In recent months it has been apparent to Randy and I that we are in need of a bit more "alone time". As our kids get older and they can stay up later, the time to relax and chat after the kids are in bed is disappearing. Plus, we tend to tuck ourselves in only a few minutes after, if not at the same time, in order to get enough sleep before waking up early to swim or run before we get the kiddos up and going.
We know that in order to maintain a good marriage relationship, and parent as a team, we need to carve out that time to talk, relax, and have fun, as well as plan and pray! Isaiah has been with our family for 17 months, and in that time we have not taken a whole weekend away...just a couple hours at a time. Granted, we have done that intentionally, giving Isaiah time to bond and gain security through our family being together and at home more often than not. But he is doing extremely well and we felt he would not be stressed if we left for a few days...so we planned our weekend!
With the gracious help of Randy's mom, we sent the kids off to school on Friday morning, left Isaiah with Grandma and a long list of instructions, and headed up the hill to our favorite camp spot, Kings Canyon NP. We had originally thought we would backpack up to Seville Lake and spend the weekend there. But with highs in the 60s and lows close to 30 for KCNP, we opted to camp there at the lower elevation of 6600 feet, and make a day hike up to Seville Lake and back. Who knows how much colder it would be another 2000 feet up?!
We set up camp, relaxed a bit, stopped in at the Ranger Station to buy a detailed map of the area we hoped to hike the next day, then headed into Hume Lake for a walk around the lake, some dinner at the Snack Shack, and a view of the sunset before heading back to camp for a fire and some star-gazing!
Saturday morning after a quick breakfast of coffee and oatmeal, we headed south on the General's Highway to the Rowell Meadow trailhead. Just a few miles past the Y, on your left just after the Big Baldy trailhead is the turnoff. I had no idea there were PAVED fire roads so far back into the forest...we drove 10 miles back (14S11), then an extra 2 miles on dirt road (13S14) beyond the pack station.
The trail starts in Jennie Lake Wilderness area (maintained by the US Forest Service). Seville Lake is actually in KCNP though, you cross the park boundary line about halfway.
It was a chilly start to our hike, we had on quite a few layers, with good reason...at 7900 feet there was already snow in the shade of the trees from the storm that passed through last weekend!
Double checking the map because...
THIS is all the marker we get for a trail split?
Rowell Meadow, about 2.2 miles in, a steady uphill the whole way.
Second trail split, much better marker!
We made it! 6.7 miles...to beautiful Seville Lake, at about 8500 feet. .3 miles after Rowell Meadow, you split off to the right, following the trail another 2 miles (appx) before you cross over the park boundary into KCNP. You're around 9000 feet by then, and drop down (rather quickly) 500 feet in about a half mile but then follow a level trail the last mile and a half to the lake.
After enjoying lunch on top of the huge boulder at the north end of the lake, Randy meandered around the water's edge, keeping an eye out for birds and fish. I napped in the sun! There was not a people, car, or other mechanical sound to be heard the entire time! Just wind, birds, water splashes as the fish came to the surface to catch a bug...wonderful solitude!
Ready for the hike back!
Aside from the short, brutal uphill right before the park boundary, the hike back was very nice! The sun was out, warming up the trail, and there were lots of great views to enjoy along the way!
We enjoyed the evening around the campfire...bacon-wrapped fillets on the BBQ, warm bread, lots of salad greens, and a glass of red wine! Now that's a great way to end the day!
This morning we enjoyed a later start to our morning, a hot breakfast of eggs, potatoes, sweet bread and coffee, a lazy hike around the campgrounds, and a raging game of Quirkle Cubes before packing up and heading back down the mountain. It was a great weekend, enjoying our favorite mountains, hiking so much farther than we could ever do with our kids right now, and enjoying the crisp, cool fall weather! Having packed warm jackets, 30 degree sleeping bags, and our 2-person tent rather than our big one made all the difference. With only half the camp spots taken, it makes me want to head back up with the kiddos next weekend!
