Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop // June 2025 // 3 nights in the Kings Canyon backcountry

Backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop // June 2025 // 3 nights in the Kings Canyon backcountry

Alrighty. Good morning from Roads End in King’s Canyon. We are about to start the trail. We just picked up our permits and we’re loading up our packs, clearing out our cars. I just put my stuff into this bear locker, which is great to have at the trail heads because this is an active bear area, so you want to keep all of your stuff out of reach. So, this is nice to not have to worry about scented items in my car, like on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Feel a little more confident about that. And we’re getting ready to start the day. It’s really hot. I’m sweating. Um, but it is a little hotter down here at the bottom of the canyon. And there’s my pack. Let’s get it on my back and get started. Um yeah. Yeah. Yes. Can’t tell which side you’re Heat. Heat. Oh my god. What do I Why is it Go away. It’s so thick. I mean, this is kind of cool, but look at them just staring. They’re digging. Well, we made it to camp. Here are the setup. Here’s our tents. And there’s a lot of mosquitoes. And I think we’re at somewhere between lower and middle Paradise Valley. There is a bearer locker. yonder. Anyway, this is our camp for the night. There’s Allerie. So, I already ate it, but this was my dinner. Mushroom roto. And I ate the whole bag because these are one serving, which is so nice. I wish more backpacking food brands made one serving meals. And I don’t know if you can see all of them, but the mosquitoes are pretty bad right now. I got my cape on like this because they were stinging me or sting biting me through my shirt. And I’m going to put my headnut back on now that I’m done eating. But this was pretty good. So I recommend. Now I’m going to have a sweet treat. Some fruit. Soleie raspberry and mango. Yum, yum. So, we found Oh, my head contraption looks lovely. Uh, we found a random trail that the map says led to a bathroom. And we found it. Here it is. Super rusty. This is like an antique over here. And I don’t think it’s meant to be used. Cool. There’s not even a hole under this thing. So, I’m not sure how it works. And I I’m I don’t think I’m going to use it tomorrow. And this there’s not even a place to sit. It’s rust and sharp. So, yay. This is a grouse. They’re kind of like chickens. And I think this is a baby one. [Applause] So, we made it to our water crossing. No worries. The bridge is down. It’s been down since the first time I did this trail like six, seven years ago. And so, you have to find a more Usually, if you find a wider part of the river, it’s shallower. So, that’s where we’re crossing. We made a friend Elena yesterday and she’s on the other side and we’re really excited to see her. She’s 72 years old and hiked the JMT multiple times, the High Sierra Trail. She’s amazing. Uh maybe we’ll introduce you to her, but here we go. Nothing like an icy cold river crossing to start your morning. And there goes Val. That’s chilly. Honestly, not as cold as I thought it would be, though. And not as deep, not as swift. I think maybe the morning is a better time. So, yesterday, Valerie and I met this wonderful woman, and I want to introduce you to her. She’s such a badass. This is Elena. Apparently badass. And yeah, she’s an epic hiker. So, we were so excited to see her this morning and much slower. Well, doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you’re out here. So, yeah, that’s Elena. Bye. [Music] That one. Whenever I see a meadow, I think this is the perfect place to see wildlife. Yes. Like a bear is going to walk through here any second or a There’s no moose here, but like some kind of wildlife. Yep. And I’m reunited with my old friend, the John Mir Trail. Yeah, that means we’re just about at the bridge, which is a good thing because I am so thirsty. Finished my water. Probably should have filtered some extra water back there. Um, but yeah, we’re about we’re about 8 miles into the day and we’re hoping to make it to Ray Lakes today. We’ll see timing wise. Um, but I am very much looking forward to this water. Hopefully getting in it too. The infamous suspension bridge. Oh man. I know, right? Oh my god, that is insane. I feel like I’m not even moving. Yay, we made it. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my gosh. [Music] Looks like we hit 10,000 ft. We’re almost to Dollar Lake. I think we have another mile. And we’ve just been climbing all day. I think we’re almost at 6,000 ft of elevation gain for today, or at least by the time we get to the lakes, probably. But it’s been a good day. Long climbs, but gorgeous views. and they’re just about to get better. And we met a few JMT hikers. Haven’t seen any PCT hikers. Um, dayhikers or no, not dayhikers, just like overnight hikers, weekend hikers, Ray Lakes loop hikers. So, it’s been nice interacting with the people that we’ve been meeting out here. John Jir Trail and we made it to Dollar Lake. No camping. All All righty, we made it to Lower Ray Lakes and there’s my spot. We got Finn Dome in the background and Ray Lakes back there. The sun is just starting to set. It’s beautiful. Valerie’s camp is behind me. Uh we found spots that were only kind of big enough for one, so we’re not too far from each other at least. And I’m going to go filter some water, cook some food. We chose this camp spot because there is a bear locker nearby and we like using the bear lockers. It’s also good for the bears and I was really tempted by that uh spot right there by the water. But technically, leave no trace. You’re not supposed to camp within 100 feet, 200 feet