Kennedy Meadows Campground (mile 704.7) to Clover Meadow (mile 709.5)
(12 miles, +2,500/-2,500 feet).

My son promised me a Sierra backpacking trip, but he has been really busy trying to do well in high school, so he asked if we could wait until Thanksgiving.

I said fine and kept my eyes on snow levels to see where in the Sierra we might be able to go. The South Sierra Wilderness seemed like it might be the best option, so we drove up to Kennedy Meadows to hit the PCT.

It was a brisk day in the 50s, perfect for hiking.

 

I had originally planned to hike in 10 miles, but when we passed Clover Meadow, my son said it looked like a great place to camp. We set up the tent and our bedding and then set out to do some off trail exploration.

It gets dark early in November so we started making our way back to camp around 4pm.

My son found some snowfields near the meadow.

We had dinner from Subway. I had one sandwich, but my son had two, so I started calling him “DoubleSub” and the name stuck. After dinner we had a nice campfire.

In the morning we walked back out through one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen, set against a stark burn area.

Within a couple of hours the sun was up and we were back at the car, ready for the drive home.