For logistical reasons, I had to leave work around 11am on Friday, and having
previously seen some nice photos of the Middle Fork Kaweah trail while
procrastinating on one of Yahoo's hiking groups, I took the opportunity to
head down to the Sequoia NP foothills to check it out for myself. At this
time of year, the trail requires only a self-issue permit, a pleasant change
from having to hang around for the ranger station to open during the summer
months, and I started walking around 4.30pm or so, stopping shortly after the
ford of Panther Creek once it had become too dark to easily continue.
On Saturday, I continued walking along to see how far I could get before hitting the snow pack on the main trail as well as the side trails down to Redwood Meadow, before eventually retracing my steps. It appeared that I was the first person to walk along there in a while as I saw no other footprints in the snow--a bit surprising to me, as the early spring run-off while snow lingers by the creeks makes for a lovely setting.
