| Where: | Jennie Lakes Wilderness Area |
| Mileage: | 18.0 miles |
| Difficulty: | Hard |
| Recommended: | Hiking shoes, fishing pole |
Another labor day came around and yet again we continued our adventures in the Sequoia National Park area by achieving another 3 day hike, 18.0 mi. The area we went to is called Jennie Lakes Wilderness Area.
Day 1: Fairly easy part of the hike from Big Meadows trailhead to Weaver Lake (3.7 miles). Two in our group did it in about 4 hours. Three others completed it in 2. The winners were my sister and a friend and they were able to outdo all of us with 1 hour 25 minute hike. On the way up to the lake there are many different photo opportunities due to the beauty this area has to offer: summits, meadows, peaks and views.
When we reached the lake, it took us a very long time to find a place to camp because there were an abundant amount of holiday hikers/campers. We secured a camping spot, gathered the firewood and waited for the rest of our group. Once everyone arrived, we set up camp. We then spent a good hour or two fishing until it was too dark to see where you were casting or even the end of your fishing pole. We had little opportunity to catch and the fish that we caught decided he didn’t want to be our dinner. We were stuck with pasta that night.
One of Weaver Lake’s enchanting views is Shell Mountain, third highest named peak in this Area.
Day 2: Another day of hiking, but only 5 of us dared to continue. We began from Weaver Lake and headed to Jennie Lake with hopes of getting a good spot right by the lake. The mileage all together for that day was 7.6.
Along the way to our destination, we had to climb and reach Poop Out Pass (9,150 ft.). I don’t know for sure why they named it Poop Out Pass, but after going up and up and up and up, all 5 of us were definitely “pooped out”. We got to the Jennie Lake (9,020 ft.) in about 4 hours.
It was definitely a longer hike than the 1st day, but still a short day. When we saw the lake, we were speechless as to how the color was extremely crystal blue. The landscape with the color of the water and the granite mountain (peak 9,612 ft.) that reached up hundreds of feet above the lake was incredible. We enjoyed another fishing expedition and once again the fish did not let us win. It’s okay since there are more fish in the world.
Day 3: The next morning, we packed up everything and before heading out took a dip in the water. There is nothing better than a refreshing swim before heading back to your car.
We headed back the same way we came, up to Poop Out Pass back down all the way to Big Meadows Trailhead. This part of the trip was long (6.7 miles), but not as demanding as the 1st two days.
Note: Make sure you have a lot of water on the trip because some parts of the hike you will not have water until you get to the lake. Also, leave early in the morning so that you get there before the crowd, this way you’ll have a nice spot next to the lakes.