Cirque Crest

Some of the most beautiful places in the Sierra Nevada are the most remote. We begin our journey by climbing 5000 feet straight up to Granite Basin from Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. From here its a quick day hike up to the tallest peak to get splendid views of the Volcanic Lakes Basin and the Palisades. We then descend back to our camp and are afforded majestic views of Granite Lake. Day 3 finds us crossing Dougherty Creek to Horseshoe Lakes where we begin a cross country route into Cartridge Creek Basin to meet our friends at Marion Lake. From here we begin the ascent into Lakes Basin and finally over snow-capped Cartridge Pass. Amazing views of Bench Lake and Arrow Peak are had from the summit. Descending the South Fork of the Kings River and hugging the right side of the river, we scramble over huge boulders and through thick underbrush into the Muro Blanco. Two days later we intersect the trail in Paradise Valley and easily negotiate the last 6 miles down to Cedar Grove. For experts only!

Approximate running time: 31 minutes
also available on DVD

To navigate the entire website with frames, reduce your browser tag to: ianwillson.com/