Fatpacking

Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park is truly a land of Giants. The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world (by volume). Between 1800 and 2700 years old, giant sequoias are immense and will leave you dumbfounded.

Kings Canyon is a beautiful Sierra woonderland with towering mountains, thundering waterfalls and rugged pulchritude. Come walk through time in an amazing destination where old growth redwoods are preserved from being cut down to make decks and picnic tables. You will walk through groves of leviathan trees that are centuries or even millenia old and can grow more than 300' tall.

If you'd like the chance of seeing black bears, big horn sheep, yellow bellied marmots, mule deer, pika, short tailed-weasels and maybe even mountain lions, why not join us?

The Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park Fatpacking Trip will be from Aug 17-25, 2013. Here is the proposed itinerary.

Our journey will begin in Sequoia National Park and quickly head into Kings Canyon National Park. We'll do a grand loop up deadman canyon, eventually heading over the almost 12000' high Elizabeth Pass back into Sequoia. We'll culminate our hike in the Giant Forest and end with Moro Rock.

The trails through Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park are well groomed with good footing. Elevation gain and loss can be striking however. Furthermore, some days are relatively high mileage making this trip difficult at times, but also rewarding, with incredible scenery that continually changes and keeps you engaged.

Weather is always an important concern when hiking. Expect daytime hiking temperatures well into the 80s and nighttime temperatures in the 40s & 50s. However, be prepared for the possibility of day temperatures in the 90s and as low as 30. Here is the historical August weather.

Steve Silberberg, lives in Hull, MA and has many years of backpacking experience over a variety of terrains and guides most Fatpacking trips. He is a SOLO certified Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer, and Certified Food Handler.

Rick Romine lives in Pleasanton, CA and is a Wilderness Medicine Institute certified Wilderness First Responder. A life long outdoor enthusiast, Rick is the founder of the wilderness education site HowToWilderness.com. Rick has been leading backpacking treks and teaching outdoor skills to both youth and adults for over 10 years.

Here is a list of equipment we suggest you bring. The list is extensive and can seem daunting, but please don't let this deter you from the trip. You can rent top notch quality gear for reasonable prices from Lower Gear. It may also be possible for us to provide some gear for you at a nominal fee if you let us know far ahead of the trip. Unfortunately, we're not in the gear business so the selection of our available inventory is unpredictable. Please feel free to discuss any gear with us before the trip.

We don't believe in austere eating regimens. Backpacking is a rigorous, rewarding activity. You must feed your body in order for it perform. Your body will dictate that you eat often, so it's important to have fuel to feed it. Please check out the sample menus. This list is not comprehensive and may be altered or augmented. If you want to bring personal food, say a 5 pound chocolate cake, go for it. You'll not only hate carrying it over 50 miles among the Giant Sequoias, your body will reject the empty calories and prefer nutritious food.

$1200 per person double occupancy. Here, double occupancy means that you will share a room with another participant during the 2 hotel nights. You will also be responsible for transportation to and from Fresno, CA (FAT), personal equipment and any restaurant meals eaten off the trail.

Covered expenses include 2 hotel nights, campground fees, 7 days of trail meals, ground transportation, National Park permits, insurance, and 2 awesome guides.

Fatpacking is on an ongoing quest to expand its selection of trip destinations. As such, this is the very first time we are offering a trip to Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park. Even though they are seasoned backpackers, the guides for this trip may NOT have previously backpacked these particular trails.

Many intrepid participants are excited by pioneering new routes, but others don't feel as comfortable with this and may prefer a more established, predictable trip. Experience guiding a certain destination can make things run smoother, but do not underestimate the decades of backpacking experience that our guides possess which permeate every other aspect of the trip in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.