Rae Lakes Loop – Day Two

Day two of the Rae Lakes Loop was filled with marshes, bugs, LOTS of ups and downs and, of course, the Woods Creek suspension bridge! It was also filled with lots of heat due to higher temperatures than we had anticipated. For this reason, we opted to camp at Woods Creek rather than push through to Rae Lakes.

There are some pretty awesome views on this part of the trail as well as some undesirable areas. Be prepared to walk through mud that smells like cow shit too. As well as bug infested marshland before heading back up to higher elevations. But, you’ll also be greeted with multiple waterfall sightings, making up for the rest.

The day starts out with a river crossing at the South Fork of the Kings River. The bridge is currently out there and not expected to start repairs until 2019. In the later summer and early fall months, the water levels are low enough that a proper water crossing is possible. But for us, the levels were still too high and we opted to use the log jam about 1/4 mile downstream from the former bridge crossing to get across. It was pretty gnarly, and not exactly easy with a pack full of supplies for the next 4 days. But, we made it across with no major injuries.

There is a stretch that goes through a beautiful meadow, and shortly thereafter you find yourself hiking over granite slaps and the most majestic talus field. And then, the crown jewel of this section: the meetup with the PCT/JMT at the Woods Creek Suspension Bridge. There are no photos or videos that can truly prepare you for this. While the bridge looks super sketchy in person, it’s actually pretty fun to go across. Remember, it’s one person on the bridge at a time.

This is a very busy area, so if you’re planning to stay here, get here on the earlier side of the day or you may miss out on an official campsite. The bear boxes fill up very quickly too, and the thru hikers sure do know how to pack everything in them to the brim. If you have a few items that don’t fit in your bear can, place them in the box, but leave what you can outside in a secured spot 100 feet

For more insight into day two of our Rae Lakes Loop adventure, check out my video below. It’s a little better this go around. Haha.

For a complete trail description, visit our friends over at Modern Hiker!