Hiking to Evolution Valley
Although the trail from the head of Florence Lake to Evolution Valley climbs over 2,000 feet, most of the elevation gain comes during the last miles. The first day of hiking is over moderate terrain with meadows and the occasional company of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River.
Florence Lake to Piute Creek,
7.8 miles
Take the Florence Lake Ferry to the south end of the lake and then follow the trail across the granite slabs to its junction with the main trail. The trail leads through Double and Blayney meadows. Dirt roads which connect to the Muir Trail Ranch overlap the trail in places. Some hikers like to stop for a soak at the public hot springs across the river, just beyond the Muir Trail Ranch.
Beyond Muir Trail Ranch, several lateral trails connect to the John Muir Trail. Follow signs pointing to Kings Canyon National Park.
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Campsites:
Good campsites can be found along the river beyond the Piute Creek bridge.
Blayney Meadows
Piute Creek to Evolution Creek,
3.5 miles
Beyond Piute Creek the trail stays close to the river, working its way up the canyon. After 2.5 mile it crosses a bridge (hopefully replaced since the original was destroyed in a winter storm) to the south side of the river where a good campsite is located. Another 1.5 miles up the canyon is the turnoff to Evolution Valley. Good campsites can be found there also.
Evolution Creek to Evolution Valley,
4.1 miles
Here the trail climbs 700 feet of switchbacks to the mouth of Evolution Valley. The creek crossing there can be challenging early in the season. By heading upstream on a use-trail for a quarter mile to a meadow, you will find a shallower ford. Then continue up the valley to McClure Meadow.
Upper Evolution Creek Crossing, Mid-August
Editor's 2 Cents
Water Filters
To avoid the risk of getting sick, most Sierra backpackers filter or treat their drinking water. Sawyer Water Filters are popular because of their light weight and ease of use. Most hikers use the Sawyer. However, the bags they provide have been susceptible to developing leaks. As a backup, some soft-sided water bottles such as the Platypus will thread onto the filter and work just as well. Or for a better system, read below.
First purchase this cheap little popular attachment: Sawyer Products SP150 Coupling which allows users to connect the Sawyer filter directly to a clean water container such as a Platypus or other compatible narrow opening water bottle.
Then, complete the system by purchasing a popular 3L Vecto Water Container by CNOC Outdoors. Use this instead of the leak-prone bags provided by Sawyer for the "dirty" water to be filtered. Fill the bag with creek or lake water and then screw the Vecto bag on the top of the Sawyer filter. Attach a clean water bottle on the bottom of the Sawyer filter (using the coupling) and firmly roll up the Vetco bag, forced the water through the filter. Most thru hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail use this system. Click the link above and watch the How to Use the Vetco video on their website.
The SteriPen uses UV light to kill the germs. The SteriPen Adventurer has become popular because it is more reliable than earlier models.
Those who use the SteriPen, or any other filter system, are wise to carry a backup such as Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets.
