annual backpacking adventure and chose Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI) as our destination for the first time. Mason, our soon-to-be son-in-law, joined us. SEKI, much like Yosemite, is conveniently close to home and boasts an array of hiking trails. The renowned naturalist John Muir once described it as “a rival to Yosemite.” We set our sights on Seville Lake for this trip.

THE PERMIT

We entered the park through the Big Stump entrance and then made our way to the Grant Grove Visitor Center to obtain our permit. The process was similar to Yosemite’s, but with a few notable differences. While Yosemite focused on the type of bear canister we had, SEKI was more meticulous in ensuring they could locate us in case of an emergency. They asked for an emergency contact, details about our tent color, and the type of car we drove. Additionally, SEKI had a register located at the trailhead.

THE TRAIL

The trailhead was tucked away from the main paths, which played to our advantage—we had the entire area to ourselves.

We hiked the first two miles in the afternoon heat, ascending 1,000 feet up the sunny slope.

The ranger at the visitor center had warned us about blow-down on the trail, and she was right—several large trees were blocking our path.

Somewhere within the Jennie Lakes Wilderness, the trail leveled out, and we found ourselves walking mostly in the cool shade of red firs.

Although we had a couple of maps, we relied on the trail signs to guide us. At the first junction, Andrew used sticks to spell out his name, indicating that he would meet us at the next stop.

The ranger had mentioned that the creeks might be dry due to the drought, but we discovered most of them trickling with water and teeming with mosquitoes.

Wildlife seemed scarce with the only notable sightings being two marmots lounging on boulders near Rowell Meadow.

After a while, we exited the Jennie Lakes Wilderness within Sequoia National Park and entered Kings Canyon National Park. We found Andrew waiting at the trail sign pointing the way to Seville Lake, three miles farther.

I’ve noticed that when I’m unsure of a route, the journey seems to stretch on endlessly. That’s exactly how it felt while walking to Seville Lake, which sits at an elevation of 8,400 feet—the trail just seemed never-ending.

THE CAMPFIRE

Fire is always essential when we are in the wilderness. Besides providing warmth, it can heat water and cook food when needed. This time, it generated much-needed smoke to keep the mosquitoes at bay. At night, it served as a deterrent for animals, which Andrew appreciated since he was cowboy camping. Lastly, no matter where we find ourselves, the campfire provides endless amusement. For example, inspired by several episodes of Naked & Afraid, Chris took on the challenge of trying to start a fire with just sticks.

Andrew also put in a lot of effort, attempting to create an ember using only sticks and his hands.

Using a different approach and collaborating in a back-and-forth motion, they actually managed to get the log to smoke.

Mason joined the fun by adding a log as large as a tree trunk to the fire.

Later, Chris threw a substantial section of a tree onto the fire (no trees were harmed in the process).

As anyone who’s gone camping with Chris knows, once a fire captain, always the master of the flames.

FISHING

From the moment we arrived at the lake until the time we packed our bags to leave, Andrew could always be found perched on a floating log, his line in the water.

WILDFLOWERS

In the afternoon, I tried to walk around the lake but was stopped by Sugarloaf Creek, our water source. Instead, I turned my attention to searching for wildflowers. Here are just a few that I found:

ROSES, BUDS AND THORNS

Buds: One thing we would have loved to change, we all agreed, was the abundance of pesky mosquitoes biting us and buzzing in our ears—or better yet, have none at all. If you’re not a fan of mosquitoes, June is definitely not the ideal time to camp by the lake. Julia found solace by relaxing in the safety of the mosquito net.

Thorns: Some of the challenges we faced during this trip included dealing with mosquitoes, the disappointment of realizing we still had another mile to walk when we thought we had reached the lake, and our struggle to sleep on the first night.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Until next time… happy trails.