Rae Lakes Loop

After our summer trip was cut short, I needed to find another trip to do. Something to redeem myself, for the sake of myself. I am a goal setter and achiever. If I don’t accomplish the goal that I set for myself, I have a very hard time moving on until I do. It’s a curse and a gift.

I set about finding another trip that we could do within a week’s time and not too far of a drive. I want it to be back in the Sierra, but an area that we have not yet experienced. There is an area that everyone talks about that is in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP. It is called the Rae Lakes Loop. It is 42 miles long and goes over 1 pass at 11, 978’. Fall is a tricky season to hike in, because weather can be very unpredictable. The possibility of a snow storm is not out of the question. However, the payoff is the beautiful fall foliage and less people. It also means that we do not have any issues getting a permit. Permit quotas end a few days prior to our departure date. This means that we just walk up, fill out a permit, drop it in the box, and go!

I already have food that we did not eat from our last trip ready to go. I call my doctor to get a prescription of Diamox to prevent altitude sickness. I am not going to just survive on Swedish Fish this time. Not that I won’t eat a ton of them, but at least they will not be my only sustenance.

To get to the starting point of this trail, you need to drive through SEKI (Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP) on the western side of the sierra to an area tucked away called Cedar Grove. They have a few campgrounds and a lodge that has 21 rooms. A little general store and snack bar. From there, it is a short 5.5 mi to the Road’s End Trailhead and the start of the Rae Lakes Loop.