from the water or from the trail. So, I’m very happy with my spot over here. And now I’m thirsty. So, let’s go get some water. Well, this is fun. Good morning. I’m all packed up. It’s about 7 a.m. I had a pretty good night’s sleep. Obviously, I kept waking up to toss and turn as per usual. And this morning, I saw a deer and a mouse ran right by my camp. Um, the mosquitoes have been pretty bad here. So, I like made my coffee this morning from inside the tent. I had it open like I don’t know 8 in and just my hands outside preparing things because I’m getting eaten alive. Valerie was smart and she used peromethine and treated everything. So, they have not been bothering her. But my treatment, I guess, has well, I haven’t treated everything. And I did treat some things before the Tahoe Rim Trail, but I guess it’s not as effective now. So, anyway, today we climb I think we have 3 miles to Glenn Pass, and I cannot wait. It’s going to be so beautiful. And we camped in front of Finn Dome last night. and lower Ray Lake. And I’m ready for another great day. After Glenn Pass, it’s all downhill, but like steep downhill. So, that’ll be nice because yesterday we climbed like 6,000 ft of elevation. Yeah. Well, another day on trail. How you feeling, Valerie? Good. Out of breath. 7:30 in the morning. We about to do Glam Glenn Pass. Look how beautiful. How do you feel about this pass? Um nervous. Yeah, not going to lie. Very nervous. How do you feel about the climb yesterday? We did it. We did it. We’re so badass. We’re in our Elena era. Yeah. painted ladies. And then somewhere over here is our pass. Slowly but surely, we’re getting there. These switchbacks are pretty gnarly, but look at this amazing view. [Music] Almost to the top. All right. So, I’m at the top of Glen Pass and you meet the most amazing people when you’re backpacking, especially at the summits when everyone’s high on life. And I made a new friend up here and he’ll introduce himself. Yay. I’m Cactus Cav and I’m pleased to meet you, Be. And we’re just having some fun out here in the wilderness. Yeah. What a gorgeous place. He does YouTube videos as well. So, definitely check out his channel. And it Yeah, out there in it. Out there in it. And say that B be sent you. Yeah, please do. Yeah. Cool. Well, happy trails. Happy trails. all the switchbacks. So, there’s certain points on this trail that like stick out in my memory from the last times I did it. And one of them is this glacier pond, lake, alpine lake. I’m not sure what to call it, but it’s the craziest blue color. And this is the third time I’m seeing it. And it’s a little darker, I feel like, than the first time, but it’s still gorgeous. And here it is. I don’t know if this camera is doing it justice, but also look at all these the texture in the rock. That’s so cool. All right, so down there we got Charlotte Lake and over yonder is Charlotte Dome. And I believe we’re going around the back side of this mountain. Yeah. All right. Came up to a intersection here and we got some bear info. Bears have gotten food from hikers in this area and will continue to try to get your food. Do not let them. Keep all food, trash, and scented items in a locked bear canister or food storage locker, your backpack, on your back, or in your hands. Never leave food unattended, not even for a minute. If you see a bear, chase it like you are trying to catch it and eat it. Get mad. Be mean. They will run away in terror. Chase the bear for as long as you physically can. Do not get between a mother and cub, but you can chase them both as a unit. Loud noises don’t really work on their own. Thank you for helping take care of these amazing animal friends. Charlotte Lake Ranger. I really like this sign. So, we just stopped for a break at Lower Videt Meadow. Beautiful meadow back there. And as we’re sitting on this rock, I look over at this tree. And can you guess what happened to this tree? I don’t know if you could see up there, but they kind of continue up. Yeah, I think that was bear. A bear climbing that tree. So, there’s definitely bears around. Making our way down this Bubs Creek Canyon over here. And we got a little bit of overgrown trail. Lots of big ferns. Hope there’s no rattlesnakes hiding around here. It’s kind of hard to see the trail, but we got about 3 miles to like Sphinx Creek. We chatted with some people earlier today about where they cuz they were heading in the opposite direction. So, we asked them where they camped their first night because we’re trying to get as close I guess to the end as we are comfortable and feel good with today. Um to make it all the way out would have been like 21 miles which is maybe a little bit too much. Um, so we’re going to get to just about Sphinx Creek, we think. I don’t think there’s any bear lockers there. There have been a lot of bear lockers uh on the trail so far at all of the campsites, which is funny because I don’t remember those bear lockers being there when I did this with my sister a few years ago. So, either the bears have become more of a problem or they’re just being a little more precautious. Um, so anyway, Sphinx Creek, I believe, is about four miles to the end. From Sphinx Creek, it’s about two miles to the junction where this loop meets. So, the last two miles are going to be the same as our first two miles, which we’re pretty flat. So, tomorrow should be a super easy day. We were thinking it would be nice to rinse off before driving home. I have like a six or seven hour drive. Val has like I think a four or five hour drive. So it would be nice to not be stanking and super dirty. So we’re gonna maybe take a dip in the river right by the trail head before heading home. This way we’re like at least a little