I woke up next to the South Fork of the Kings River in Sierra National Forest and quickly packed up my cowboy camp. With everything back in the car, I drove the last 6 miles to Roads End in Kings Canyon National Park.

I stepped out into the already warm air, shouldered my pack, and looked up at the granite wall I would be climbing . My shoulders and back were already groaning with 10 days of food, and I was a little wary of the 5,500 ft climb that awaited me. The Big SEKI Loop sure doesn’t start you off easy.

I took my first steps and remembered back to when I heard about this loop. I was looking for a summer trip in the Sierra that wasn’t the John Muir Trail (JMT) or Sierra High Trail (HST) and stumbled upon the website called doingmiles.com, which belongs to an experienced husband and wife, who have backpacked extensively in the Sierra. They put together a brief guide to the loop and billed it as an alternative to the popular named trails in the Sierra that was just as beautiful if not more. Eight months later here I am.

From the Copper Creek Trailhead, the trail switchbacked as it climbed from the valley floor. In my excitement, I forgot about the weight of my pack and lost myself in my surroundings. There were pines mixed in with manzanita and the sun was just beginning to light up my surroundings.

As I climbed higher, I got a good look down Kings Canyon and the smoke from nearby fires that was beginning to fill it. It was quite a view.

The climbing continued and I began to feel the weight of my pack again, but I looked back at the fantastic view every couple of minutes for motivation.

After about 4 miles, I entered into a wooded area and met a group of boy scouts coming down the trail. They were the only people I would see for the day.

I saw typical Sierra wildlife, such as squirrels, chipmunks, and dark-eyed juncos as I continued up the trail. I made it to “the lip” around 9:30 am and got my first look into Granite Basin. It was beautiful.

I continued down and enjoyed great views. At 11:00, I found a nice meadow and took a 2 hour lunch break that was at least half nap. At one point, a chipmunk startled me by running up my leg and perching on my knee. We were both surprised. When I kicked my leg, the little guy ran off.

Originally, I thought I might camp in the basin, but it was still very early so I decided to continue up and over Granite Pass, which stands at 10,600 ft. The smoke progressively grew worse throughout the day and the views were rather hazy.

I continued to descend for another four miles passing small meadows, snaking creeks, and surprised deer.

I made camp at the East Fork of Dougherty Creek. Tomorrow I hope to make it to Palisades Creek and begin the climb that will eventually take me up to Mather Pass.