Sequoia National Park contains some of the most amazing scenery in the lower 48, and it's all on display from the start of the High Sierra Trail at Crescent Meadows. From towering giant sequoias to giant granite cirques, from lush meadows to cascading creeks, it's no wonder that many choose to do the "simpler" trip of doing an out-and-back to Hamilton Lake.

“Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve,
They are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”
~Anatoli Boukreev
It’s been over four weeks since we stepped off the High Sierra Trail in Whitney Portals, took off our backpacks one last time, and washed seven days worth of dirt,…