Backpacking the Big SEKI (Sequoia/Kings Canyon) Loop North Part 1

The 155-mile Big SEKI Loop is located in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The trail was originally created as an alternate to the popular John Muir Trail. Although shorter than the JMT by 56 miles, it’s still just as beautiful and challenging.

The trail takes in portions of the John Muir and High Sierra Trails and can be modified to fit one’s needs and can be entered in by way of Roads End in the western Sierras or from Onion Valley on the eastern side.

The reason the title reads as Big SEKI Loop “North” is because my friend, Tony and I, hiked the northern portion of the trail of Onion Valley which is west of Independence, California, located along highway 395. The trip took place over 8 days and comprised of 104 miles.

This is the longest trip I’ve ever attempted and for that reason alone the most challenging. Would I do it again? Probably not, but that’s only because there is some much more I want to hike in the Sierra’s before I die. However, I will hike portion of it as often as I can. And if all goes as planned, I’ll be hiking about 1/3 of this trip in the coming months for my summer trip.

Part one of the trip consists of the first four days, crossing Kearsarge Pass, through Roads End, crossing The Lip (a pass of sorts), crossing Granite Pass and hiking down The Bitch Trail to the Middle Fork Kings River where we stopped for night four of our journey.

Music featured in this video:
Mountains Air
Cody Francis
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/vOWgi7FbrL/
Running Circles (Instrumental Versions)
Cody Francis
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/tEnDhzPbdv/

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