Enjoy Yourself - Trip Planning and DIY Projects: Sequoia & Kings Canyon - Backpacking the Twin Lakes Trail Part 1

This is part 1 of a 5 part series about planning a backpacking trip following the Twin Lakes trail in Sequoia National Park. Click here for Part 2.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir

I've been a hiker all of my life. As a kid growing up in Santa Clarita, CA there were plenty of undeveloped mountainous areas to explore. At the age where I was in elementary school, there was not a Saturday morning where I missed a walk along the local hilltops or down into nearby canyon. These weren't large hills or deep canyons nor were they wilderness areas far from civilization; they were, however, wild and full of artifacts of bygone eras.

The area was once known as Rancho San Fransisco and history has it as the place where gold was first discovered in California. There were always artifacts and remnants of the mining and agricultural history of the area to find. Exploring new areas played well with a child's curiosity and delight in experiencing the thrill of discovery.

In the mid-1980's, I was a member of Boy Scout troop 585 and we were planning a big backpacking trip to Sequoia. This wasn't going to be the usual overnight camping trip - this was a serious wilderness trek. It was going to be rough, but the boys ranging in age from 12 to 14 were more than ready to go. We set out one summer morning at the Jenny Lake trailhead and finished the trek at the Twin Lakes trailhead in Lodgepole.

One of the most memorable things about that trip was spending two days at Twin Lakes. At the time, there was what I would describe as a glacier sitting on the face of the canyon wall at the east edge of the lake. I remember the lake being quite beautiful; crystal clear waters, plenty of climbable rocky formations to keep a bunch of rowdy boy scouts occupied, snowball fights near on the glacier, and the serenity that comes with being far from the noise of civilization. For many years, I dreamed of going back and taking my kids with me to share the experience.

I'm by no means an expert hiker but I am also not a beginner. It occurred to me that there may be a great many people out there that would enjoy taking a trip to the wilderness but perhaps did not know where to start. If this is you, then you can take some tips from here and maybe you'll be able to get out and enjoy the wilderness experience.

This is part 1 of a 5 part series. Check back periodically to if the next part in the series has been posted.