Monday August 3, 22.2mi/35.7km

Cahoon Gap (9.8/8645ft) to Copper Creek Trailhead (32.0/5035ft) (CA)

Today’s objective was to hike back to my car at Cedar Grove, where I had left it over 3 weeks ago. I started off in cool temperatures and made it to JO Pass an hour later. The passes are much lower and vegetated here.

I left Sequoia National Park, and entered the Sequoia National Forest.

I cruised for a couple hours on nice trails thru open forests.

The hike thru Rowell Meadow was above surprise, and there weren’t even any mosquitos!

I hiked over Marvin Pass, exiting the Wilderness and joining a dirt road at the Marvin Trailhead. I didn’t see any cars, and walked for a mile on the nice road. I decided to leave the FS roads and cut across the hillside, to save myself a few miles on serpentine roads. It was an old abandoned logging road, and was a little overgrown.

But at least it was marked with flagging tape! I had a nice view down to Lookout Mountain.

I lost the road at the end, and bushwhacked the last mile to the Don Cecil Trailhead. The Manzanita and scrub oak bushes were a little aggressive with the skin exfoliation.

Back in King’s Canyon National Park, the Don Cecil trail was quite nice.

I don’t know what conifer this is, bit the cones are huuuuge.

After 2000ft of downhill hiking, I crossed the bridge over Sheep Creek.

And the Sheep Creek Cascade.

I finally arrived at the road after 3000ft of descent into King’s Canyon.

I still had 4 miles on roads to get to my car. I crossed the South Fork King’s River on the paved road, then walked the 4 miles on a dirt road.

I arrived back at my car at 4:30pm, and surprisingly the food I had stored in the bear box a month ago was still there!

I did some stretching, eating, and then drove an hour out of the National Park, to find some free camping in the nearby National Forest.

What a trip! I had successfully combined the SHR and the HST to make a loop, and get back to my car.

Tomorrow I’ll make the 4 hour drive up to Lake Tahoe, spending time with friends for a week enjoying the outdoors up there.