refreshed. No soap in the water though. I don’t want anyone thinking that we’re showering and using soap in the water. That’s a no no. That does not leave no trace. Anyway, oh, also you should probably like pour some water over you if you have any bug spray or sunscreen on before jumping in water just for, you know, the wildlife sake. But anyway, we’re kind of dragging on this uh little last couple miles here. We’re tired. Our legs are tired. It’s been a lot of downhill today and it’s a pretty big mileage day. I think we’re up to, let me see, we’re up to 13.2 so far. So maybe 16 for today. Not bad. All right. Well, we made it to our campsite for the night. Here’s me. There’s Val. and we have some other people around. This campground or like campsite area is the last well for us it’s the last spot that you’re allowed to camp before Sphinx Creek and then no camping till the end which is about 4 miles. Um but if you’re coming in this direction it’s the first place where you can camp along this trail. And on our way down here, like literally maybe a half a mile before we got to this campsite, uh, I startled a bear. I was coming down the trail and just kind of like singing to myself in my head though. Should have been singing out loud. Um, and then I see something like furry scurry up a tree maybe 10 ft in front of me. And at first I thought it was a giant marmet, but then I was like, “No, that’s too big.” And I saw its head and I could see the ears and it turned and looked at me and I was like, “Oh my gosh, that’s a bear. That’s a bear.” I turned around to Valerie. I was like, “There’s a bear. There’s a bear.” And so we backed up a little bit, started chanting, “Hey bear. Hey bear. Hey bear.” And the bear climbed down from the tree, crossed the trail, and then kind of like went up into the woods um a little bit and didn’t really seem to mind us too much because it just kind of stood there and stared at us. And we got a really great view of him or her. It kind of looked like an adolescent bear. It really wasn’t that big, but it was super fluffy and very cute. Very cute. And then not even I don’t know like five minutes later, I turn around to say something to Valerie and I look over into the water. I was like, “Oh my gosh, there’s another one.” And it was just kind of fishing in the water. And now we’re camping here. We were really happy that this spot had a bear locker, so that eases a little bit of the concern. and there’s a couple other people around. So, that’s always uh you know, bear safety is better when you’re in numbers. So, that’s the update. We’re going to have some dinner, maybe wash off a little bit with some of the stream, and probably go to bed early. We were both pooped, but had a wonderful day. Cutie. All righty, we’re on our last day. We only have about 4 miles to get out. Lots of little switchbacks going down. And it’s been a wonderful trip. Um, it’s not that hot right now. We started pretty early. I think it’s like 7:00 a.m., which is ideal because this section of trail has been so humid. even though it’s not like well we were covered by a lot of trees so we were shaded and it was only like 75 80 degrees yesterday I guess but because of the humidity it made it a lot hotter. Um at camp there weren’t too many mosquitoes which was good. We’ve had pretty like consistent mosquitoes every day but they haven’t been too too bad which is nice. And today is my anniversary. So I’m happy to be going home and seeing my husband tonight. And I got married here in Seoa last year. So pretty cool that I get to be here exactly a year from that day. And that is all. Another bridge. And look how beautiful the water is. So blue and the moon. This is the Bailey Bridge and we’re just about to reconnect with where we started. So, we’re going to be kind of repeating our steps up ahead. We made it. Happy dance time. Oh, yay. Well, here’s where we started. Roads end. Good times were had. What would you rate this trip out of 10? 100. 100. Yeah, I’d probably say that. Yeah. Perfect trip. 10 out of 10. 10 out of 10. Recommend. And I made it back to my car. No bears broke in. Nobody stole my stuff from the bear locker. And I’m ready to drive home. I’ll probably stop at Grant Grove for a nice cold ginger ale, maybe a breakfast burrito and some cold drinks from the ride home. I find that the thing I crave the most on backpacking trips is just cold bubbly drinks. And that’s all I want right now. even though it’s like 7:30 in the morning, 9:00 a.m. actually. And yeah, we did 4.3 miles, only 70 ft of elevation gain, and we finished the trail. On the way out, we ran into the ranger who had given us our permits on the way in. And she’s going to stay at the cabin at Ray Lakes, which is super cool. And she’ll be there for like 5 days, which is so nice. What a beautiful place to stay. and she has some ranger friends coming to visit her. I’m like, “Wow, what an ideal summer job. How cool.” So, anyway, that’s the Ray Lakes Loop with Bee and Val and happy trails.

In June 2025, my friend Val and I embarked on one of my favorite backpacking loops in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Rae Lakes Loop.

The first time I climbed over Glen Pass, camped near Rae Lakes, and wobbled my way down the suspension bridge was in 2018 when I hiked the John Muir Trail. I was in absolute awe the entire way and knew I had to come back one day to do it again.

So I did.

In 2021, my sister and I hiked the Rae Lakes Loop together, and I got to share these special places with her.

And now, I have returned with a new friend, Valerie, and get to share the magic all over again!

I hope you can make it out there one day yourself!

Happy trails!

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