9-day adventure backpacking through the High Sierras in Sequoia National Park in July 2020. Highlights include portions of the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, and the High Sierra Trail as well as the Upper Kern Basin, Lake South America, Kern Hot Springs, Volcano Falls, and the Golden Trout Wilderness. Shot with the Insta360 One-R and Pixel 2XL. Map and full trip report on my website. Thanks for watching!
42 Comments
I was on the Darwin Bench on the 4th, was that you with all the fireworks!! Lol!
My cure for the out of shape blues: less miles and more coffee. Repeat untill symptoms subside!
Thanks for the vid.
I enjoyed the trip and I am not tired at all 🙂
Great video Jamal! I hiked the High Sierra Trail last summer – it was great to see it going the opposite way. Sorry for all the mosquitos. I'm sure I'll have my share this weekend in the Thousand Island Lakes area. I hate those little buggers as much as you do. Although I don't think I know anyone that likes them. Oh…bats like them…yeah, bats.
I was concerned that you were hiking solo but imagine my relief when Mr. Shadow showed up!
Some random thoughts:
This is so beautiful, coming from a Utah boy.
If the mosquitoes pester the "heck" out of you, you're an honorary Utahn.
"In three, two, one…hey sunshine." Shouldn't that be, "Hey, Mr. Shadow!"
Snek…nope! Nope! Nope!
That natural bridge is pretty cool!
Thanks for taking us along on the adventure!
Very good to see a new and really wonderful video of a beautiful place! I’m missing Utah! We just canceled what would’ve been our 2nd trip of the year there. But you have inspired me so I’ve started making videos of my hikes in Austria. Did I mention I miss being in Utah?! Check them out in case you ever come to Austria… ExploreWithMelody on YouTube.
Beautiful video! Mosquitoes are bad here in the Rio Grande Valley as well🤯 Loved the hike and especially the water crossings, the 4th of July special, and the nighttime pictures of the sky. Thank you!!!!
Loved it!
Really enjoyed the video, It be awesome with some more camp shots doe imo, just a suggestion. Thanks for sharing, Take care!
Really appreciate your videos Jamal! Your website is even better. After discovering the wonders of Utah 5 years ago I'm diving deeper and deeper (with you blazing the trail via stellar content). Hope to meet you on the trail someday…THANKS!
Not a super interesting comment, but I just want to say thanks for taking the time so shoot and edit this video. It was a pleasure to watch and hike it with you
Glad to see you back!
Glad to see you back on the trail. Itching to get back out there myself. As always thanks for creating these videos. Stay safe!
More epic Sierra trips please
This channel tops my YouTube list!
Woohoo Jamal & Mr Shadow are back at it. I feel yout pain with the bugs… Bugs are my main reason I hike mostly from fall to spring. Thank you for bringing us along on another great adventurous hike!
Keep searching, there's got to be water around there somewhere! Thanks for taking us along, lots of fun.
Awesome video. You have some amazing footage. Where did you start your hike at and where is a good place to park for a few days. I want to take my older kids up there. Thank you
Love "ghost lake" 3 snakes and 2 eagles wow! sequoias are typically only on the west slope, possible they were cedars BUT also possible you are just close enough that some exist over there- and if so they actually ARE "giant sequoias", just small examples of them that have not grown large fore whatever reason… there are only two types of Redwood, Coastal Redwood and Giant sequoia (and a third type in China). Not all of them get to be giants but they all are able – while the Coastal Redwoods up North reach hundreds of feet tall, the one in front of my apartment building is only about 60ft.. Crazy Bugs! we've been lucky most trips, this year we backpacked Yosemite over labor day- a lot of smoke, but no bugs at all. Arch on a Bridge that is awesome// fantastic video start to finish thanks so much for taking us with you
Do you ever get lonely on your solo hikes?
The Sierras are awesome but the PCT/muir trail is a complete shitshow.
I enjoyed this video, but I could tell that 2020 sucked some of the joy out of it for you, like this year did for most of us. At least not the usual consistently upbeat outlook that I've seen in most of your films. Still a nice film though. However, mosquitoes – Hah! I live in Alaska; I can show you some mosquitoes that make the Sierra bugs look puny! All part of the challenge. Next time bring an extra headnet and see how much you can get for it on the PCT, from someone who forgot one!
The upper North Fork of the Kern is a special place – beautiful ! I'm enjoying your video on my lunch break and will have to watch the next half later. Thanks for much for the excellent cinematography and editing. Kudos to you if you did all that solo! I call the ghost lake Casper Lake and I think a few other folks do too.
Great adventure 👍love the canyon and I wish I could visit the grand canyon I have a question for you who put the food for you and how do you locat them?
Beautiful golden trout
Just found your channel..so enjoyable to watch. Lovely landscape and interesting places. New subscriber here… Greetings from England.
The star firework show with the music was super creative, nice work
Awesome video!! I’m heading to Lake South America via Kearsarge Pass and following the Kern down to Johnsondale bridge and this video gave me a lot of insights. Only thing you were missing was your fly fishing rod, all that water was world class trout fishing!!! Cheers 🍻oh by the way it definitely gave me inspiration🤙🤙
Out there playing in bear country. I hope you guys pack bear spray, it's dangerous out there.
Wow enjoyed the fireworks 🎆 Lol
The starry 🌟 nights were fabulous!
I’ve been enjoying your videos. New to your channel. We did the JMT this fall and had a blast. While hiking you see so many other areas to explore, the upper Kern being one of them. How would you do this route differently other than choosing a time when the bugs weren’t so bad?
I am so sad that you did not love this hike one tenth as much as I did. It was SO beautiful, especially in Maine in December, where there are no mosquitoes!
The pass above Lake SA is Harrison Pass, and I believe it used to be part of the Pacific Crest Trail. When one of my co-workers heard that I was headed up to the Upper Kern back in 2016, she showed me a pic from the early 80's (I believe) of her aunt and uncle standing on that pass when they crossed it as part of their PCT hike. That "Ghost" Lake is commonly referred to as Casper Lake so you weren't that far off in your name. Lots of good memories from that hike, and I plan on including a few days in the Upper Kern as part of a 2 week hike in 2022.
Any gold, Off up in there? I'm asken.
The regular sequoia tree was actually an incense cedar.
It´s quite different to see you in the Sierra, but I like this video very much. It´s the funniest Jamal Video I´ve seen so far 🤣
I really enjoyed your video. I live in Utah now, but I grew up in Sequoia National Forest and was fortunate to spend 40 years of my life working outdoors in the Southern Sierra. I have hiked every corner of the Kern drainage, but going to Lake SA when I was 18 was a highlight and your video brought back good memories. There's n place like the High Sierra, but the Uintas are damn close!!
Dam dude that hike is out of control what you mean 20 more miles
How did you get your grub
As a volunteer ranger and trail maintainer, Permethrin has been a major game changer. You apply it to your clothes ONCE a season. Often, you need to use nothing else. Occasionally add DEET. It has changed the experience for rangers.
I live at the base of the Kern River as it comes out of the canyon in Hwy 178. Only a day hiker, but I won’t hike when the bug’s come out! Only Early early spring, & late Fall! Thanks for going to places I’ve seen on maps! What an experience!